Family Mental Health Resources
There is hope and help for families and we hope this newsletter will help you find support (see group listing at right) and information your family needs.
In this issue:
Ongoing BC-Wide Family Resources | Help for Caregiver stress and anxiety | Comic Book Describes Life with Mentally Ill Parent | Research Studies/Programs looking for Participants
Ongoing BC-Wide Family Resources
If this e-resource has been forwarded to you by a friend, you can sign up for your own copy
Resources and Information from BC Partners
The following are some recent news items and service offerings from the BC Partners member agencies and other sources on topics affecting family members and their loved ones with a mental illness.
Facing caregiving stress, low mood and anxiety? Bounce Back can help.
Caregiving can be a major source of life stress and can lead to low mood and anxiety. Many people are reluctant to take medications for their mental health problems, but those experiencing mild to moderate depression or anxiety may not be aware there are effective skills-based treatment options they can benefit from—for free and from the comfort of their own home.
Bounce Back is an award-winning program that offers adults two forms of help: a self-help DVD and an effective, short-term mood improvement program with telephone coaching. Bounce Back is delivered across BC through the Canadian Mental Health Association with funding from Ministry of Health Services. Although the program is not exclusively for caregivers, many caregivers have already benefitted from it.
The self-help DVD, Living Life to the Full, provides clear and practical tips and strategies for managing mood and getting more out of life. In the telephone coaching program, Bounce Back community coaches provide participants with information and exercises to help change the way they think and act in order to bring about positive changes in how they feel. The DVD and coaching are both based on principles from cognitive-behavioural therapy. You need a doctor’s referral to access the telephone coaching program. But DVDs are free from any family practice.
To find out more, visit www.bouncebackbc.ca. Then talk to your family doctor at your next regular visit.
Comic Book Describes Life with Mentally Ill Parent
"the road to god knows..." is a graphic novel by artist Von Allan capturing his experience growing up with a mother who suffered from schizophrenia. Von Allan wrote the book to help people better understand mental illness and its effects on families and their lives. The book is intended for adults. Parents will want to review the mature content if they plan on passing the materials on to their teens. The book is free and available for download at www.trtgk.vonallan.com.
Research Studies/Projects looking for Participants
Looking to help researchers help understand mental illness? Would you like to be involved in helping researchers figure out what helps the most? Please see this link to the list of ongoing research studies looking for participants with a mental illness or their family members.
Acknowledgements
This resource is developed by the BC Schizophrenia Society. Funding for this project was provided by BC Mental Health and Addiction Services, an agency of PHSA.
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UPCOMING FAMILY EVENTS
For more events, please visit the family calendar www.familyevents.bcss.org. View events sorted by location.
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For more events, please visit the family calendar
Ongoing Family Resources & Referral Information
Reaching Families Project (BC Schizophrenia Society/ HeretoHelp)
Families to Refer: Relatives or supporters looking for support groups or education events for themselves in their area of BC. No limitations by diagnosis. Relatives, parents, siblings, adult children, family of choice, lesbian /gay / LGTB.
**If your agency provides support or information events or groups to relatives/supporters of persons with a mental illness in BC, please send in your information for posting on this calendar to onlinesupport@bcss.org
Kelty Resource Centre
Families to Refer: Families needing help finding and accessing mental health info and services for children/youth with a mental health concern, youth with a mental health concern, adults/youth with eating disorder. Run by BC Mental Health and Addictions Services – office in BC Children and Women’s Hospital, service area BC-wide through phone and email.
BC Schizophrenia Society
Families to Refer: Families of persons with a serious and persistent mental illness (including but not limited to schizophrenia, psychosis, schizoaffective disorders) All family members welcome at support groups, family education groups (regardless of family member diagnosis). Kids in Control program provides service to children 8-13 of parents with any kind of mental illness, as does Family Respite program. Online support groups for family members is also not diagnosis-limited and are facilitated including groups for adult children, lesbian/gay family of choice and siblings. Referral details at the above links. Service areas: BC wide except respite and kids programs.
The FORCE For Kids Mental Health
Families to refer:Parents of children with a mental illness looking for support and information. Service area: specific regions, see website.
Here To Help Website
BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions information offers a wide variety of general audience information on mental health, addictions and mental wellness. All information is evidence based. Funded by provincial health authority.
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