British Columbia Schizophrenia Society

Do you have a relative or friend with a serious mental illness? Strengthening Families Together is a 10-session group for families and friends, which provides information, skill-building, and support. Offered throughout BC in spring and fall. Contact your local branch for details.

The Kids in Control Support Group Program, created by the BC Schizophrenia Society, gives information, education and support to children eight to thirteen years of age who have a parent with a serious mental illness. The Teens in Control program is now available for Teens. For more information visit: www.bcss.org/kidsincontrol

Last Tuesday of the month, 7:00, @ 2615A Montrose St. Abbotsford. Info: 604-859-0105

2nd Monday of the Month, 7:30 pm @ 630 Poirier St., Coquitlam in the McGee Room. Info: Dave 1-877-717-5518 familysupportandrespite@bcss.org

The Family Resource Guide was developed by the Langley Mental Health Community Advisory Committee and includes a comprehensive list of Services and Resources available to family members and supporters of persons with mental health issues. Please click here to view the guide.

Do you have a family member with a mental illness? Are you wondering what services are available for serious mental illness in your community and how to access them? Need help figuring out what to do? BCSS can help. We have staff and volunteers in locations near you who can talk to you about your options and help you get connected. For contact info, please visit the link above for a list of locations or contact BCSS at 1-888-888-0029 to be referred to the person nearest you.

In the 2009-10 fiscal year alone, BCSS provincial coordinators responded to 5,684 calls and over 35,000 emails for support and information, attended 1,700 meetings, organized 390 support group sessions, and presented to over 34,000 members of the public

3rd Thursday of every month, 7-9pm @ Royal Columbian Hospital - Sherbrooke Centre (260 Sherbrooke Street) Conference Room #2 Info: Dave 604-523-1072

A Ulysses Agreement is a voluntary plan that allows a parent to plan how their children will be cared for should they relapse and be temporally unable to care for their children. Help to create these plans is available in Boston Bar, Hope, Agassiz, Mission, Abbotsford, Langley, White Rock & Surrey from Mark Littlefield at (604) 832-0705. Outside the Fraser region, please call Mark for more information or click on the link for written information and templates.

1st Tuesday of the Month, 7-8:30 pm @ Chilliwack Middle School, 46354 Yale Road E, at the Library

1st Monday of every month, 7-9 pm @ Langley Stepping Stones (20101 Michaud Crescent) Info: Hardeep 604-574-1976

2nd Monday of every month @ #129 6345 120 St. - Sunshine Village (North Delta Mental Health Centre). Info: Hardeep 604-574-1976

Visit www.reachingfamiliesproject.org to participate in our online support groups for family members and supporters.

The Family Respite Program provides a modest amount of funding to families to pay for activities or services to help give family members helping their ill relative a break or rest. As families are all different, each family is helped to come up with a respite plan that works for them. Visit http://www.bcss.org/respite for more information. For service in the Fraser region contact 604 608-0477

Partnership Education is based on a personal storytelling model. It is a unique and powerful presentation that helps people in the community to understand the nature and prevalence of chronic and severe mental illness. A Partnership presentation is a panel of three guest speakers - a person with a psychiatric diagnosis, a family member, and a mental health professional. The three guests are presented as a team and each describes their own personal experience with mental illness. For information about volunteering for or arranging for a partnership presentation in your area, please contact the BCSS staff person or volunteer near you.

This fact sheet helps families recognize a crisis situation and offers suggestions on how to deal with a crisis.