On October 28, 2021 BCSS hosted its first BCSS Members Only Event featuring Dr. Mahesh Menon, Clinical Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry and a psychologist at Vancouver Coastal Health’s BC Psychosis Program. Among his many achievements, Dr. Menon received the BCSS Champion Award at the 2021 BCSS AGM for his outstanding work in cognition and schizophrenia which has led to the launch of cognitive remediation pilot programs across BC.

In his presentation, Dr. Menon talked about the cognitive losses associated with schizophrenia, and other serious mental illness, and the treatments and therapies that are available — emphasising that once a person has been able to successfully manage their other symptoms of schizophrenia with medication, they are then best able to engage in these additional treatments and therapies. Topics covered by Dr. Menon presentation included:

BCSS Members were extremely appreciative of the presentation and participated in a robust Q&A session. 

Watch a recording of the full event here:

A full transcript for this event will be available shortly.

Links to the videos and resources referenced during the event: 

  1. “What is Cognitive Remediation?” — presentation by Dr. Amy Burns for Psychosocial Remediation Advanced Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Kb0Ok3vPc
  2. “Cognition and Cognitive Domains: What Are They?” — presented by Dr. Tom Ehmann for Psychosocial Rehabilitation Advanced Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KeOTRQJ7k0
  3. “The Impacts of Schizophrenia on Cognition” — presented by Dr. Mahesh Menon for Psychosocial Rehabilitation Advanced Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKV57GI-fO8
  4. List of pilot sites offering cognitive remediation (CRT) in BC and how to get in touch with them: https://www.bcss.org/bringing-cognitive-remediation-to-british-columbia/
  5. Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined (BCSS Podcast): www.bcss.org/lookagain