On November 5, 2025, the Family Alliance on Severe Mental Illness (FASMI) and the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) presented a virtual coast-to-coast Town Hall discussing severe mental illness, patient privacy and information sharing with families.
Hosted by BCSS’s CEO Faydra Aldridge, the event included a discussion of provincial privacy laws and clinicians’ culture on information sharing. Presentations from Dr. Richard O’Reilly, Cyndi & Dennis Corbett, and Bonnie Spence-Vinge will provide insight on the challenges that families endure when trying to access information about their loved-one’s mental illness and wellbeing. A Q&A session followed.
Watch the recap here:
The Panelists
- Dr. Richard O’Reilly: A consultant psychiatrist and professor emeritus at western university who has published extensively on mental health legislation.
- Cyndi & Dennis Corbett: Parents to a son living with schizophrenia. They are passionate about increasing awareness to educate families about severe mental illness. Currently they volunteer their time to support families in crisis.
- Bonnie Spence-Vinge: As BCSS Regional Manager for the BC Interior, Bonnie acts as a liaison between families and the mental health system and promotes family inclusion in the daily lives of those living with mental illness. As a family advocate, she has experienced the challenges in getting crucial health information to families and has had difficulty getting meaningful support from the mental health system for her own family members. Bonnie also organizes education programs for families and community members, including Aboriginal communities.
Additional Information
- FASMI Backgrounder on the Role of Family Caregivers in Treating Severe Mental Illness
- FASMI Backgrounder on Legislative Clauses for Each Province
- Dr. O’Reilly “Home on the Hill” lecture video: ends with a discussion on how family caregivers should complain when the mental health system is not working