Sunday, August 07, 2005

Peer Support Manual 192-page booklet in PDF format from CMHA/British Columbia = "Sometimes the simplest concepts are the most profound. The CDP strives to build relationships and treat other people and their opinions with respect. It is our fundamental belief that people can and should be encouraged to speak on their behalf. Our role is to ensure that people have opportunities and support to develop the skills to do so. The CDP has evolved to become a leader and champion in a recovery vision of service with the idea that one of the essential roles of the mental health system is to support individuals to connect with appropriate services within the mental health system as well as build supports in other areas of their lives through personal, social, environmental and spiritual connections. We strive to bring alive the concepts of the Framework for Support, CMHA’s guiding principles. A recovery vision of service is grounded in the idea that people can recover from mental illness when they play an active and empowered role in their journey. ..."  
  

What Can Communities Do? A Community Action Guide to Early Psychosis Intervention Strategies Booklet in PDF format from CMHA/Ontario - "A guide emphasizing the key role that community members can play in the early identification, treatment and recovery of young people with psychosis." The guide notes that "CMHA’s project activities have reflected this community focus by promoting 'ownership' of the issue and the capacity for action by a range of community-based constituencies. The project has:  promoted awareness and provided information to key national stakeholder organizations by preparing articles for publications in journals and newsletters; produced and widely disseminated a range of educational resource materials; developed a strategic planning framework to assist policy makers to move forward effectively; facilitated first-episode family action and mutual support; and raised awareness and improved access to services through working directly with various groups and organizations across Canada."  
  

Hangin' in There: Strategies for job retention by persons with a psychiatric disability (Canada) Booklet in PDF format from CMHA/Ontario - "This publication is an exciting new booklet that outlines strategies on keeping a job by people with a psychiatric disability. The reader will discover how people with a disability are overcoming the challenges faced in keeping a job. In addition, employers weigh in with their viewpoints on hiring people with psychiatric disabilities."  
  

 Monday, August 01, 2005

Strategies for a participant-centred approach to research Item in CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health Notes - "Conducting a participant-centred research study with people with severe and persistent mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless requires fundamental changes in research design and methods, according to an article in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. The paper appears in a special issue of the journal focusing on the Community Mental Health Evaluation Initiative (CMHEI), which evaluated the effectiveness of various community mental health programs. This paper is based on research on the intensive case management (ICM) program of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch, conducted jointly by CMHA and the Centre for Research on Community Services at the University of Ottawa. "  
  

 Monday, July 25, 2005

Building capacity — A framework for serving Albertans affected by addiction and mental health issues (Canada)A 54 page report, in PDF format, brought to our attention by CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health Notes, which describes the report as "a strategy document" which "outlines a provincial framework for service delivery for people with concurrent disorders. The document suggests a strategy of a dynamic, collaborative approach to better help people affected by addiction and mental health issues. A dynamic model allows consumers to enter into the system at any point, and move between service points as their needs change. The framework emphasizes a collaborative system based on partnerships between service providers at all levels: community, regional, provincial and national. The document notes that information, prevention and early intervention are key to helping persons with less severe symptoms to get treatment."  
  

Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative Survey Page at the CCMHI web site - "The Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative (CCMHI) invites you to participate in a survey on a Collaborative Mental Health Care CHARTER for Canada. The survey will run on-line from July 11 to August 15, 2005. This survey is one of a range of consultations that are being undertaken to ensure that the Charter is a reflection of the experiences and aspirations of people across the country. These consultations will result in a Charter that can be endorsed by the 12 national associations involved with the CCMHI. Therefore, it is essential that we get feedback from people who have both a knowledge of current mental health services – whether as a consumer, family member or caregiver, or as a health provider – and a sense of how services can be strengthened." See also the survey questions, the survey itself, the CCMHI charter principles and background information, all in PDF format.  
  

 Thursday, July 21, 2005

Mental-health bill needs NDP support: MacIsaac (Canada) CBC Nova Scotia story - "Nova Scotia Health Minister Angus MacIsaac is calling again on the NDP to support new legislation to reform mental-health care. MacIsaac says proposed legislation would prevent families from having to lay charges against loved ones with mental illness in an effort to get them help. ... Bill 203 would give families new tools to compel their loved ones to accept treatments, MacIsaac says. But so far, the Conservative minority government hasn't been able to obtain support for it from the NDP"  
  

 Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Quebec mental health services networks: models and implementation Article in the International Journal of Integrated Care - "In the transformation of health care systems, the introduction of integrated service networks is considered to be one of the main solutions for enhancing efficiency. In the last few years, a wealth of literature has emerged on the topic of services integration. However, the question of how integrated service networks should be modelled to suit different implementation contexts has barely been touched. To fill that gap, this article presents four models for the organization of mental health integrated networks."  
  

 Monday, July 18, 2005

$58M boost for mental health (Canada) July 15 Ottowa Sun story - "Ontario's community-based mental health services got a financial boost yesterday. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care announced it was increasing funding by $58 million this year, with more than $3.5 million allocated to Ottawa-area services. The increase is part of a four-year, $185-million plan by the province to expand services for people with mental illness. It amounts to a 1.5% increase for all agencies, with additional funds for case management, crisis response, early intervention and assertive community treatment teams. "  
  

 Thursday, July 14, 2005

Ontario ups ante for mental health (Canada)  National Post story - "Health Minister George Smitherman says the province will spend $58.3 million this year to improve access to community-based mental health services. He says he hopes more care in the community will ease the stigma around mental illness. The money will provide agencies with resources to manage cases better, improve crisis response, and supportive housing."