Latest news with #CanadianMentalHealthAssociation
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Who gets admitted to involuntary care spaces? Mental health advocate calls for transparency
B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the new 'home-like' involuntary care space at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge is designed for individuals who are certified for long-term involuntary care under B.C.'s Mental Health Act. Jonny Morris, the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division, tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot the province needs to be precise about who qualifies for this kind of care — whether it's people who are taken off the streets or those already in the system but need a more suitable alternative.
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. to open 18 long-term involuntary care beds in Metro Vancouver
The British Columbia government has created 18 new beds dedicated to long-term involuntary care at a Metro Vancouver mental health facility. The new beds at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge, B.C., are designed for people who need involuntary care under the Mental Health Act outside the criminal justice system, Health Minister Josie Osborne told a news conference on Tuesday. "I want to be clear that while Alouette Homes is located next to the Alouette Correctional Centre, it is not the same as the involuntary care beds that were opened last month at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre," Osborne said. "Those were beds designed specifically for individuals in custody, but Alouette Homes is different. It's for people living with complex mental health disorders who need long-term therapeutic care in a supportive home-like environment." WATCH | The CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division discusses involuntary care: Who gets admitted to involuntary care spaces? Mental health advocate calls for transparency 2 hours ago Duration 2:38 B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the new 'home-like' involuntary care space at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge is designed for individuals who are certified for long-term involuntary care under B.C.'s Mental Health Act. Jonny Morris, the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division, tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot the province needs to be precise about who qualifies for this kind of care — whether it's people who are taken off the streets or those already in the system but need a more suitable alternative. Osborne said only those certified for long-term involuntary care are eligible to be placed into the new beds. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, said the care offered by Alouette Homes will be the first of its kind in the province. Vigo said the beds provide an alternative to the current setup, where patients are "stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately" because of a lack of options. When asked about how long a patient may stay in long-term involuntary care, Vigo said the time period is "indeterminate." "It takes as long as it takes for us to help that person," he said. "This is an approved home, meaning that it is a housing facility that will provide this service in an open-ended manner." The first people to use the new beds will move in as early as next week, Osborne said. The move comes after the province announced the opening of a 10-unit involuntary-care facility for people with addiction and mental health issues at the Surrey Pretrial Centre in April. The Surrey facility is meant to treat people in custody who have a combination of mental health challenges, brain injuries and addiction concerns. B.C. Premier David Eby said at the time that the unit was meant to stop people from continually cycling through the justice system without getting better. The topic of involuntary care for those suffering from drug addiction, mental illness and brain injuries has been contentiously debated due to its links to both the ongoing toxic drug crisis and public safety concerns. In addition to B.C., Ontario is also pursuing expanded involuntary treatment, while Alberta has introduced legislation that would allow family members, health workers and police to apply to order someone into addictions treatment. On Wednesday, the federal health minister, Marjorie Michel, said there is no evidence that forcing people into treatment is effective. But Michel did not weigh in on whether provinces should pursue such policies, saying every Canadian has the right to get treatment for addiction. Osborne said the B.C. government was reviewing the Mental Health Act to identify possible service gaps and potential solutions. Bonnie Wilson, a vice president with Vancouver Coastal Health, said, referrals would be considered for patients from outside the region to use the new beds. While Wilson could not share specific details about the patients who would be eligible for long-term involuntary care, she provided a "composite" of characteristics that would likely qualify. "Just think about a young individual who has been struggling with mental health for a number of years," Wilson said. During his final exams, he began to hear voices in his head encouraging him to end his life. After a suicide attempt, he had his first extended stay in hospital at the age of 19. "Between then and now, he went through many, many parts of our health-care system and also, like many people with mental illness, started to self-medicate with street drugs," she said. Wilson said the new beds would provide such a patient with "an opportunity to be in a more natural environment" after years spent in and out of hospital.
CBC
31-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Downtown Windsor crisis centre has seen 150 first responder, ER referrals since going 24/7
A downtown Windsor, Ont., centre for urgent addictions and mental health crises says it's seen a big jump in referrals since expanding its services this spring. Aside from accepting walk-ins, it now takes drop offs from EMS and local police, and creates an alternative to the emergency department for officers and paramedics to bring people in crisis. The unit now accepts intakes 24/7. The centre is located at 1030 Ouellette Ave. and is adjacent to the Goyeau Street entrance of Windsor Regional Hospital's emergency room. It also now has four stabilization care beds where someone can stay for 48 hours, with an entrance that's monitored by security, including a metal detector. The Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) provides service to people 16 years of age or older and is run by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Tammy Kotyk, vice-president of mental health and addictions services at HDGH, says since the hours were extended they've seen some "really good results," including in May. The unit's staffing includes social support workers, nurses and a psychiatrist — with connections to wraparound services. Kotyk said before the round-the-clock hours they were averaging two first responder drop-offs per month. This spring that's grown to approximately 50 drop-offs and roughly 100 referrals from hospital emergency departments. "Now that we're able to keep individuals, hold on to them for a longer period of time, it's really opened up that opportunity to send people [to the crisis centre]," said Kotyk. She says even though more attention is given to local opioid addiction cases — of which they see many — alcohol dependency continues to be the largest substance abuse problem in the community. Others are coming to their front door experiencing psychosocial situational crises, added Kotyk. "They're looking for housing … some of them are dealing with depression, anxiety and things like that," she said. "We're seeing everything across the spectrum from your mild to your more moderate to severe presentations." The centre treats voluntary patients, however, one caveat includes involuntary clients deemed incapable by a physician who require a Form 47 — that's an Ontario Ministry of Health provision that allows for mandated supervised treatment. According to Kotyk, the extended service and additional people using the centre have been spread out throughout the day so far. "It's not clustered. We're not seeing more people showing up at night because now we're open at night." She says prior to the expansion, they were seeing around 140 people a month and that's jumped closer to 230 now. "I think it's just getting people aware that you don't have to go wait in an emergency department if you have a mental health crisis or you're looking for support for your addiction needs, that there's an alternative place to go." The unit is currently funded through HDGH's existing budget, but they have put in a request to the province for future funding. Windsor police encouraged The Windsor Police Service says it's "encouraged" by the expanded services. The force highlighted 12 admissions to the centre from their officers in May. "All of these programs help our officers get back on the road more quickly to respond to urgent calls, while still ensuring that people in crisis receive the care and support they need," the police service said in a statement. "We are grateful for our partnerships with health and human services providers across the community, and look forward to seeing continued positive results." In a statement, Essex-Windsor EMS said its paramedics had brought 29 patients to the unit since the hours increased. "That is more than we could have delivered there without the extended hours. Those are also 29 patients who got the right care at the right place at the right time," Chief Justin Lammers said in a statement. "We continue to work with Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital to find innovative ways to reduce pressures on emergency departments and reduce ambulance offload delays." Ahead of the expansion, Windsor police Chief Jason Bellaire said he felt it would make a big impact. "Being able to bring somebody who has agreed, in a moment of clarity to say, 'I would like to enter withdrawal management' or 'I'd like some certain services,' to have the ability to transport that person to this centre here," Bellaire said, "and they immediately start to receive care."
Cision Canada
27-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
CMHA National launches flexible mental health training for managers, ready for your LMS
TORONTO, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - To meet the growing need for mental health training in workplaces, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), National, has launched a first-of-its-kind offering: Not Myself Today ® for Managers — a fully LMS-compatible eLearning series designed to integrate directly into an organization's existing Learning Management System (LMS). This innovative model makes it easier for employers to implement mental health training, track and report on progress, and ensure consistency across their leadership teams. "What makes this different from our standard Not Myself Today ® program is the delivery model," says Katharine Coons, National Associate Director, Workplace Mental Health, CMHA National. "By bringing the training directly into an employer's LMS, we're making mental health learning more accessible and measurable by embedding it into everyday learning." With 3 in 5 employees experiencing work-related stress, there comes a cost when mental health at work is ignored. In fact, research shows that manager mental health training directly improves employee experience, well-being, and psychological safety. By providing mental health training to managers, organizations show a 28% reduction in work-related sick leave, 27% decrease in mental health disability duration, 20% reduction in related costs, and overall higher retention, productivity, and engagement. "The data shows that employees thrive when their managers demonstrate psychological safety, empathy, and confidence in navigating mental health topics," says Coons. "Training managers through a consistent, LMS-integrated experience ensures those leadership qualities are fostered at scale — and that no one gets left behind." Not Myself Today ® for Managers includes more than four hours of interactive, evidence-informed content, spread across five on-demand and self-paced courses, all designed to equip managers with the skills and confidence to support mental health at work. Topics include: Mental Health 101 Stress Management & Resilience Building Managing Workloads & Preventing Burnout Supporting Employee Mental Health Fostering a Positive Work Culture Features and benefits include: Interactive video simulations of real-life conversations Expert interviews and animated explainers Click-to-reveal interactions and knowledge checks Automated progress tracking and reporting A Mental Health Leadership Certificate upon completion And more Not Myself Today ® is an evidence-based mental health initiative by the Canadian Mental Health Association that has helped organizations of all sizes across Canada build healthier workplaces. Whether LMS-enabled or not, organizations can preview the Not Myself Today ® training through a short demo. To book a session with a CMHA representative, visit About the Canadian Mental Health Association Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health federation in Canada. Through a presence in more than 330 communities across every province and the Yukon, CMHA provides advocacy, programs and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive. For more information, please visit About Not Myself Today ® Not Myself Today ® is a social enterprise of the Canadian Mental Health Association, National. The program provides helpful tips, learning modules and other resources for employees to help improve their mental health at work. The platform helps to build an open and supportive workplace by cultivating meaningful conversations and deeper understanding about mental health and wellness in the workplace. For more information, visit SOURCE Canadian Mental Health Association
Cision Canada
13-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
71 local charities supported by Saskatchewan Blue Cross Employee Giving Program
"Our team is passionate about supporting the communities where we live and work," said Kelly Wilson, President and CEO of Saskatchewan Blue Cross. "Thanks to their participation, 71 different organizations across Saskatchewan benefited from this year's program." Through this initiative, Saskatchewan Blue Cross continues to champion the well-being of Saskatchewan residents – one donation at a time. The following organizations benefitted from the Employee Giving Program: Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan Inc Autism Services of Saskatoon Big Brothers Big Sisters - Saskatoon BridgePoint Center for Eating Disorder Recovery Canadian Cancer Society - Saskatchewan Canadian Mental Health Association - Regina Canadian Mental Health Association - Saskatchewan Division Canadian Mental Health Association - Saskatoon Canadian Red Cross Society - Saskatchewan Division Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan Care & Share Saskatoon Carmichael Outreach Creative Options Regina, Inc. Crocus Co-op Crohn's and Colitis Canada - SK Chapter Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP) Prince Albert EGADZ Drop-In Centre Empty Arms Perinatal Loss Support Services Family Fertility Fund of Saskatchewan Family Service Saskatoon First Steps Wellness Centre Food Banks of Saskatchewan Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan Haven Family Connections Healing to the Max Hope Restored Canada Hope's Home Regina Hope's Home Saskatoon Hope's Home Warman Hospitals of Regina Foundation Inclusion Saskatchewan Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation Kidney Foundation of Canada - Saskatchewan Branch KidSport Saskatchewan Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan Lung Saskatchewan Lupus SK Society Inc. Make-A-Wish Canada - Saskatchewan Martensville Food Pantry Meewasin Valley Authority OUTSaskatoon Planned Parenthood Regina Prairie Harm Reduction Prairie Hospice Society Inc Prostate Cancer Canada Network - Regina Inc. Quill Plains Health Care Foundation Inc. REACH Regina Regina Food Bank Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan Rosthern Hospital Foundation Royal University Hospital Foundation Saskatchewan Abilities Council Saskatchewan Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Saskatchewan Epilepsy Inc. Saskatchewan Hospice Palliative Care Association Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre Saskatoon Friendship Inn Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc. Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan St. John Ambulance: Therapy Dog Program STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service Foundation) The Bridge on 20th Fellowship Centre The Kinsmen Foundation - Telemiracle The MS Society of Canada The Mustard Seed Saskatoon The Salvation Army The Scleroderma Association of Saskatchewan Truly Alive Foundation White Buffalo Youth Lodge YWCA Saskatoon Inc. "We are very grateful for the support from so many generous Saskatchewan Blue Cross employees," said Nora Yeates, CEO of the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan. "This gift demonstrates that we are stronger together and no one in Saskatchewan faces cancer alone." "Empty Arms is a registered charity that provides free specialized support and services for those experiencing the loss of a child during pregnancy, or through early childhood," said Karina Fuenzalida, Community Relations Coordinator at Empty Arms. "On behalf of Empty Arms and the families that we have the honour of supporting, we want to give a great big THANK YOU to Saskatchewan Blue Cross and The Employee Giving Program for their $700 donation! Together as a community, we can provide space for healing and help carry the weight of loss so families do not have to navigate this unimaginable journey alone. Their support and generosity allow us to continue to be there for grieving families when they need it most."
