British Columbia Schizophrenia Society

To Donate: Click here to donate online, send a cheque payable to the BC Schizophrenia Society to 201 - 6011 Westminster Hwy, Richmond , BC V7C 4V4 or click here or the link above for more options.

The Family Toolkit is designed to assist families in caring for a family member with a mental illness by providing information and practical resources.

A selection of some of our most useful fact sheets for families.

A Ulysses Agreement is a voluntary process that is used by a person that has a mental illness or mental health concern. The plan allows the parent to plan how their children will be cared for should they relapse and be temporally unable to care for their children.

Third Monday of the month, 7:00-8:30 pm @ St. Mark's Church 1805 Larch St. Info: Almas 604-267-1472 or 604-873-0103 mdabc@telus.net

By Dr. Richard Williams

This website gives information for families about schizophrenia. You can translate this website automatically into many other languages using the tool on this page. Please ignore the error messages. They are outside our control and do not affect the translation. The translations are created by Google Translate, and the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society is not responsible for any translation errors.

The reaching out video tells the story of living with schizophrenia, and why it's important to get help early. The community video shows Julie, a high school student, learning about schizophrenia and getting help for her friend Todd. The physician video has interviews with doctors on the importance of early intervention in psychosis and schizophrenia. Both videos are spoken in English and subtitled in Chinese.

This 40-page booklet contains the most frequently asked questions about schizophrenia.

Some printable booklet files.

Listen to the tv and radio ads from our archives. Also includes link to download for rebroadcast.

This resource may be useful to people who would like to understand the rules and procedures in place in BC around mental illness, police involvement, involuntary treatment, etc

This fact sheet is republished here with permission of the Vancouver Richmond Early Psychosis Intervention Program www.hopevancouver.com

Youth who are going to develop psychosis can be identified before their illness becomes full-blown 35 percent of the time if they meet widely accepted criteria for risk, but that figure rises to 65 to 80 percent if they have certain combinations of risk factors, the largest study of its kind has shown.

This video for physicians discusses the experience of schizophrenia and includes psychiatrists speaking about the disease.

The ReachOut Psychosis Tour is proud to present our new video, giving a taste of this concert and spoken word presentation that travels to high schools, correctional centres and colleges in BC.

This article discusses a model intervention clarifying confidentiality policies regarding releasing information to families or significant others was evaluated for its effectiveness in improving provider-consumer-family collaboration.

Homeless Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families: Emerging Issues from Clinical Work: The authors draw on their clinical work with homeless persons with mental illness to outline three family-related issues that seem common to many homeless persons with mental illness
Living with Schizophrenia: A Family Perspective: This review summarizes the studies related to the family responses and emotional environment of families who have a member with schizophrenia.

Information on Genetics and Mental Illness Studies at UBC

The Support Buddy program is a program that matches persons supporting a loved one with a mental illness with a another family member volunteer for one on one non-professional support. More details on the program at www.buddy.bcss.org

The materials for this program are provided on the web to organizations who would like to implement this program on a nonprofit basis in their region. Four locations are currently running this program. Now a new tool has been added for coordinators of the program, a discussion listserv for coordinators

An article by Theresa H.M. Moore, MSc, from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and colleagues was published in the July 28 issue of The Lancet. Moore compared the results of several research studies that followed people over a period of time (systematic review of longitudinal studies). She found that there is enough new evidence that the use of cannabis (marijuana) increases the risk for later psychotic illness by roughly 40%.

This e-resource list is to help get news about first nations resources out to aboriginal families and communities caring for a loved one with a mental illness or addictions concern. Please click on the link above for more information.

This series of audio recordings give basic information on 5 major mental illnesses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety and OCD), in three first nations languages - Carrier, Tsilhqot'in and Shuswap.

Our online calendar at www.calendar.bcss.org contains support groups, training and events for people with a mental illness and their family and supporters. It is updated regularly and includes events and resources from all over British Columbia.

Dr Merete argues that: Neurocognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, affecting 94% of patients. Cognitive deficits are probably the most important factor for poor outcome in people with the illness. Cognitive testing would be of great benefit to patients, clinicians, families and other caregivers.

SCHIZOPHRENIA It's not what you think

The Peer Education and Support Group is now a full fledged BRIDGES support group and is open to anyone who has a diagnosis of mental illness. It is a place to share hopes, struggles, insights and coping strategies in a supportive and confidential atmosphere. Please click on the link above for more information.

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. Please click on the link above for more details.

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Click on the link above for a listing of schizophrenia societies in Canada.

The basic facts about schizophrenia

Fact sheets on schizophrenia are available in Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Spanish, translated with a grant from the World Assembly for Mental Health. Click on the above link for more.

Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness that touches the lives of 1 in 100 people.

This audio commercial, suitable for radio use, talks about how schizophrenia is treatable. Contact BCSS if you'd like to arrange to air this commercial on a station in your region.

This audio commercial, suitable for radio use talks about how schizophrenia affects 1 in every 100 people.

Developed by the BC Schizophrenia Society in conjunction with the University of British Columbia's Department of Psychiatry to help enhance clinical skills. People with schizophrenia talk about their personal experience, with commentary by five noted psychiatrists.

This short video shows Jamie, a person with schizophrenia, living well.

This video tells the story of Emily.

This video tells the story of Todd, a young man becoming ill with psychosis, and his friend who figures out what's wrong and helps him get help. Also accompanying teacher's manual.

This video tells the story of Todd, a young man becoming ill with psychosis, and his friend who figures out what's wrong and helps him get help. Includes link to a teacher's manual for educating young people about psychosis and schizophrenia.

This video is from the BCAB "We'd Like Change Your Mind" Television Campaign [2003] - it focusses on a person telling his two friends he has schizophrenia, what they're saying in response, and what they're thinking. Click on the link above to view.

How to plan for when your ill family member is released from hospital.

Guidelines for families when dealing with medical and mental health professionals.

The rights of families living with schizophrenia.

A fun and interactive performance that aims to educate young people about this brain illness while having a good time.

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.

The Kids in Control Support Group Program gives information, education and support to children eight to thirteen years of age who have a parent with a serious mental illness.

Sign up here for our e-newsletters for family members, mental health professionals, educators and aboriginal community members to keep posted on BCSS events, resources and advocacy or click on the above link for more information.

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.

A BCSS Branch is a community based association of people who volunteer their time and energy to help improve the lives of people with serious mental illness and their families.

For more information on how to connect with a branch in your region, please contact provincial office at: (lower mainland): 604.270.7841 Toll Free: 1.888.888.0029 or Email Us

BRIDGES is a course taught by consumers for consumers. BRIDGES helps people learn things that will help them in their journey to recovery. People who have taken the course find it helps them to be part of their own treatment. In the course, students learn about psychiatric diagnoses. They also learn about what mental health treatments work best.

A study of best practices in disseminating information to families of persons with mental illness.

Fact sheet for young children in pdf format

A monthly e-newsletter is available from BCSS. Please click on the link above for more details.

This audio public service announcement/commercial is suitable for radio use.

This fact sheet from the provincial ministry of health provides guidelines for releasing clients' information to third parties such as family or friends of the client or health care providers.

An online booklet for family, teachers, and friends that looks at the causes, symptoms and treatments of psychosis.

A booklet in pdf format designed to be printed on letter sized paper and folded.

Information on the importance of early psychosis intervention and treatment.

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

Sample Consent form for the verbal release of information to family members

A fact sheet that offers suggestions for family members living with schizophrenia.

A puppet show that educates grade 4/5 students in order to give them accurate information and to dispel the myths and misunderstandings about mental illness.

A psychoeducational board game about psychosis for families including a person recovering from psychosis.

This fact sheet gives general information on using medications and other methods to treat schizophrenia