|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
|
|
|
This year the holiday season will look different and finding joy in the season feels a little harder. I find myself wanting to reminisce on traditions and missing the opportunity to hug friends and family. One of the best pieces of advice I came across for coping this holiday season is shared by grief specialists and starts with acknowledging that this year many of us are experiencing a loss (a job, a loved one, a tradition) and that makes this time challenging. We can approach old traditions with a sense of creativity and openness to change, plan experiences to look forward to, practice gratitude, and practice self-compassion by relaxing our expectations. Knowing that there is a shared experience of change and uncertainty gives us the opportunity for more empathy and understanding in our relationships and reminds us that we’re not alone.
December 1st also marks “Giving Tuesday” a global day of giving that “inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help to create a better world.” Giving Tuesday is about sharing what you can – time, skills, or money. If you are interested in supporting OFCAN this Giving Tuesday and contributing to our mission of developing a community of Ontario family caregiver organizations in mental health and addictions – please consider making a donation to OFCAN [link to donate] or if you would like to contribute in other ways please reach out to familycaregivers@ofcan.org to learn more about ways you can support us through volunteering your time.
Wishing you and your family a warm and healthy holiday season.
Ashley Bowe
OFCAN Chair
|
|
|
|
NEWS
|
|
|
|
Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence
|
|
|
Family Alliance Ontario Online Events and Survey
Date: Tuesday December 1, 7– 9pm (online via Zoom)
Was Your Sibling Institutionalized for a Developmental Disability? Connect with other brothers and sisters who share this experience. Learn More
Register Here
Ontario Independent Facilitation Network (OIFN) Building Capacity Series: Online Courses
OIFN envisions people with developmental disabilities being supported to direct their own lives, and live as valued community members and citizens. See Building Capacity in Independent FacilitationBuilding Capacity iBuilding Capacity in Independent Facilitation You can click here to register.
Students with Disabilities: Integration Action for Inclusion School Experiences Survey
This is aimed at learning about peoples' experiences in the school system both during COVID-19 and more generally. It is a longer survey (33 questions) aimed at trying to understand peoples' views and thoughts about schooling during COVID-19 and inclusive schooling in general. It also includes an opportunity for you to let us know your thoughts about a possible name change and if you have any time to spare as a volunteer. It should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Click here to participate.
|
|
|
Canadian Patient Partner Study
Patient partners and family caregivers contribute more than ever to improving Canadian healthcare. The Canadian Patient Partner Study, funded by the CIHR, wants to improve our understanding of patient partners by surveying patient partners and caregivers across Canada. The results will help organizations to work more effectively with patient partners by providing a detailed understanding of what they are doing, how they are being supported, what influence they think they are having and any barriers they face. At the end of this survey, you will have a chance to enter a draw for a $200 prize.
Participate in the survey
|
|
|
Overcoming Stigma Through Language: A Primer
Stigma is a significant barrier to wellness and good health for people who use substances. The goal of this primer, which is published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, is to facilitate conversations and increase awareness of the stigma surrounding people who use substances, their support networks and service providers in the community. Learn More
|
|
|
PLEO Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary
Congratulations to the folks at Parents' Lifelines of Eastern Ontario who are celebrating 20 years of service to families with children to age 25 facing mental health challenges. Their vision that families can flourish, stigma free, with the support and services they need has resulted in the organization helping over 5,000 parents by providing family peer support and amplifying the family voice for system change. Learn More
|
|
|
RESOURCES
|
|
|
|
Supporting Parents of Suicidal Youth
JPLEO Parents’ Lifeline has launched new resources to support parents of suicidal youth. PLEO brought parents and youth with lived experience together with suicide prevention experts and clinicians to share helpful and hopeful messages and strategies in the following areas: difficulties identifying signs and improving awareness of suicide risk; communicating effectively; knowing what to do in periods of crisis; keeping youth safe at home; and accessing services.
Videos, tip sheets and more are now available. Click Here
You can see a short trailer about the project Here
|
|
|
Quality Standard for Problematic Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder
Health Quality Ontario has released a new standard that provides guidance on helping people with problematic alcohol use and alcohol use disorder reduce their consumption or abstain from alcohol, and covers screening, assessment, and treatment options that address people’s needs and preferences. The standard will help patients, families and caregivers know what to ask for in their care and will help healthcare professionals know what care they should be offering, based on evidence and expert consensus.
LEARN MORE
|
|
|
Digital Mental Health Tools: Resources to Support Mental Health Clinical Practice
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Canada Health Infoway have created a document that supports the increased use of digital health tools in mental health clinical practice in Canada and helps healthcare providers to empower clients (and their caregivers) to use and benefit from digital mental health tools. The document describes 18 resources that can support the integration of digital mental health tools into the interaction between client and provider. Read More
|
|
|
Stigma Online Learning Resource
The Sting of Stigma, Recognizing Stigma and its Impact is the first of three learning modules, developed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, that will help Canadians recognize the various forms of stigma and its devastating impacts and will increase understanding of the stigma that surrounds problematic substance use and substance use disorder. Read More
|
|
|
EVENTS
|
|
|
|
Virtual Solutions for Substance Use Care Conference
Date: December 9 - 10, 2020
Join international colleagues at the Virtual Solutions for Substance Use Care Conference. Registration is free. This conference will provide a good overview of the core elements of virtual mental health care given by international colleagues. From online prevention to psychotherapy and from risk assessment and management to virtual clinics. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, The University of British Columbia Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Group, and the World Psychiatric Association section for informatics and telemedicine have brought together a significant group of pioneers in this field with the aim of broadening the efforts of mental health and substance use care.
Learn More
|
|
|
Family Alliance Ontario FASD Symposium
|
|
|
The Conference Board of Canada: Value based Healthcare Canada
2nd Annual Summit
With the increasing impact of COVID-19 in Canada, the health and safety of our conference delegates, staff and partners comes first. We have therefore made the decision to postpone the Value-based Healthcare Conference originally scheduled for April 23 in Toronto. We are working to identify a future date for this event, and we will communicate any updates directly to all registered attendees and exhibitors.
|
|
|
The 2020 Collaborative Mental Health Care Conference
In light of the rapidly changing situation related to the spread of COVID-19, we are cancelling the 2020 Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care conference, which had been scheduled for June 5th and 6th in Halifax. Our plan is to postpone the conference for a year, re-scheduling it for late spring 2021, also in Halifax. We will let you know about new dates as soon as they are confirmed, and will be directly contacting everyone who had an abstract accepted over the coming weeks.
If you have already registered for the conference, we will be contacting you, and you will receive a full refund.
If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Jane Harris at Jane.Harris@dal.ca.
|
|
|
2021 OFCAN MEETINGS
Tuesday Jan 19th 10am - 12pm
Tuesday April 20th 10am - 12pm
Tuesday June 15th 10am - 12pm
Tuesday Sept 21st 10am - 12pm
Tuesday Nov 16th 10am - 12pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
