Welcome to this issue of professional resources, produced by the BC Schizophrenia Society, in partnership with the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information.

We hope this newsletter provides you with helpful information to assist you in collaborating with family members and supporters in the care of their loved one with a mental illness. A companion enewsletter is also available for family members.

In this newsletter:

Ongoing Family Resources – where and how to refer relatives and supporters for support and help.

Featured Resources

• New Multilingual Mental Health Resources on HereToHelp

Family support and education events, listed by location (also see map) – link opens on a web page
Family support and education events in BC (see right)

If this e-resource has been forwarded to you by a friend, you can sign up for your own copy here

Featured Resources

New Multilingual Webpages on HeretoHelp

The BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information is launching a new section of the HeretoHelp website. This new section will provide webpages in many different languages, including Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi (Persian)/Dari, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Japanese and Vietnamese. Mental health and substance use information in many languages will be easily accessible from the Here to Help homepage. Visit www.heretohelp.bc.ca to check it out!

Studies looking for Participants

A listing of research studies looking for participants is now available here

UPCOMING FAMILY EVENTS

For more events, please visit the family calendar www.familyevents.bcss.org. View events sorted by location.

1 January:

Online Support Groups for Family / Supporters (all day)

6 January:

Penticton - BCSS - Women's Mental Illness Support Group - Wednesdays (1:30 pm)

Chilliwack - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Wednesdays (6:30 pm)

Victoria - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Wednesdays (7:00 pm)

Delta - CHMA - Family Support Group - 1st & 3rd Weds. (7:30 pm)

7 January:

Tri-Cities - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Thursdays (6:30 pm)

Abbotsford - MDA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 1st and 3rd Thursdays (7:00 pm)

Prince George - BCSS - Family Support Group - 1st Thursdays (7:00 pm)

8 January:

Fort St. John - BCSS - Breakfast Support Group - 1st Fridays (7:30 am)

11 January:

Kamloops - CMHA - Family Support Group - 2nd Mondays (6:00 pm)

Surrey/Delta/White Rock - BCSS - Family Support Group - 2nd Mondays (7:00 pm)

Coquitlam/TriCities - BCSS - Family Support Group - 2nd Mondays (7:30 pm)

12 January:

Quesnel - BCSS - Family Support Group - 2nd Tuesdays (7:30 pm)

13 January:

Penticton - BCSS - Women's Mental Illness Support Group - Wednesdays (1:30 pm)

Smithers - BCSS - Caregivers Support Group - 2nd Wednesday of the month (2:00 pm)

Ladner/Tsaw - MDA/CMHA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 2nd and 4th Wednesdays (7:00 pm)

14 January:

Nelson - BCSS - Family Support Group - 2nd Thursdays (7:00 pm)

15 January:

Kamloops - BCSS - Kids in Control Group Accepting Registrations (all day)

Kamloops - BCSS - Strengthening Families Together Course Accepting Registrations (all day)

Burnaby/New West - BCSS - Kids in Control - Registration open for winter 2010 course start (7:00 pm)

16 January:

Victoria - BCSS - Family EPI Group - 3rd Saturdays (11:30 am)

18 January:

Powell River - BCSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Mondays (7:00 pm)

Vancouver - MDA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 3rd Mondays (7:00 pm)

19 January:

Williams Lake and Area - BCSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Tuesdays (6:00 pm)

Campbell River - BCSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Tuesdays (7:00 pm)

Powell River - BCSS - Quarterly Branch Meeting (7:00 pm)

Terrace - BCSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Tuesdays (7:30 pm)

Squamish - NSSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Tuesday of the month (7:30 pm)

20 January:

Penticton - BCSS - Women's Mental Illness Support Group - Wednesdays (1:30 pm)

Salmon Arm - FORCE - Parent Networking and Support Group - 3rd Wednesdays (6:30 pm)

Fort St. John - BCSS - Evening Support Group - 3rd Wednesday (7:00 pm)

West Vancouver - NSSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Wednesdays (7:30 pm)

Delta - CHMA - Family Support Group - 1st & 3rd Weds. (7:30 pm)

21 January:

Vancouver - VCH - Aboriginal Mental Health Conference (all day)

Surrey / Whiterock - BCSS - Family Support Group - 3rd Thursdays (1:30 pm)

Prince George - Strengthening Families Together (6:30 pm)

Abbotsford - MDA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 1st and 3rd Thursdays (7:00 pm)

25 January:

Vancouver - BCSS - Family Support Group - 4th Mondays (6:30 pm)

Kitimat - BCSS - Family Support Group - last Mondays (7:00 pm)

26 January:

Abbotsford - BCSS - Family support group - Last Tuesdays (7:00 pm)

Vernon - BCSS - Family Support Group - 4th Tuesdays (evening) (7:00 pm)

27 January:

Penticton - BCSS - Women's Mental Illness Support Group - Wednesdays (1:30 pm)

Kamloops - BCSS - Support & Info Sessions - Mondays (4:00 pm)

Ladner/Tsaw - MDA/CMHA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 2nd and 4th Wednesdays (7:00 pm)

McBride - BCSS - Family Support Group - last Wednesdays (7:00 pm)

28 January:

Smithers - Consumer & Family Initiatives Committee - 4th Thursdays (12:00 pm)

Nanaimo - BCSS - Share & Care Family Support Group - last Thursday of the month (6:30 pm)

Salmon Arm - BCSS - Family Support Group - Last Thursdays (7:00 pm)

31 January:

Surrey/Delta/Langley/White Rock - Strengthening Families Together Course (2:00 pm)

1 February:

Throughout BC - BCSS - Strengthening Families Together Courses Start Spring & Fall (all day)

Online Support Groups for Family / Supporters (all day)

Abbotsford - FORCE - Group for Parents of Children/Youth - 1st Mondays (7:00 pm)

Langley - BCSS - Family Support Group - 1st Mondays (7:00 pm)

2 February:

Chilliwack - BCSS - Caring and Sharing Family Support Group - 1st Tuesdays (7:30 pm)

3 February:

Penticton - BCSS - Women's Mental Illness Support Group - Wednesdays (1:30 pm)

Chilliwack - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Wednesdays (6:30 pm)

Victoria - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Wednesdays (7:00 pm)

Delta - CHMA - Family Support Group - 1st & 3rd Weds. (7:30 pm)

4 February:

Tri-Cities - FORCE - Parents of Children Group - 1st Thursdays (6:30 pm)

Abbotsford - MDA - Mood Disorders Family Support Group - 1st and 3rd Thursdays (7:00 pm)

Prince George - BCSS - Family Support Group - 1st Thursdays (7:00 pm)

5 February:

Fort St. John - BCSS - Breakfast Support Group - 1st Fridays (7:30 am)

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.

Multi-agency support group listing:http://www.meetings.bcss.org

Family events calendar http://www.familyevents.bcss.org

Online support groups for family members – (facilitated) including groups for adult children, lesbian/gay family of choice and siblings

Population-specific resource e-newsletters - feature and promote resources for family members to various audiences.

**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.