mentalhealthfoundation-blog1

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“A better future to me would be a system with shorter wait times, less stigma and a society with more knowledge, education and understanding of Addiction and Mental Health.

A better future doesn’t have an end date, it needs to be continuous.”

Nakita Dool, Peer Support Worker-ACCESS Open Minds

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Pam Spurvey’s better future in mind? Peer support!

“If I had had someone accompanying me on my journey that understood me and the resources available, I would have found help sooner and I wouldn’t have felt so alone.” 

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Joel Eden

Simple. My #BetterFutureInMind is Mental Health taken as seriously as Physical Health. @MentalHealthAB pic.twitter.com/P2JkhNaqPR

— Joel Eden (@eedzy) November 8, 2017

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Executive Director Mark Korthuis shares his better future in mind. 

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

3 Thoughts from Cindy for World Mental Health Day

I am a Registered Nurse. I work in a small RURAL hospital Emergency department close to Edmonton. My 3 thoughts follow in no particular order.

!. Psychotherapy 100% funded. It’s very expensive, very helpful, and some people don’t have the coverage they need, particularly if needed long term.

2. Mental health resources are very difficult for some Emergency departments to access quickly or easily. Example: male patient, early 20’s, brought in to ER by police officers, middle of the evening. Police had received a call from Pt. asking for help, that he was in his car and ready to commit suicide. Was brought into department by staff and assessed, I am unsure of the treatment plan at that time. The Dr. #1 was consulted again by nursing staff in the middle of the night. Dr.#1 gave phone order for sedative, the patient remained unable to sleep.  The phone order med. was not effective. Reminder the patient was in a curtained cubicle, with stretcher, in the middle of an emergency. Staff requested Dr.#1 to speak to patient before leaving shift, for change over to day Dr. #2. Dr.#1 finished his shift at 0800. His remarks were that pt. had no, home, family, friends, job.. and remained in very depressed mood. Dr. #2 started shift at 0800. Dr. #2 refused to see pt. and assess until end of her shift, about 1700. Afternoon shift of staff that started at 1500 questioned why pt. was still in department and what the treatment plan was. Dr.#2 was requested multiple times throughout the day to see pt. Dr.#2 saw pt. about 1600. again after multiple requests. When Dr.#2 spoke with pt. for approx. 5 - 10 min. ordered that the pt. was discharged. The Dr. reported that the pt had a home , family and friends and that pt. was not depressed anymore. discussion amongst staff and Dr.#2 at that time, resulted with pt. being discharged. Nursing staff were able to offer printed material for resources and to return to Er if need be.

Not appropriate care by more than just the physician’s.

3. Someday maybe the community would be able to speak with managers regarding depression, anxiety and the treatment plan that they have, without fear of judgement, being treated unfairly, passed up over other positions in company and being unsure of confidentiality or privacy.

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“I think our biggest obstacle at the moment is that we are reactive. Our system tends to work really well if you’re really really sick, but we don’t have prevention or screening systems in place enough to really understand and help young kids, for example, who are showing first signs of mental illness or addiction. So, I think we need to be a lot more proactive; we need to understand the entire landscape and create a system that focuses not just on emergency response but on screening and prevention, and on building tools to create resiliency.”-Margo Long, Mental Health Foundation Trustee

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“I’d like to encourage people who are experiencing any form of psychological distress to not allow stigma to stand in between themselves and the potential help that they could receive from mental health services.”

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Dr. Vincent Aqyapong’s Better Future in Mind

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Angel

“A better future in mind means everyone is confident in their own skin and not wanting to pretend to be someone else”

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“A better future in mind is full acceptance and participation in a community which is a function of mental wellness, in physical, psychosocial, and cultural spiritual domains.”

“Gandhi said that society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable. But though those with mental illness are no different from anyone else, there’s a huge stigma associated with it. The possibility for recovery is very meaningful and it not only changes that persons life, but also helps the family, the social networks, and the communities that they’re connected with. That type of recovery is possible and is worth everything to fight for.” -Daniel Li, Psychiatrist at Alberta Hospital Edmonton

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

David Rust’s better future in mind

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

I have a better future in mind where people with lived experience of mental illness play a large role in defining what is needed, and talking about what’s effective. And that includes families and children, and older people. I have a future in mind that really includes a big digital, online component that is accessible, effective, and safe for all people dealing with addiction and mental health issues. Increased access and reduction of stigma are key to make the progress we need to make.

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“I think one of the most important changes I’ve seen in the last very short few years is an increased passion and a sense of hope. We know we that we don’t have the billions of dollars it will take to rebuild a pristine new mental health system. But we do have the desire. So we have people working together strongly, providing millions of dollars of in kind service to learn how to build a system to a higher level of success for both their own provision of mental health services and for those people receiving those services.”

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Tim Hay

“We could all be a little bit more aware that listening and compassion is the first thing you do.

Mental health issues cross all races, economic lines, and it’s just part of humanity. And the more we can realize that and reach out to the people we know, the better off we’ll all be.”

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

Patient Advocate Tim Hay shares his Better Future in Mind

[mentalhealthfoundation-blog1]

“A better future in mind is having people and resources in place to help people navigate the system when they need it.”

“I think the more and more that we as a society and community talk about mental health, it helps people realize that when they are battling—whether it’s depression, anxiety, or any number of issues—that they’re not alone. That’s probably the biggest thing is that as soon as somebody realizes that they’re not alone, as soon as somebody realizes that other people have this issue  then they’re able to talk about it more openly, and if they feel comfortable about it then they’re probably going to go and seek help.”-Ben Horcica, Chair of the Mental Health Foundation