Skip links

Top

Highlight Bar

CMHA Victoria Office (BC Division)

News

Victoria City Council Election Forum: A Mental Health Dialogue

Victoria-City-Council-Election-Forum-Instagram-Feed-1-150x150

Victoria City Council Election Forum: A Mental Health Dialogue

The Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division is pleased to invite you to:

Victoria City Council Election Forum: A Mental Health Dialogue, moderated by Capital Daily.

This forum will provide candidates with an opportunity to publicly discuss issues related to mental health and well-being in the capital city and share their commitments to support mental health and safer substance use at the municipal level.

register now

Details

Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Location: Virtually or in-person
Time: 6:00 to 8:30 pm In-Person | 6:30 to 7:15 pm Virtually (live stream)

Agenda

6:00 pm: Doors Open + Registration
6:30 to 7:15 pm: Introductions + Open Roundtable
7:15 – 8:30 pm: In-person Roundtables (not live streamed)

Accessibility

We offer virtual attendance for a portion of the event. The in-person venue has gender-neutral facilities and accessibility for mobility aids.

Safety

We kindly ask that you do not come to the in-person event if you are unwell or close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. We encourage wearing a mask, while not currently mandated by the BC health authority, face masks continue to offer assurance and safety for many members of the community.

 

There are a limited number of in-person tickets available for this event, taking place at KWENCH, 2031 Store Street, Victoria, BC.

We respectfully acknowledge this event will be held on the lands of the Lekwungen People of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

Noodlebox Charity Week

Noodlebox Charity Week (Sept 11-17) _IG

We are excited and humbled to be the chosen charity for Noodlebox’s Charity Week (September 11 to 17). For every Spicy Peanut Noodle Box purchased at the Shelbourne and Langford locations, $1 will be donated to the CMHA BC – Victoria office.

It is with happiness we are able to continue our partnership with Noodlebox for another year, and once again our gratitude goes out to their leadership and staff members.

You can order using the Noodlebox app, delivering partners or visit these local Noodlebox locations and help make a difference in our communities!

Noodlebox Shelbourne:

3749 Shelbourne Street, unit 205
Victoria, BC, V8P 5N4
778-265-6969

HOURS
MON – THURS  11 am – 10 pm
FRI – SAT 11 am – 11 pm
SUN 11 am – 9 pm

ORDER ONLINE

Noodlebox Langford:

2955 Phipps Road
Westshore Town Centre
Langford, BC, V9B 0J9
250-383-3322

HOURS
MON- THURS  11 am – 10 pm
FRI – SAT  11 am – 11 pm
SUN 11 am – 9 pm

ORDER ONLINE

New Support Group Opens in Westshore

PCFSA Suicide Support Group_Website

Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA) is launching a WestShore Based Support Group for folks who have lost a loved one to suicide. The group is free, open to anyone age 19+, and facilitated by experienced mental health practitioners.

Occurs monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of every month starting Sept 20th
6pm-8pm
200-324 Goldstream Ave
To get more info or to register, call (250) 940-4373 OR email intake@pcfsa.org.

Free parking is available, space is wheelchair accessible, bike lockups are nearby, and the location is close to the #50 and #46 bus routes.

 

This new Suicide Loss Support Group is provided and delivered by the Pacific Centre Family Services Association.

Pacific Centre Family Services Association

De-escalation training for Victoria Downtown Business

Portrait of woman next to computer in studio office
Brought to you in partnership with the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), this Responding to Crisis at Work session is for all downtown business owners and staff.

The tools learned in this session can help you to effectively respond to conflict and crisis at work, including, but not limited to, challenging interactions with clients.

“Often those situations can appear scary, and we don’t want people to put themselves in harm’s way. But listening, responding in a caring and a compassionate way, before we immediately reach for the phone can be a helpful step in responding to that situation,” Jonny Morris, CEO, CMHA BC, shared in an interview with CHEK News about the de-escalation training.

Join this informative, one-hour online training session to learn tools for de-escalation in the workplace. The session includes a Q&A period with representatives from CMHA.

Training will take place online, on Wednesday August 24, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT.

Downtown Victoria business owners and workers can register for the program online.

register now

New culturally informed mental-wellness supports will help Indigenous families

WAI_logo_RGB_Screen_2022_07_13-e1658857867549-150x150

July 26, 2022 (Victoria) – Indigenous families with children three to 12 who are experiencing big worries and fears will have access to free, culturally grounded wellness practices through a virtual parent and caregiver coaching program.

With the support of the Province, the We Are Indigenous: Big Worries/Fears Parent/Caregiver Support Program was developed with the guidance of the Indigenous advisory group Caring in All Directions and Indigenous writers in collaboration with Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division (CMHA BC).

“We want Indigenous families to have access to the mental-health support they need, so little problems don’t become big ones,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “The Big Worries/Fears program is guided by traditional knowledge from Indigenous communities and will help parents support their children by working together as a family.”

The program builds on the Confident Parents: Thriving Kids anxiety program offered by CMHA BC where trained coaches build on skills and strategies that can be used with children and family at home and in community settings. The We Are Indigenous program is grounded in Indigenous perspectives to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit families throughout B.C.

“Children, youth and their families need access to supports and services that are culturally safe and trauma informed,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “I am pleased this program, which was designed by Indigenous people for Indigenous people, will bring supports to children with big worries and their families across the province by integrating wellness and cultural practices.”

Parents, caregivers and their children can learn about Indigenous-centred wellness practices and strategies to increase their skills and strong spiritedness to push back against big worries and fears, known as anxiety in western views. The program delivery includes short online videos and scheduled telephone coaching sessions to provide families with tools to discuss what they are already doing, and to learn new practices and how to use these practices with their children.

“Some of the main impacts on parenting for my people are residential schools and the Sixties Scoop,” said Jacki McPherson, representative of Caring in All Directions and vice-chair of the board for CMHA BC. “I think if more children and more parents understand that their parents and their grandparents were not given the opportunity to learn how to be parents in a productive way, they would be more understanding not only of their childhood, but also how to move forward and how to change things for their children and grandchildren. Parents do the best they can with the tools they have. This program will help Indigenous families recognize the root of some of their challenges in parenting and provide more tools to families, and that’s going to make a big difference.”

Developed by and for Indigenous people, the program acknowledges the strong spiritedness of Indigenous families, the importance of supporting First Nations in their wellness wisdoms, as well as the disruptive influences of colonization on Indigenous families.

“We Are Indigenous: Big Worries/Fears Parent/Caregiver Support Program builds on the success of supports that have been proven to help families, as well as strengths and wisdoms of Indigenous Peoples,” said Jonny Morris, CEO, CMHA BC. “It’s an honour to collaborate with and learn from our Indigenous partners to help further develop and support the strong spiritedness of Indigenous families in B.C. together.”

Improving wellness for children, youth and young adults is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap for building the comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care that British Columbians deserve.

Learn More:

Media Contacts
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
Media Relations
250 882-9054

Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
Communications
604 353-8159
Media@cmha.bc.ca

Book Recommendation: The Bullied Brain by Jennifer Fraser

bullied brain cover

Healing the Scars of Society’s Bullying Paradigm

The harm done to the brain by bullying and abuse are invisible but, when ignored, they become infectious, cyclical and systemic.

Let’s face it. While we may espouse zero tolerance for bullying, society is rife with it and children experience it in epidemic proportions. Inadvertent as well as purposeful abusive behaviors have become normalized in our society.

In her new book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health (Prometheus Books, April 1, 2022), Jennifer Fraser, best-selling author and award-winning educator, reveals how bullying and abuse have seeped into every corner of society — from children’s playgrounds to the upper echelons of leadership. While exposing how we’ve been brainwashed by what she terms “the bullying paradigm,” she offers remedies coming directly from advancements in brain science that open the door to a new “neuroparadigm.”

Drawing from her family’s personal experience as well as stories ripped from the headlines, Fraser expertly weaves anecdote together with pioneering information on both the mental and physical trauma caused by bullying and the brain’s remarkable ability to recover and heal.

Neuroscientists have found visual evidence in brain scans of the impact of bullying and abuse. It manifests in hypervigilance that takes up much brain power, diverting it away from learning, creativity, and problem-solving. Fraser walks readers through ways we can use the brain’s inherent neuroplasticity to undo the damage.

Key Messages: In The Bullied Brain, Fraser shares not only how to survive bullying, but how to push back against the entrenched role it plays in society. She addresses:

  • How bullying and abuse correlate with failure to perform, mental illness, substance abuse, aggressive behavior and chronic disease
  • How bullied individual’s brains show anatomical differences that prevent them from responding in healthy ways to confrontation or persuasion
  • How to debunk the myth generated by the bullying paradigm that harsh, ruthless conduct builds toughness and resilience
  • How to harness the brain’s neuroplasticity to replace destructive neural networks with ones capable of critical thinking, trust and empathy
  • How to join a revolution away from abusive behavior and toward empathy and compassion for ourselves and others

The Bullied Brain makes clear that all forms of bullying and abuse harm minds, brains, and bodies. It takes the discussion out from behind closed doors and provides readers a blueprint for not only navigating and surviving the bullying world, but also for dismantling the bullying paradigm and replacing it with one grounded in knowledge of our brains

About the Author

JENNIFER FRASER, best-selling author and award-winning educator, has a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto. Her online courses and workshops provide dynamic lessons in the impact neuroscience has on personal development and culture change.
Her previous book, Teaching Bullies: Zero Tolerance on the Court or in the Classroom (Motion Press, Aug. 8, 2015), explores what happens when the bully is a teacher or coach. Her new book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health (Prometheus Books, April 1, 2022), delves into how bullying affects the brain and how the brain can heal.
Learn more at bulliedbrain.com.

Social Media
Website – bulliedbrain.com
LinkedIn – Jen-fraser-phd-1466a417
Facebook – BulliedBrain
Twitter – @TeachingBullies
Instagram – @JenniferFraserPhD

CFAX Interviews Ride Don’t Hide

CFAX logo

CFAX Mornings with Al Ferraby jumped on a call with CMHA employee Jocelyn de Montmorency to talk about Ride Don’t Hide, mental health, and Victoria.

Jocelyn is the Program Manger at the CMHA BC Division office in Victoria, BC. In the interview she talks about Ride Don’t Hide, which is CMHA’s annual bike fundraiser that’s hoping to raise $60,000 for mental health programs and services in Victoria.

Check out the full interview here: https://www.iheartradio.ca/cfax-1070/audio/preview-of-ride-don-t-hide-event-for-mental-health-on-june-12th-1.17726192?mode=Article 

Ride Don’t Hide will be returning to an in-person, live event on June 12th, 2022 at Windsor Park. Register to ride and raise funds at www.ridedonthide.com/victoria.

REGISTER NOW | Older Adults – Living Life to the Full

LLTTF

COURSE: Living Life to the Full, Older Adults

WHEN: Wednesdays from May 4 – June 22

             10:00 – 11:30AM

WHERE: Monterey Recreation Centre

COST: $25 (includes refreshments)

Monterey Recreation Centre in Oak Bay will be hosting a Living Life to the Full Older Adults session from May to June. There are 12 available spots in this course.

Learn how to make a difference in your life with proven techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy, to deal with challenging feelings of worry, frustration, and helplessness.

Register at Reception #250-370-7300. Find more details on their website.

 
Monterey Recreation Centre
#250-370-7300
1442 Monterey Avenue
Victoria, BC  V8S 4W1

WE’RE BACK! | Ride Don’t Hide 2022

rdh2022_websitebanner

Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division in Victoria is excited to announce that Ride Don’t Hide Victoria is back and will be an in-person, live event for 2022.

The past two years have been tough on most, with many Canadians citing that the pandemic has had a serious, negative affect on their mental health. At CMHA we’ve continued to provide mental health resources and services for those that need them. Ride Don’t Hide has been our yearly fundraiser that allows us to fund these programs and services. After two years of hosting a virtual Ride we are overjoyed to return to a live event in the community, gathering again to raise awareness around mental health and destigmatize it in Victoria, BC.

We’re not just a crowd, we’re a movement for mental health. We hope that you will join us in person this year, and help us reach our goal of raising $60,000 for mental health programs and services in Victoria, BC. All funds raised go directly back in the community. To learn more and register (early bird sale ends on May 8th!) please visit www.ridedonthide.com/victoria. 

June 12, 2022 | Windsor Park

Registration is now open!

Ride Don’t Hide began in 2010 as Michael Schratter, a Vancouver teacher and newspaper columnist, embarked on a global journey to raise funds for CMHA BC Division and raise awareness about the stigma surrounding mental illness. He circumnavigated the world, cycling 40,000 kilometres, across six continents and 33 countries, inviting the people he met along the way to help end mental illness stigma. Michael posted their pledges and stories on his website, where he shared photos and reflections from the road.

CMHA BC Division along with CMHA branches in Vancouver-Burnaby and North & West Vancouver picked up Michael’s torch and in the following year raised $75,000 and engaged 500 participants. 

Now Ride Don’t Hide is in more than 25 communities across eight provinces with close to 10,000 participants each year. To date Ride Don’t Hide has raised more than $10 million for local mental health programs and services and has become the largest cycling event of its kind in Canada. 

Most British Columbians worry COVID will never go away

Worried Woman With Protective Face Mask In Bus Transport.

New research shows chronic stress taking toll on individuals and organizations

(March 1, 2022) –  Far from feeling the pandemic is over, most people in British Columbia are stressed about what’s next, with 65% worried about new variants and 64% worried about COVID-19 circulating in the population for years to come. Two years of pandemic-related stressors, including grief and trauma, are likely to lead to significant long-term mental health effects on both our population and the frontline mental health providers caring for them. This according to Round 4 of the Assessing the Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health national monitoring survey by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in partnership with UBC researchers, and CMHA’s Running on empty: how community mental health organizations have fared on the frontlines of COVID-19, both released today.

“We’re seeing the signs of chronic stress on the population,” says Margaret Eaton, National CEO of CMHA. “Unfortunately, community mental health organizations have drawn on shallow reserves to meet people’s mental health needs during COVID, and now they’re running on empty. It’s time to check the engine light on our mental health system.”

The chronic stress of dealing with the pandemic is taking its toll, making basic decisions harder, sapping our energy and leaving people plain tired or burnt out. Nearly half (41%) of British Columbians are stressed or worried about coping with uncertainty.

“We’re seeing big differences—or inequities—in how different groups of people are affected by the pandemic. This is dividing our society into haves and have-nots when it comes to mental health and illness,” says lead researcher Emily Jenkins, a professor of nursing at UBC who studies mental health and substance use. “The pandemic has made it impossible to ignore the longstanding service gaps and systemic barriers in our systems.”

Over a third (41%) say their mental health has declined since the onset of the pandemic and this spikes in vulnerable groups such as those who are unemployed due to COVID-19 (57%), had a pre-existing mental health condition (54%), identify as LGBTQ2+ (49%), are students (47%), have a disability (44%) or are Indigenous (42%). Nearly half of British Columbians (48%) are worried about the compounding effects of climate change on top of COVID-19 and ten per cent have had recent thoughts or feelings of suicide.

British Columbians who cannot get the mental health help they need due to long wait lists or high costs, rely on free mental health and addictions services and supports provided by the not-for-profit sector, but these organizations are strained to breaking.

“We’ve seen a significant and sustained increase in demand for our services and resources across the board,” says Jonny Morris, CEO, CMHA, BC Division. “With the drug poisoning crisis, re-traumatizing effects of recent residential school discoveries, the pandemic,  and significant climate change related events, people are really experiencing the compounding impact of a number of substantial factors on our individual and collective mental health. People are drained, and we need sustained action.”

Almost one in five (17%) British Columbians felt they needed help with their mental health during the pandemic but didn’t receive it because: they didn’t know how or where to get it (35%), couldn’t afford to pay (41%), couldn’t get access (37%) or because insurance didn’t cover it (19%).

“Improving Canadians’ mental health is about more than just increasing access to care,” says Anne Gadermann, co-lead researcher and professor at the School of Population and Public Health, UBC. “We need to address the root causes of mental health inequities through promotion and prevention, in addition to treatment.”

In Running on Empty, CMHA calls on the federal government to better fund, support and integrate community mental health services within the healthcare system and: establish long-term and stable federal funding for key programs, services and supports in the community mental health sector; invest in mental health promotion and mental illness prevention programs and strategies; publicly fund community-based counseling and psychotherapy; and invest in housing, income supports and food security.

At the provincial level, CMHA BC echoes the need for more government support. “We are very encouraged by recent investments from the Province in mental health and substance use, and there’s a need to ensure that as overall health spending increases, mental health and addictions care is not left behind,” says Morris. “The Province’s extension of community counselling resources is a great example of heading in the right direction.”

CMHA BC suggests three key areas where the Provincial budget could sustain momentum from prior budget years: increasing and indexing income assistance rates to inflation, including disability assistance; targeting a portion of the budget’s investments in protecting people and communities from climate-related disasters towards the psychological impacts of disaster recovery; and continuing the transformation of access to psychotherapy with deeper and broader investments in community counselling.

Getting help
If you or someone you love is struggling, please contact your local CMHA or visit the Government of Canada’s Wellness Together portal. If you are in crisis, please call 310-6789 (no area code needed in BC) or dial 911.

About the survey
The survey was dispatched by Maru/Matchbox from Nov. 29 – Dec. 7, 2021, to a representative sample of 3,030 people ages 18 and up living in Canada. The fourth round of this national monitoring survey was made possible by generous support from Co-operators. To access a complete summary of the findings, please click here.

About the report
The report uses in-depth interviews across all provinces and the Yukon territory to outline how community mental health organizations have been impacted by and responded to the pandemic. The research was made possible by generous support from Co-operators. To access the complete report, please click here.

-30-

About the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
CMHA is Canada’s most established mental health charity and the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health. CMHA helps people access the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness. Each year in BC alone, CMHA serves more than 100,000 people across the province. For mental health and addiction information and resources visit www.cmha.bc.ca

Media Contact:

Pamela Findling
Senior Manager, Communications, CMHA BC Division
P: +1 (604) 349-4574
E: pamela.findling@cmha.bc.ca