Resources

This section will be divided into LINKS I find helpful and hopefully you will too. It will be constantly updated…this is a humble attempt for now, December 21, 2013,

CMHA – Canadian Mental Health Association

Canadian Crisis Centres – resources and helplines

National Suicide Hotline – U.S.A.

Kids Help Phone – Canada

Child Helplines around the world

AMIQuebec – Action on Mental Illness

AMI-Quebec helps families manage the effects of mental illness through support, education, guidance, and advocacy. Most programs are free and are offered in English for all residents in the province of Quebec. In order to reach people outside the Montreal area, AMI offers teleworkshops, webinars and more. Check out their website at the blue link above to get their newsletter.

I have a soft spot for this place as I have been volunteering here since last summer. The resources, counselling, education and ongoing support (groups) weekly are by far the most resourceful mental health resource I have seen.

ANEB – Eating Disorder Support Quebec

A website offering resources, counselling, forums about eating disorders…offered in Montreal, Qc.

Alecoute-Ntouch – Staying in touch with self and others.

Cheryl-Lynn’s Workshops – coaching – Life Skills; Personal and Social Development

The Arthritis Society of Canada

Notice the different conditions that are included in inflammatory joint pain.

“Arthritis consists of more than 100 different condition which range from relatively mild forms of tendonitis and bursitis to crippling systemic forms, such as rheumatoid arthritis. It includes pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and arthritis-related disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, that involve every part of the body. Other forms of the disease, such as gout, are almost never thought of as arthritis, while osteoarthritis is often thought to be the only form of this disease.”

Aspergers of Ontario

Although this is located in Ontario, the information on their website is excellent and can guide you to other resources that may be available in your location

The Asperger’s Society of Ontario is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2000 by parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome and concerned professionals.

CMHA – Canadian Mental Health Association

This link gives helpful information, resources like literature, books, articles AND helps you find support in YOUR or near your residence anywhere in Canada.

Child and Youth Rights

Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation

Here are just a few myths:

Myth: If the patient doesn’t look sick, they can’t have Lyme disease.
Truth:As with other illnesses, it’s possible to be very ill and outwardly look fine. Very low energy levels, neurologic and brain dysfunction don’t often change a person’s appearance. Family and friends are sometimes hard on victims simply because they don’t look sick.

Myth:: Lyme disease is the ‘disease du jour’.
Truth:: Not true. Lyme is a serious illness and ignoring this endemic issue will lead to more chronic illness with all the emotional and economic costs involved.

Chronic Pain Association of Canada

Know your rights…have your say! The mission of The Chronic Pain Association of Canada is to prevent and relieve unnecessary pain and to improve the quality of life and daily function of people who suffer from pain through education and awareness.Chronic Pain Canada

Douglas Hospital (McGill University)

I cannot begin to boast about this resource. Check out the website, navigate by checking the menu. In the Search area, write in Mini-Psych courses and you will be exposed to past lectures on video that you can watch in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Better still, why not order a DVD of a complete season of lectures. I was introduced to the lectures here 3 years ago when a friend and former colleague asked me to join her for the French lecture series on mental health and trying to sensitive the public on mental illness. Her son was diagnosed with Schizophrenia several years back and I`ve been fortunate through their struggles, to have been introduced to many great services…none of that dry boring clinical sedative {winks}; I’ll mention other resources for Schizophrenia below…another place that blew my mind…I learned so much!

Check out the various blogs and newsletters on this website. Dr. Camillo Zack is the host to the lecture series and what a guy! He is so down to earth and gives informal lectures to smaller groups too. He also is a practising psychologist at the Douglas.

Exercise releases that natural happy drug – endorphins click this link to read more from Canadian Mental Health Association.

Kids Help Phone – Canadian National Youth line A Canadian Mental Health Perspective.

Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 A free, anonymous YOUTH Bilingual help line (5 yrs – 20 yrs) across Canada open 24/7, 365 days a year. All services are anonymous. It does not have call display on the phone and cannot trace calls. If a youth is in danger/crisis, the youth is empowered to disclose what they want.

On-Line counselling: web counselling where a youth can talk about a problem and expect a response from a counsellor/moderator within 2 to 3 days; unfortunately it gets so busy that they seem to have to open the Web for “Ask a Counsellor” certain times of the day to ensure the counsellors respond in a timely manner. If there is a crisis youths are encouraged to phone or use the Live Chat service that is open usually Thursday to Sunday evenings in English and Friday to Monday evenings in French;

Their website has lots of helpful information, interactive games for youths and useful links.

All counsellors are professionals with a university/college education either B.A. or Masters in the social sciences, prior experience working with youths and families and continual training and supervision to ensure the best possible support to youths.

Learning Disability Association of Canada

A great first time stop to check out tips and resources for youths with special needs and learning differences.

NEDIC – National Eating Disorder Information Centre 1-866-633-4220 email: nedic@uhn.ca

Check out the website as they are continually improving and adding services; Open 9am to 9pm. EST and I believe they may have Live Chat now; I do know they respond fairly quickly to emails.

Prevnet – Anti-Bullying – Canada’s authority on bullying

PREVNet is a national network of leading researchers and organizations, working together to stop bullying in Canada. It is the first of its kind in this country and a world leader in bullying prevention. Through education, research, training and policy change, PREVNet aims to stop the violence caused by bullying – so every child can grow up happy, healthy and safe.

Schizophrenia – resources in French

Mission, mandat & historique La Société québécoise de la schizophrénie c’est :

Une ressource pour apprivoiser la schizophrénie
De l’information pour comprendre
De l’entraide pour mieux vivre

Sheena’s Place

Information and resources for youths under 18 years old struggling with body image, self-esteem and eating disorders. The workshops are provided in Toronto only but it is worth a look-see on their website for the invaluable information.