February 2011 Newsletter

A System in Crisis – Unable to Serve our Youth

As we look back in the news over the last few months we see a growing awareness in the media of those challenges facing young people that suffer from mental illness. We are hearing about the lack of available services and supports for these individuals. The most recent stories being that of a young teen in the Ottawa area, jailed while searching for a bed to become available. In an article in the Ottawa citizen "an Ottawa judge expressed her frustration with the "crisis" in the mental health system… after it appeared a mentally ill teenager could spend up to two more weeks behind bars while waiting for a bed to open up at an Eastern Ontario psychiatric hospital"

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Teen+jail+awaiting+psychiatric+treatment+shows+crisis+mental+health+system+judge+says/4111763/story.html#ixzz1D1rGTGpo

The other more recent story is the case of a 13-year-old girl that was transferred to a Utah facility which specialized in adolescent behavioral disorders when her parents were unsuccessful in finding treatment serves for her in Ottawa or in fact in Ontario. The Ontario government agreed to fund the treatment in Utah since there were no services for her in Ontario. After arriving, she was deemed too violent to remain in care at the Utah-based treatment centre and subsequently sent back to Ottawa where they lacked a facility to treat her. To make this situation even more difficult for this family, the Children's Aid Society stepped in and made the youth a ward of CAS

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Teen+caught+limbo+mental+health+system/4153706/story.html#ixzz1D1tm77Qe

The Community is Taking Some Action:

We are all aware of the courage of the Richardson Family's courage to make public the tragic suicide of their 14 year old daughter Darron. This has had such an impact on our community and finally there is conversation concerning youth at risk.

The Richardson's announced they are making a $100,000 donation and the Senator's Foundation is matching that amount in a gift to the Youth Program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center. Community youth are rallying with the message "Do It For Darron " with a tribute day on what would have been her 15^th birthday. Thank-you for opening this dialogue

A further community response is a collaborative effort of all the major players in mental health through a committee to improve prevention and intervention services to youth in our community. PLEO is a member at that table offering hospitals and community based agencies ,the parent's and caregiver's perspective, in the need to improve services and access to services and to increased youth and family understanding of mental health issues and how to access services.

As part of this initiative we want to ensure that as many families as possible will be able to make their voices heard. PLEO will be leading the team to conduct focus groups and surveys to find out from parents and caregivers what are the gaps in services as we know them and what are the issues that need to be addressed. Please watch for a future notice to tell you how you can participate in a focus group and/or participate in completing a survey. This will be your chance to tell those who can make changes what you say needs to be addressed.

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February Family Support Meeting- Thursday February 17 - 6:30 PM

I want to remind you that Thursday February 17 is our next Family Support Meeting. It will be in the lower level boardroom at CHEO. Please join us or let others who are dealing with a child, youth or young adult living with mental illness know that we are here and welcome anyone who is needing support or who feels ready to provide others with support.

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A reminder of the change of location and time for the Buzz

The Buzz is a new program for young adults 16 to 26 living with mental illness. The idea is get together with peers, make new friends, eat some good food and do fun stuff together. It's a place to chill out – feel comfortable. (see the section on the website www.pleo.on.ca under Young Adult programs)

We have changed the time and location of this program to Monday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 pm and it is held in the church hall at Church of the Ascension at 253 Echo Drive (right next to Immaculata High School). Advanced registration is required - the form is on the website www.pleo.on.ca

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Self-Determination and Recovery

Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa (PSO) is bringing Stephen Pocklington to Ottawa on February 22, 2011,  1:00 – 4:00 at the Bronson Centre in the theatre. Stephen will present some of his work on self-determination and its role in recovery. This will be a fascinating discussion. Consumer/survivors, friends, family, and mental health workers are welcome. Everyone is invited (No Charge)

How to avoid getting dementia

The Royal is pleased to host its 2011 information series Conversations at The Royal with the first session on Thursday February 17, 2011 at 7 pm.

Title:  "How to avoid getting dementia"

Speaker: Dr. Andrew Wiens, Geriatric Program at The Royal

Registration is requested

Attendees can click HERE to register.

Date and Time
Thursday, February 17, 2011

7 to 8:30 pm (doors open at 6:30)

Location
Associates in Psychiatry Auditorium

Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa

Presentation Summary

There are no effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease. If this doesn't change, researchers estimate that by 2050 there will be over 106 million people worldwide with this devastating illness. Recent studies, however, have found clues on simple things that can be done to lower our risk. Dr Wiens will present these findings and discuss the habits we can make part of our life to try to stave off Alzheimer's disease.

Sue Riley

Communications Coordinator

Royal Ottawa Health Care Group

1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa

K1Z 7K4

Office - 613.722.6521 ext 6349

Cellular - 613.899.3088

Fax - 613.722.4577

Email - sue.riley@rohcg.on.ca

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Make you voice heard- Human Rights Commission Survey

The next phase of a consultation on human rights and mental health begins Thursday February 3rd. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) will meet with people with mental health disabilities and addictions, employers and housing and service providers to discuss human rights and mental health-related issues.

The commission is very concerned about mental health issues ... and about the fact that people may not know their rights," says the commission's communications officer Pascale Demers. The aim is to release a formal policy on the subject in the fall of 2011.

"Mental health is a priority" for the human rights commission, said its chief Barbara Hall, in a statement publicizing the survey. "There are many ways we will add our voice" to advancing rights, she added, but "the first step is to open this dialogue with the people who know first-hand the lived realities of mental health challenges."

The survey is available at http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/issues/mental_health. If you would prefer a printed copy, contact Vicky Masellis at 416-314-4526

Consultation events will also be held in Windsor and Ottawa before wrapping up in North Bay at the end of March.

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Building on the success of the Centennial Lecture Series, the public information series for 2011, Conversations at The Royal, will include conversations about dementia, youth depression and substance use, anger management, anxiety, depression, mental health and the law, spirituality and mental health, women's mental health, myths and misconceptions about sex offenders, and substance use. A copy of this year's calendar can be located on the PLEO web site.

The next lecture is How to Avoid Getting Dementia with Dr. Andrew Wiens, Geriatric Program at The Royal. The free lecture is Thursday February 17, 2011 at 7 pm. Learn more.

As part of their multi-year charitable program dedicated to the promotion and support of mental health across Canada , today is Let's Talk Day. Bell will contribute 5¢ for every long distance call and text message made today, February 9^th, to support mental health related programs across the country. 

On September 21, 2010, Bell announced a donation to the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health of $1 million over five years to support the use of video conferencing services for mental health care. This announcement was part of their five-year, $50 million initiative supporting a wide range of programs that will enhance awareness, understanding and treatment of mental illness and promote access to care and research across the country. 

Sue Riley

Communications Coordinator

Royal Ottawa Health Care Group

1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa

K1Z 7K4

Office - 613.722.6521 ext 6349

Cellular - 613.899.3088

Fax - 613.722.4577

Email - sue.riley@rohcg.on.ca