A 2011 booklet for families to explain BC's forensic psychiatry services.

Many people with disabilities find they have extra costs because of their disability. People who have these or other disability-related costs (and their families) may want to create resources to pay for these costs now and in the future, while still maintaining eligibility for disability assistance.

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 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.

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.

Click here for information and tips for family members on how to get help for your loved one.

If you’re trying to get help for a loved one with schizophrenia, psychosis or another serious mental illness, the BC Schizophrenia Society can help. Click here for more information.

This list of warning signs was developed by people whose relatives have schizophrenia or other serious mental illness. Many behaviours are within the range of normal responses to situations. Yet family members sense—even when symptoms are mild—that behaviour is “unusual”; that the person is “not the same”.

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

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

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.bcss.org/calendar 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

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

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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 the symptoms of this brain condition and where to get help. Delivered to tens of thousands of youth each year in secondary schools across BC. More information at reachoutpsychosis.com

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.

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

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. Offered throughout BC in spring and fall. Contact your local branch for details.

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

Fact sheet for young children in pdf format

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 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

This document lists the information that families need regarding all facets of schizophrenia and psychosis.

A checklist for medical and mental-health professionals

How to help a loved one when they return home from the hospital.

Common FAQs about schizophrenia

A fact sheet for teen siblings of persons suffering from psychosis.

This program has been replaced by the Strengthening Families Together program. It is currently offered independently in Terrace, under separate license with NAMI.

The program matches volunteers with persons who are family members of persons with a serious and persistent mental illness. The volunteers, who are also family members of a person with a mental illness, provide peer listening and some information during a weekly phone call or visit. This program is not currently operating but full program materials are available at the link above for organizations or branches who would like to offer it.

an evidence based fact sheet in pdf format for persons experiencing symptoms.

Fact sheet in pdf format. A good general audience introduction to psychosis.

This 4 page fact sheet in pdf format gives helpful tips for families and friends on how to handle psychosis symptoms.

Information for persons with mood disorders on psychosis symptoms that sometimes happen.

Information on coping when someone you care about with psychosis is experiencing depression

A fact sheet for new moms and their family and friends.

A professonal development video for mental health professionals on the topic of collaborating with family caregivers developed by the Bouverie institute.

Cultural sensitivity information for caregivers on understanding cultures which value a high level of family involvement in medical care

A chart that shows the changes in a family caregiver's needs over time.

Materials developed as part of a professional education workshop for mental health providers presented by BCSS in the Fraser Health Region in spring of 2006.

Videos about schizophrenia and psychosis.

This fact sheet looks at the connection between psychosis and the use of Crystal Methamphetamine.

A fact sheet about the connection between cannabis use and psychosis.

A booklet from the Discover the Facts booklet series

Steps for working with delusions.

Some information on working with hallucinations.

Test yourself, then check the answers (given at the end of the quiz) to see how you scored.

Schizophrenia is a brain disease caused by biological and chemical changes in the brain. It is an uncommon illness in children and hard to recognize in its early phases.

A Checklist for Families of Patients with Schizophrenia & Other Serious Mental Illnesses

This document provides basic information on several types of mental illness including schizophrenia, mood disorders, panic disorders and addictions.

This video for schools talks about the experience of schizophrenia.

A fact sheet on recognizing the warning signs of psychosis.

Dos and don'ts for families coping with schizophrenia

A fact sheet about disrimination and advocacy.

People with schizophrenia sometimes experience symptoms that are difficult for the individual, friends, family members, professionals and others to deal with. This article offers some helpful suggestions.