1 in 5 Canadians impacted by mental illness

 

“Mental Illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all” – Bill Clinton 

Mental illness affects all walks of life and it does not discriminate against anyone. The young and old can all be touched by some form of mental illness. Studies have shown that 1 in 5 Canadians will be personally affected by a form of mental illness while 20% of the population will be impacted by someone with a mental illness. This conveys that every family will be touched in some form or another, demonstrating that it is in everyone’s interest to bring about awareness and knowledge. 

Individuals facing a mental illness are dealing with stigmas and negative views which in turn further isolate them from the rest of society making their symptoms that much worse. Being forced to wait months to see a professional can cause additional problems. A recent report done by The Fraser Institute revealed that across the provinces, the average total wait time between the referral by a general practitioner and the time that the required elective treatment begins by psychiatric specialist increased from 16.0 weeks in 2010 to 18.8 weeks in 2011. This truly demonstrates the lack of support an individual can receive. 

In spite of this, what can be done? The Crisis Support Centre, a program of The Support Network, offers offer Walk-in Counselling services that is often a last resort, but a first step for those reaching out for help. This service provides short term, solution-focused counselling with no appointment necessary and is vitally important for those who are facing a crisis today and cannot wait 18.8 weeks. 

By educating ourselves on symptoms, effects and resources, mental illness can be dealt with by removing the negative stigmas attached to it. By increasing awareness it makes it that much easier to speak up! 

Additional crisis services can be access through www.CrisisSupportCentre.com.

Crisis Support Centre’s website may provide listing of and/or links to third party websites as a convenient information service only. Crisis Support Centre accepts no responsibility or liability for the privacy practices, content, opinions, accuracy, and administration of such other websites, nor do we monitor or endorse these websites.

We're Accredited. What does that mean?

The Support Network is an accredited organization. Without understanding what accreditation is, the fact that we are accredited may mean little to you. Have a quick read forward to find out why accreditation is important.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation allows a program, service or organization to receive certification of competency or credibility, based on an established set of minimum and recognized standards in that field and it ensures the service provider is accountable for maintaining these minimum standards.

Why does it matter to me?

When people reach out for help, whether it is for medical reasons, legal advice, emotional support etc., most often they want to receive the best help or information there is. Accessing an accredited service is one way to ensure that you are receiving the best care.

For example, medical doctors are required by their profession to have a minimum amount of education and practical experience. They are expected to follow standardized procedures in order to be recognized, and to practice, as a medical doctor. And when you visit a doctor that displays their degrees in their office, you know that at the very least that they have met the minimum amount of education and practical experience needed to be a doctor.

This can offer you, as the consumer or client, more peace of mind when looking for a credible source for help. Choosing an accredited service provider assures you that the service meets or exceeds an externally recognized set of minimum standards of service. Most people feel more confident seeking help from accredited programs or services. 

Why aren’t all programs and services accredited?

The process of becoming accredited can be costly and time-consuming for the program or service provider.  There are certainly some credible and experienced service providers who have not yet become accredited.  It takes a significant commitment of time and resources to become accredited, and then a long-term commitment to maintain the accreditation status.

While many service providers initially pursue accreditation to increase credibility, most find the accreditation process itself to be an excellent learning and growth opportunity. The process supports them to identify competencies and strengths, as well as specific areas they can or must improve upon.  Once a program becomes accredited, it must continue to regularly review its practices, procedures and service standards to maintain that accreditation status. Many accredited programs also share ideas and best practices with each other, allowing for continued growth and improvement of service standards. 

What do you think? Does accreditation – having it or not – affect your choice in accessing community services?

To learn more about The Support Network's accreditation, visit our website here: http://www.thesupportnetwork.com/about-us/training-accreditations/

 Additional Support Network crisis services can be accessed through www.thesupportnetwork.com.

Getting Help Online

Earlier this month Facebook joined the initiative to support people in crisis by announcing a new feature that will enable users to connect with a counsellor. If a friend reports content that indicates suicidal or self-harm thoughts, Facebook will send the user an email encouraging them to call a suicide prevention line and provide a link to begin a confidential chat. We agree that quick intervention is important, and thankful Facebook is taking steps to provide support to those who are in crisis.

The Crisis Support Centre has offered an online crisis chat service since 2001. Every year, we have seen an increase in the number of people accessing these services. With over 360 crisis chats in 2010, it has become very clear that for some being able to access a real person via online chat is an important part of being able to cope. Providing support in whatever way a person is comfortable with is an important goal of our agency. Not everyone is comfortable with receiving support or sharing their concerns in the traditional face-to-face method. To provide support to as many people as possible, the Crisis Support Centre offers our services in person, online and by phone.

The benefits of having online crisis services are that support is available in the comfort of your own home, office, library or school. There is no need to worry about getting a babysitter, arranging transportation or taking time off work for an appointment. You can simply access support anywhere with an internet connection. In a world where people can access almost anything online, support is now one of them, and the sooner someone can get help the more likely that crisis will not escalate into a dangerous situation.

What do you think? Are online crisis services the support of the future? Would you use online crisis services if you needed to speak to someone or would you prefer a face to face or over the phone contact? Would you encourage others to reach out online?

We think crisis services like what is offered by the Crisis Support Centre and the Facebook initiative, along with the support of friends and family combine to make a superhero team. Together, it allows people to be supported from all sides; traditional support from loved ones, an opportunity to reach out to a third party when they need an unbiased ear and it allows people to support friends and acquaintances in situations where they may not feel comfortable approaching the topic themselves.

How would you approach a friend who made a worrying comment online and would you feel comfortable using the new Facebook feature? What else could we do to further improve online crisis services? We want to hear what you think and what ways you would feel comfortable reaching out for support for yourself and others.

If you would like to know more about Facebook’s new feature, you can check out the articles below, or you can search suicide on Facebook for instructions and information on using the new feature. To connect with the online crisis services at the Crisis Support Centre go to http://www.crisissupportcentre.com/.

Facebook Launches Suicide Prevention Effort

Facebook Aims to Help Prevent Suicide