The provincial Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO) has seen an increase in both rights advice and advocacy issues since the Mental Health Act was amended in 2001, according to its 2009 annual report. The report, submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, breaks down the type of assistance provided by the PPAO in 2009 by […]Continue readingPPAO 2009 annual report shows increase in rights advice and advocacy inquiries
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BC’s mental health and addictions journal focuses on older adult immigrants and refugees
Visions, British Columbia’s mental health and addictions journal, has published a new issue on older adult immigrants and refugees. Immigrants and refugees face multiple barriers to accessing employment, housing, education and health care services. Such barriers often lead to health disparities in this population. Although newcomers are often healthier than Canadian-born individuals when they arrive, […]Continue readingBC’s mental health and addictions journal focuses on older adult immigrants and refugees
New guide to navigating the justice system available
The Kitchener Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee has developed a new resource guide to help individuals with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The booklet is a step-by-step guide to navigating legal processes. The reader follows “Jane,” an imaginary client, through the different paths of the justice system, from […]Continue readingNew guide to navigating the justice system available
MHCC report reveals legal storm surrounding workplace mental health
A new report from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) concludes that employers are increasingly faced with a legal duty to maintain both a physically and psychologically safe workplace. The report, “Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm,” was prepared by Dr. Martin Shain, a University of Toronto-based academic lawyer and expert in workplace mental health. […]Continue readingMHCC report reveals legal storm surrounding workplace mental health
Study examines charitable giving and government funding of nonprofit mental health care
A study supported by the Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that the ratio of charitable giving to government funding of nonprofit mental health care in Canada is about .55 percent (that is, $35 million to $6.3 billion CAD). The study looked at the sources of revenue of nonprofit mental health and addictions organizations in […]Continue readingStudy examines charitable giving and government funding of nonprofit mental health care
Bridge Training Program seeks mental health agencies to offer internships
The Bridge Training Program supports the career development of internationally trained mental health professionals by providing bridge training and supervised work experience to facilitate labour market integration within the mental health field in Ontario. The program is currently seeking mental health organizations to offer unpaid internships to foreign-trained professionals. All program participants currently live in […]Continue readingBridge Training Program seeks mental health agencies to offer internships
Study finds that psychological violence during pregnancy contributes to postnatal depression (Brazil)
A study published in the Lancet concludes that psychological intimate partner violence is strongly associated with postnatal depression, independent of physical or sexual abuse. The finding has significant policy and program implications, given that the focus is often placed on prevention of physical violence, rather than psychological violence. Between July 2005 and December 2006, researchers studied the […]Continue readingStudy finds that psychological violence during pregnancy contributes to postnatal depression (Brazil)
Removing policy barriers to integrated care in England (UK)
A recently released briefing paper, prepared by the Nuffield Trust for Research and Policy Studies in Health Services, examines how local clinicians and managers are working together to develop closer service integration and less fragmented care for patients in the United Kingdom. The paper focuses on what is facilitating or impeding change, as well as […]Continue readingRemoving policy barriers to integrated care in England (UK)
WFMH releases report on mental health and chronic illnesses (International)
A new report by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) was released for World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2010. The theme of this year’s report was an extension of last year’s theme of “integration of care,” focusing on the relationship between mental health disorders and chronic illnesses. The report examines how physical and […]Continue readingWFMH releases report on mental health and chronic illnesses (International)
Provincial organizations launch Family Matters Resource Centre
The Family Matters Resource Centre is a new web resource for families that addresses the overlapping interests of people affected by schizophrenia, mood disorders and addictions. The Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs, the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario collaborated on the “one-stop-shop” website for families, […]Continue readingProvincial organizations launch Family Matters Resource Centre