Strengthening Families Together: Kentville

Ongoing!

FREE!

Do you have a relative or friend with a serious mental illness?

Would you like to learn more about his or her illness?

Delivered by family members who have direct experience with the psychiatric illness of a loved one, and enhanced by invited speakers with topical expertise, Strengthening Families Together is a Canadian-based educational program for families and friends which provides information, skill-building, and support. The program is FREE and open to all family members and friends of those living with a serious mental illness.

You will learn about:

• Early intervention and recovery
• Treatments and supports
• Coping with challenges of daily living
• Navigating the mental health system
• The importance of taking care of yourself, too

The Kings County Chapter of the SSNS will deliver Strengthening Families Together at the CMHA Kings County Branch office, 49 Cornwallis Street, Suite 109, Kentville, Nova Scotia, beginning on Tuesday, March 16th, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and continuing for nine consecutive weeks.

For an outline of the Strengthening Families Together program, please click here.

Registration

To register for this 10-week session of Strengthening Families Together, please contact Pat at (902) 678-8458 or Penni at (902) 678-1229.

Quotes from participants of previous Strengthening Families Together sessions:

“I would like to say thank you so very much for taking the time and effort to have this program on Thursday nights. It has been a wonderful experience and I am sad to see it end.”

“This has been a blessing to me. I am very satisfied with my experience with the group, and my understanding of the health care options and support available to us has greatly increased. I would highly recommend Strengthening Families Together to any who will listen! Thanks.”

“Some solid strategies and ideas on how to help our son.”

“I feel this program is a wonderful launching pad; it equips us to participate in community events and gives us connections to others who are equally passionate about understanding mental illness. It’s a valuable resource.”

News Release – Schizophrenia Societies adopt joint mission statement

Schizophrenia Societies join forces on new mission statement to promote improved quality of life

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada and the Provincial Schizophrenia Societies across the country are proud to announce the launch of a new, joint mission statement that promotes improved quality of life for individuals and families affected by schizophrenia.

The new mission inspires the societies to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education, support programs, public policy and research.

“This exciting new mission statement recognizes the significant changes in our understanding of and approaches to mental illness over the last 20 years,” said Chris Summerville, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the SSC.

“Today, the emphasis is rightly upon the possibility of recovery, not the mere reduction of suffering. Thus a shared mission statement more accurately reflects the purpose of the work of the schizophrenia societies across Canada,” Mr. Summerville said. “It represents our shared passion to advocate for mental health services that are recovery oriented and enhance quality of life, that advance the needs, rights and abilities of people living with and affected by schizophrenia and psychosis.”

The new statement expands beyond symptom reduction alone to promote the fact that there is hope for individuals and families to improve their quality of life. It integrates the importance of medical and psychiatric treatment to achieve maximum symptom relief and control with the myriad of other health, social and economic factors that can also add to a person’s quality of life, including but not limited to: community-based psychiatric rehabilitation with access to psychological support services; peer support; family education; safe and affordable housing; adequate income security; meaningful work; court diversion programs and mental health courts.

Quality of life and recovery are very individual, noted SSC President Michael Thomson. “The new mission statement incorporates that individuality and it promotes the idea of working towards a quality of life and recovery level that is possible and appropriate for each individual.”

The focus on the individuals and their quality of life is particularly meaningful for many impacted by the illness.

“I think the new mission statement is more proactive,” said 24-year-old Tammy Lambert of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who was diagnosed 10 years ago. “It doesn’t focus on symptoms alone; it focuses on the future and it gives people hope that they may be able to achieve a better quality of life.”

“As parents of a son who is living with schizophrenia, we welcome this new mission statement and its broader emphasis on the person rather than the illness,” said Dennis and Amy Butcher. “It conveys the hope and the opportunities that exist for many individuals – with the right supports and services – to return to a quality of life that is meaningful and fulfilling.”

The adoption of a shared mission also enhances the societies’ ability to speak with one united voice on behalf of those affected by the illness.

“As we promote the work of our societies, both individually and together, the shared mission statement enables us to promote the same message across the country and this will be a significant advantage in our ongoing efforts to educate, raise awareness and reduce the stigma and misperceptions that abound about schizophrenia,” said Mr. Summerville.

Schizophrenia is a serious biochemical brain disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disturbances in thinking and emotional and social withdrawal. Statistics show that one person in
100, or about 300,000 Canadians, will experience an episode of schizophrenia in their lifetime.

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada and the 10 Schizophrenia Societies across the country work independently and together to improve the quality of life of those affected by the illness through education, public policy, support and research.