Health Professional Family Mental Health Resources
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
Strengthening Families Together Mental Illness Education Course for Family Members accepting registrations BC-wide
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
Strengthening Families Together
This 10-session national education program for family members and friends of individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses aims to increase accessibility to Canadian-based information on the topics associated with living daily with a mental illness. The program is offered free of charge, regionally throughout BC by The British Columbia Schizophrenia Society. (spring and fall)
Strengthening Families Together is about more than education: it is about strengthening family members and friends of individuals with a serious mental illness by providing support, awareness, and tools.
Support
Families have an opportunity to discuss the daily challenges they face and learn how to connect with others through membership in their local provincial society and chapter/branch.
Awareness
Families get reliable and consistent information about mental illness, treatment options, causes, research, and available mental health services, in the hopes of diminishing the stigma attached to diagnosis.
Tools
Families are equipped with problem solving, coping, and advocacy and communication skills, and the know-how to develop their own local support group.
Funding
The Strengthening Families Courses are often funded by donors and Health Regions in the areas where they are delivered and are provided free of charge to participants.
How to Refer
Courses normally accept registration in January, February, September and October. Consult the calendar at right for listed courses, or check with your local BC Schizophrenia Society branch. Family members can self-refer by contacting the local BC Schizophrenia Society office.
Preview
A video version of the course is available that presents most of the material from the course at the following link.
Studies looking for Participants
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UPCOMING FAMILY EVENTS
For more events, please visit the family calendar www.familyevents.bcss.org. View events sorted by location.
REGISTER NOW
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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 resp
ite 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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