From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group Meetings

From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group Meetings

Every Thursday Evening

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

The Hub

2nd Floor, 1673 Barrington Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group is open to anyone affected by mental illness, either directly or indirectly.

FREE!

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 21^st, 2011, 6:30 pm!

An interactive presentation on smoking cessation with Dion Thomas-Hodges and Angela Sarty

Dion Thomas-Hodges, BA, CADA, a Community Outreach Worker the Capital Health Tobacco Intervention Program in Halifax, delivers the Butt Out for Better Health program at both New Beginnings Dartmouth and Connections Halifax.  Dion has worked to support individuals living with a mental illness to become tobacco free and this session will be an opportunity to engage in a broader discussion about smoking and mental health.  

Angela Sarty, BA, has over ten years of combined experience working in the field of addictions, most recently as a Community Outreach Worker with Capital Health Stop Smoking Services in Halifax.  For the past six years, Angela has been involved in a number of initiatives that address the harmful effects of tobacco and tobacco products for women, those living with chemical dependency and individuals living with mental illness.

Thursday, April 28^th, 2011

An interactive presentation on mental health and the law with Professor Archie Kaiser

Details on this interactive presentation to follow at a later date.

Thursday, May 5^th, 2011

A peer support group meeting focusing on the phases of recovery

“Mental health recovery is a journey of healing and transformation enabling a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her full potential.”

National (U.S.) Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery

Points to be discussed during this meeting include:

·       Overcoming stuckness

§  Acknowledging and accepting the illness

§  Having a desire and motivation to change

§  Finding/having a source of hope and inspiration

·       Regaining what was lost and moving forward

§  Actively taking control and responsibility for one’s own life

§  Gaining insight about oneself and about relationships with others

§  Being able to take care of oneself

§  Being active and connecting with other people

·       Improving quality of life

§  Striving to attain an overall sense of well-being

§  Striving to reach new potential

§  Feeling fewer symptoms

§  Finding meaning and purpose in life

Source:  Your Recovery Journey: Guide for Facilitators, page 31.

The From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group is organized as a partnership between the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia and the Healthy Minds Cooperative.

Beacon House

About Beacon Program

The Beacon Program is a community based Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) program for persons with severe and persistent mental illness. It is a voluntary program which empowers individuals to make choices, gain skills, and find a more satisfying life in the community with the greatest amount of independence possible.Our goal is to help individuals who live with severe and persistent mental illness work towards improving functional abilities, increasing community integration and increasing success and satisfaction.Our program is ideally suited to young adults who have the potential to live independently, return to work or school, and expand their social network. Through PSR (psychosocial rehabilitation), individuals will be working closely with staff to develop individualized growth and recovery plans and identify personal goals in these areas.The Beacon Program has a multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatry, an occupational therapist, social worker, psychologist, psychosocial rehabilitation workers, nurses, and consultation with nutritional and environmental services.While attending the Beacon program, the Beacon House is like a home away from home. This is a beautiful new residence built in 2009. You will have your own bedroom which you can decorate and make your own. It is important to Beacon House staff that residents of the house feel safe, secure and respected. In turn, residents are asked to respect the house as their own during their stay. There are personal spaces like your room and common spaces like the computer room, lounge/ tv room, kitchen/deck, and formal meeting area. There is a full bathroom, washer and dryer and even a clothesline! There is room outside to shoot hoops, throw a Frisbee, skateboard, sit in the sun, BBQ, garden etc.

To view the rest of the Beacon House web site click on the link below

http://www.beaconprogram.ca/index.php

Interview With Kings-Hants NDP Candidate Mark Rogers

To view a video in which Kirk Starratt from the Kings County Advertiser and Kings County Register interviews our local NDP Candidate Mark Rogers click on the link below.

http://www.kingscountynews.ca/Video/13375/Mark-Rogers

Mental Health and Addictions Strategy Public Consultation

Mental Health and Addictions Strategy Public Consultation

Nova Scotians are invited to participate in public consultations to develop a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy for our province. The goal of the Strategy is to revamp mental health and addictions service to ensure better health care for you and your family. The consultations will take place in the following communities:

Greenwood

Monday, April 18, 8 a.m. – noon

14 Wing Greenwood, Birchall Training Center, The Chamber Room

Amherst

Tuesday, April 26, 8 a.m. – noon

98, Victoria Street East, Tantramar Theatre

Sydney

Wednesday, April 27, 8 a.m. – noon

Cape Breton University

1250 Grand Lake Road, Multi Purpose Room A & B

Halifax

Tuesday, May 3, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Saint Mary’s University

Burke Building, Burke Theatre B (Entrance off of Inglis Street)

Bridgewater

Thursday, May 5, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

South Shore Regional Hospital – Lecture rooms 1-3 (Third Floor)

French Consultation

Monday, May 16, 8 a.m. to noon

Université Sainte-Anne – Campus de Halifax

Will be broadcast to Petit-de-Grat, Pointe-de-l’Église,

Saint-Joseph-du-Moine and Tusket

If you are unable to attend the public consultations, you can provide input through an Online Consultation. To access the Online Consultation, or for more information regarding the development of the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, please visit:

www.nshrf.ca/mentalhealthandaddictionsstrategy

A copy of the Consultation Questionnaire can also be mailed to you if you are unable to attend a public consultation or access the Online Consultation. Please contact 902-424-4043 to request your copy

Election 2011

It's election time again.  Soon Canadian citizens will be going to the polls.  Some Canadians don't have any faith in any political party at all.  They spend all their time raking all politicians over the coals and refuse to vote.  Not me.  I try not to put down any political party.  I try to be a spiritual person and feel putting anybody down is just not right.  I do believe in one political party that will do the best job running this free and wonderful country of ours.  I put all my faith and trust in the New Democratic Party.  I believe that they will do what's best for all Canadian citizens and not what's best for their own personal gain.  The NDP is our provincial government in Nova Scotia and I am very pleased with what they have done so far.  They are only human, not perfect, and make mistakes but do their best at doing what's best for all Canadian citizens.

I cannot convince anyone to vote for a particular party but I do highly recommend that all Canadian citizens make the NDP our next Federal Government because I firmly believe that they will do what's best for Canada and all it's citizens.  Vote NDP.