Fostering a culture of understanding and acceptance of people with mental illness is the foundation to building psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. This workshop is designed to help build comfort in talking about mental health and mental illness, and learn how to respond in a supportive way to co-workers who may be experiencing a mental illness. This 1 to 2-hour workshop is suitable for employees and general audiences. This workshop begins by building an understanding of the continuum of mental health, and the risk and protective factors that influence our current state of mental health. It uses personal stories to help build awareness of what it is like to experience mental illnesses like anxiety disorders or depression at work. This workshop often includes an interview with a guest speaker to share their experience of living and working with a mental illness. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and leave with a list of resources available to help support your mental health. The workshop fee is $500 to $750. This workshop is available for delivery across BC by the following certified trainers: Julia Kaisla, Laura Allen, Gord Menelaws, Margaret Tebbutt, Lucette Wesley. To learn how to bring this workshop to your workplace, please contact Julia.kaisla@cmha.bc.ca or 604-678-8952 Our certified trainers are also available for speaking events, custom workshops and to help you plan and implement your workplace mental health strategy. Contact us to learn more!
CMHA Programs and Services
The Canadian Mental Health Association provides recovery-focused programs and services for people of all ages and their families. Follow the links below for details.
Bounce Back for Youth
Bounce Back for Youth
We all feel sad sometimes. But when feeling low, stressed out, worried, depressed, irritable, angry – or even nothing at all – gets to be too much, remember that you do have the power to change how you feel.
With BounceBack® you can design your very own mood-lifting program! Select workbooks, activities and videos to create your own self-help journey, or work with a trained coach over the phone! It’s like building your very own BounceBack® toolkit.
Bounce Back®: For Adults
Direct link to self refer to Bounce Back https://bouncebackbc.ca/covid19/
Feeling overwhelmed, tired or like you’re in a rut? Are you more worried than usual or find yourself feeling angry more easily? Bounce Back® may be able to help. Bounce Back® teaches effective skills to help adults overcome early symptoms of depression, and improve their mental health. Participants can learn skills to help combat unhelpful thinking, manage worry and anxiety, and become more active and assertive. Available for free across BC, Bounce Back® has been shown to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by half, and over 90% say they would recommend it to a friend or family member. Bounce Back® offers two forms of help:
- An instructional video
- A customized series of workbooks with 4 to 6 coaching sessions by phone
The video is available in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and is available through your doctor or by calling 1-866-639-0522 (toll-free). The Bounce Back® workbooks are available in English with telephone coaching in English, French, Cantonese, or Punjabi. Please talk to your doctor to request a referral to Bounce Back® workbooks and coaching. Learn more:
Info for practitioners:
Bounce Back® is led by CMHA BC with funding provided by the Provincial Health Services Authority.
CMHA Shuswap-Revelstoke Housing
Cedar Place: (Completion Fall 2021)
38 supportive studio homes, with a shared gathering space and staff onsite 24/7 to provide support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Criteria:
- over the age of 19
- have a history of homelessness or be at risk of homelessness
- need additional support services to maintain housing
- live in the Salmon Arm area
Community Advisory Committee:
This committee will process and determine eligibility of applicants.
For more information contact: Cedar Manager: Denise Dumas (250) 832-8477 ext. 123
Denise Dumas denise.dumas@cmha.bc.ca.
Larch Place and Birch Place (540 3rd Street South West)
67 – 1-4 bedroom apartments for low- and moderate-income for families, seniors and people with disabilities.
To learn more about this program please contact the office at (250) 832-8477 ext. 121
Curtis Slingerland, Manager of Properties curtis.slingerland@cmha.bc.ca
Supportive Housing in partnership with Interior Health and BC Housing
Building and maintaining connections to family and friends is an important part of recovery. We provide safe and affordable housing to people who live with mental illness, to help them stay in their community, close to family and friends. We currently provide three housing programs offering different levels of support:
4th Ave Housing Program
In partnership with Interior Health, 4th Avenue is a residential program that offers daily staff support to help residents build skills toward independent living. Known as a congregate supportive housing model, the program provides seven hours of staff support daily. To learn more about this program please contact the office at (250) 832-8477 ext. 131
TBA, CMHA Residential Manager
Glenda Cooper, Manager of Supportive Housing and Homeless Outreach glenda.cooper@cmha.bc.ca
Foxridge Housing Program
Foxridge is a 28-unit rental program with on-site management provided by CMHA. Interior Health’s Mental Health and Addiction Services provides on-site support to all the tenants. This program is a partnership between CMHA, Interior Health, and BC Housing.
The Maples Housing Program
The Maples housing program provides eight units of low-cost housing in a safe environment. Interior Health’s Mental Health and Addiction Services provides outreach support to all the tenants. This program is a partnership between CMHA, Interior Health, and BC Housing.
Clover Court Apartments and Townhouses
38 Units.
680 Apartments
18 units.
Terrace Townhouses
31 units.
If you have any questions about our housing programs, please contact our Housing Managers at (250) 832 -8477 ext. 121
Lorrie Campagnolo, lorrie.campagnolo@cmha.bc.ca
Johnathan Parmenter, jonathan.parmenter@cmha.bc.ca
CMHA Studio Programming
Link to January 2022 Newsletter
Exciting things are happening at our local Canadian Mental Health Association, Shuswap-Revelstoke Branch. We are looking to do what many CMHA’s across the nation have done – to transition from the Clubhouse-model of service into a Recovery College, or Mental Health and Well-being Learning Centre. Essentially, this means providing resources to anyone affected by mental health, which is all of us. Everyone has mental health and everyone deserves to better themselves and their situation. Our new name is CMHA Studios.
Our Studio’s philosophy draws on the shared power and knowledge of individuals. We can’t do it alone, to co-create means that we need your input, especially if you have lived or living experience of mental health challenges. Where professionals and citizens share power to plan and deliver support together, recognizing that both partners have vital contributions to make in order to improve quality of life for people and communities.
Here is the philosophy in short:
• It is a process to create change and innovation.
• It recognizes the gifts and assets of the people involved.
• The responsibility of design, delivery and improvement is shared equally.
• Those involved are equal and whether they are a professional or a person of lived experience does not matter but their knowledge and perspective is valuable and needed.
• There are no bad ideas and no judgment in the co-production process, every idea is worth listening to and considering.
• Brainstorming is the major action of co-production, creativity and enthusiasm are welcome.
• Decisions will be made by consensus. (When consensus cannot be achieved then CMHA leadership input will be requested).
To learn more call (250) 832-8477 ext. 109 or email paivi.sarre@cmha.bc.ca.
Learn more:
- Learn about our Participant Funding Program
- Learn about our Peer Support Program
- Learn about our Participant Liaison Advisory Council
- Download a Photo-video Consent Form
Confident Parents: Thriving Kids
Confident Parents: Thriving Kids is a family-focused phone-based coaching service effective in reducing mild to moderate behavioural problems and promoting healthy child development in children ages 3-12. Through a series of 6 to 14 weekly coaching sessions, along with exercises and workbooks, trained coaches empower parents and/or caregivers to learn effective skills and techniques that support social skills and cooperation in their child. These techniques are proven to prevent, reduce and reverse the development of mild to moderate behaviour problems that create challenges at home, school and in social settings. Confident Parents: Thriving Kids is offered at no cost to BC families, and coaches are available to speak with parents during day, evening and weekend hours to meet each family’s needs. If you are interested in Confident Parents: Thriving Kids, please talk to your family doctor or pediatrician to request a referral. Learn more:
Confident Parents: Thriving Kids program is grounded in the Parent Management Training – Oregon Model developed by Implementation Sciences International Inc. The program is offered in partnership with Implementation Sciences International Inc. with funding provided by the Province of British Columbia.
Family Navigator Program
Are you caring for a child or young person up to age 25? Are you feeling overwhelmed as a result of mental health or substance use issues of your loved one?
Our Family Navigator Program can help ensure you receive help at the right time, in the right place, from the right people.
CMHA’ s Interior Region Family Navigator works collaboratively with partners in your community to help parents and caregivers access relevant programs and services based on their individual needs.
What can families expect from the Interior Region Family Navigator?
- Support for families in their time of need
- Information on mental health and substance use, and online and community-based resources available
- Help with assessments and developing plans of care together with parents and caregivers
- Connections to necessary and relevant community-based supports and services in the BC Interior
You can contact the Interior Region Family Navigator by phone at 1-844-234-6663 or email at family.navigator@cmha.bc.ca.
Learn more:
- Visit www.bcfamilynavigator.com
- View the poster
The Family Navigator Program is offered throughout the BC Interior Region in collaboration with CMHA Kelowna, CMHA Cariboo Chilcotin, CMHA South Cariboo, CMHA Kamloops, CMHA Vernon, CMHA South Okanagan, and CMHA Kootenays, and with support from Interior Health.
Family Resource Library
Our resource library is a place where family, friends and those affected by mental health challenges can feel comfortable to seek support and get trusted information. We are here to help you find community resources that meet your needs and support you on your path to health well-being.
Access books, DVDs and online resources to further awareness and education around topics including:
- Mental Illnesses
- Recovery
- Supporting a family member with a mental illness or substance use problem
- Stress
- Self-care
- Mental health promotion
To reserve books or dvds from the library, please call 250-832-8477 ext. 102 or email denise.butler@cmha.bc.ca.
Learn more:
Family Support Services
Do you have a family member or friend with a mental health and/or addiction concern?
1:1 Support: Navigating services, mental health education, self-care, building resilience and coping, supporting your family member while maintaining your own well being.
Family Support Group: Confidential and caring support group. An opportunity to share your journey with other families. Over the past three years, the program has helped over 65 families connect with each other in mutual support. The monthly family support group meets on the last Thursday of each month. Join us from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at CMHA Shuswap/Revelstoke, 433 Hudson Avenue N.E., Salmon Arm. The entrance is located at the back of the building, in the parking lot ground floor.
Connecting Families: Peer support can be a life line. Families are paired with each other for mutual support and connections.
Community Educational Workshops: Families play a major role in supporting a person with a mental health and/or addiction concern. The workshops enhance the family’s capacity to do this through; knowledge, skill building and relationship tools.
Why a family may seek support?
Understand the system of care and how to navigate these services.
How best to respond and/or support a loved one.
Coping with crisis or worry for a loved one’s present situation or future.
Mental health and addictions stigma and shame.
What can Family Support offer?
Honoring the caregiver experience; what it has been like (feelings, hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations etc.).
Someone available to support the family and to help navigate the care system.
Mental health and/or addictions information and education.
Maintain your own well-being.
Relationship skills development; communication, problem solving, boundaries.
Connecting to further support (Private Counsellor/Physician/Mental Health/etc.).
Who can refer? Self referral and/or community partner.
What to expect? Families work together with the Family Support Worker to develop a package of support that is meaningful and specific to the needs of each family.
If you have any questions about our Family Support Services, please Denise Butler at 250-832-8477 ext. 102 or denise.butler@cmha.bc.ca.
You may also be interested in Strengthening Families Together – a free, 7- session course providing information, skills and support for friends and families of people experiencing mental illness. Learn more about the Strengthening Families Together Course.
For My Health! Workplace Screening
Health screening and education events
For My Health is a fun and interactive health promotion event that integrates physical and mental health screening and education. Especially well-suited for workplaces, the program empowers participants to learn more about their physical and mental health, set plans and goals for improvement, and track their progress. At a For My Health event, participants cycle through several health screening stations covering issues from blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, to anxiety, stress and resilience. After the screening stations, participants meet one-on-one with a coach to review the results and set a health improvement goal. With regular events, participants can track their progress over time. In a recent survey, 100% of participants said they would recommend For My Health to a friend or co-worker. To learn more about bringing For My Health to your workplace, please contact Julia Kaisla at Julia.kaisla@cmha.bc.ca or 604-678-8952 For My Health was developed by CMHA BC and Impact BC in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority