Keeping people informed on the latest thoughts and happenings

New online platform launches to provide people across Canada with immediate mental health and substance use support as COVID-19 escalates

TORONTO, April 16, 2020 /CNW/ - People in Canada, regardless of where they live or their age, can access immediate virtual mental health and substance use support with the launch of Wellness Together Canada, a historic initiative launched through a joint venture with Stepped Care Solutions, Kids Help Phone and Homewood Health, supported by Greenspace Health, in response to growing mental health concerns with the escalation of COVID-19.

A "one-stop shop" online portal, Wellness Together Canada provides a "stepped care" model offering services that range from immediate crisis support to mental health screening and self-assessment tools, peer-to-peer support, educational resources, e-courses, access to virtual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and access to counselling support by phone, text or live chat. The initiative is the first and only online platform of its kind offering immediate mental health and substance use support to all people in Canada in every province and territory in English and French.

"Mental wellness is difficult to maintain with the disruptions happening now. It's not easy to maintain a routine. People in every community are struggling and need our help. That's why we are acting today to make professional resources more easily accessible to Canadians" said, The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health.

Stepped care is a care delivery model developed by psychologist Dr. Peter Cornish to ensure individuals are able to access the level of support appropriate to their needs while also creating a more efficient and effective healthcare system. "Wellness Together Canada is a perfect example of the power and possibilities of the stepped care model when put into action," says Dr. Cornish. "The model aims to empower people to access the support they need at the moment they need it, whether that's simply an article that helps them to better understand what they're experiencing or a direct line to a trained counsellor in a moment of crisis. Wellness Together Canada is providing the full range of solutions to everyone in Canada, allowing individuals to make decisions about the care they require and providing the resources to access it."

Each service delivery partner brings their unique services and expertise to the partnership.

With a 30-year history as Canada's only nationally available e-mental health solution for young people, Kids Help Phone is offering access to its phone-based single-session counselling services and its texting service for youth, Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone, which can be accessed by texting 686868. To further extend its support to Canadians of all ages, Kids Help Phone is also launching Crisis Text Line Canada – a new evolution of its existing texting service that will be exclusively available to adults and seniors. Crisis Text Line Canada can be accessed by texting WELLNESS to 741741 for immediate support.

"COVID-19 is both a public health crisis and a mental health crisis," says Katherine Hay, President and CEO of Kids Help Phone. "Kids Help Phone alone has experienced a nearly 400% increase in calls/texts related to COVID-19 since mid-March, pointing to the depth and breadth of the mental health impact on Canada's youth. Now, as Canada navigates through this unprecedented period in our history, we are committed to opening up our services to people of all ages, in every part of Canada, along with our incredible partners through the launch of Wellness Together Canada. We are actively building our team of trained professional counsellors and volunteer Crisis Responders to ensure we're ready and able to meet the needs of every single person who reaches out to us for support."

Homewood Health has been supporting Canadians with mental health, trauma and addiction treatment and support since 1883. With a complete suite of services that includes a leading Canadian Employee Assistance Program, return to work services, outpatient and inpatient treatment and much more, Homewood is a leader in evidence-based treatment and care. Through Wellness Together Canada, Homewood Health is offering single and multi-session counselling for adults via phone and video as well as online educational resources.

"For Canadians living with mental health or substance use issues, times of crisis can exacerbate their challenges or destroy their recovery efforts," says Jagoda Pike, President and CEO of Homewood Health. "Everyone at Homewood is profoundly proud to be able to support Canadians during this crisis. As always, and particularly during these deeply uncertain times, it is our goal to ensure that no one feels alone in their time of need."

The joint venture partners are pleased to be working alongside Greenspace Health, a Toronto-based leader in mental healthcare technology. Greenspace's technology will act as the central online portal, where Canadians can access the many resources and supports available in this stepped care solution, while regularly tracking the impact on their mental well-being. "This is an opportunity to bring a scientific and technology-driven approach to mental health services," says Jeremy Weisz, CEO of Greenspace Health. "Wellness Together Canada represents an amazing feat of collaboration, designed to provide the right supports to each individual at the right time." In addition, Wellness Together Canada will be working with many e-mental health platforms, available through this portal, to enable a robust stepped care solution for all Canadians.

Stepped Care Solutions, Kids Help Phone and Homewood Health, along with Greenspace Health, extend their deepest gratitude to Health Canada and the Government of Canada for their visionary investment and partnership to launch Wellness Together Canada.

About Wellness Together Canada: Wellness Together Canada is an innovative new joint venture between Canadian mental health leaders Kids Help Phone, Stepped Care Solutions and Homewood Health, and supported by Greenspace Health, to offer a full range of mental health support to people of all ages in every part of Canada. It is available in both English and French as an online portal/website and can be accessed at https://ca.portal.gs/. Wellness Together Canada is funded by Health Canada.

About Stepped Care Solutions: Stepped Care Solutions is a Canadian not for profit consultancy group that aims to promote mental wellness by transforming the mental health system. We collaborate with organizations and service users to improve access and deliver flexible service by providing a framework that organizes a wide range of care options. Stepped Care Solutions brings together health and industry partners to design convenient, effective, and innovative care models that meet the needs of all Canadians.

About Kids Help Phone: Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 national service offering professional counselling, information, referrals and volunteer-led text-based support for young people. Kids Help Phone's free, anonymous services are available in both English and French. Kids Help Phone is a registered Canadian charity, and raises the majority of revenue from individuals, foundations, corporations, and community fundraising. Visit www.kidshelpphone.ca for more information.

About Homewood Health: Homewood Health is a Canadian leader in the development and delivery of national, evidence-based mental health, trauma, and addiction treatment and services since 1883. Homewood's complete suite of services includes employee and family assistance programs, assessments, outpatient and inpatient treatment, recovery management, return to work and family support services, all tailored to meet the needs of individuals, clinical and institutional referrers, insurers and employers. Homewood Health's innovative approaches are redefining how Canadians access mental health and addiction treatment and support in order to help them live healthier, more productive and fulfilling lives. Visit www.homewoodhealth.com for more information.

About Greenspace Health: Greenspace Health is a Canadian technology company that improves the way that mental healthcare is accessed, measured and delivered. Greenspace works with healthcare organizations and health systems to facilitate a better model for intake and triage into care and to more effectively measure an individual's progress in treatment, while generating valuable clinical outcome data. Greenspace is research-based and designed to help drive better mental health outcomes for all Canadians. More information can be found at: www.greenspacehealth.ca.

SOURCE Kids Help Phone

For further information: For more information, or to request an interview, please contact: Lindsey Coulter, Director, Strategic Communications & Community Engagement, Kids Help Phone, Lindsey.coulter@kidshelpphone.ca | 647-390-4841

Related Links

https://ca.portal.gs/

A Closer Look at the Recovery Journey

The Homewood Research Institute (HRI) has created an infographic  that summarizes early findings from the Post-Discharge Outcomes Monitoring System (PDO), also known to Homewood patients as the Recovery Journey Project.

The infographic  outlines changes in various indicators of recovery between the time of admission and 12-months post-discharge for patients who receive treatment in the Addiction Medicine Service at Homewood Health Centre. It also provides an overview of participant demographics, abstinence trends, and changes in occupational performance, social roles, and overall life satisfaction.

Unique in Canada, HRI’s PDO system supports the comprehensive evaluation of the long-term impacts of treatment interventions. Future directions for this initiative include the expansion and tailoring of the system to measure outcomes among those treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. The PDO system provides a thorough and quantifiable understanding of what happens once patients leave residential care and holds great promise for evaluating and informing evidence-based care across Canada.

Homewood Health Proud to Honour Military Women and Their Families

Toronto, ON -- (November 6, 2017) - Homewood Health will honour military women and their families by sponsoring the 9^th Annual True Patriot Love Toronto Tribute Dinner on Thursday, November 9^th. The True Patriot Love Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to harnessing the passion Canadians feel for military and veteran families on November 11^th and finding ways to express it throughout the year.

Homewood Health is deeply committed to the health and wellness of our soldiers, veterans and their families explained President and CEO of Homewood Health, Jagoda Pike.

“Every day we see so many people struggling with the impact of trauma,” Pike said. “Supporting the True Patriot Love Foundation is just one more way we live out our commitment as mental health treatment providers.”

True Patriot Love is building on the knowledge that there can be a cumulative effect when individuals are exposed to multiple incidents that are emotionally damaging.

“When a military service person has been in duty for several years, the amount of trauma that they are exposed to could leave them at risk of developing a mental health issue,” Pike said. “We want to support True Patriot Love in raising awareness about the risks service women and men undertake, and help build community support for them and their families.

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About Homewood Health

Homewood Health is Canada's leader in mental health, addiction and trauma treatment. With 135 years of experience, we achieve outstanding outcomes every day through our national network of over 4,500 local employees and clinical experts, The Homewood Clinics, 360⁰dtx, and through the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, ON – Canada's largest and leading facility for medical treatment of mental health, trauma and addiction disorders. We support individuals and their families, employers and organizations, insurers, and medical professionals with a full suite of outcome-focused services for prevention, assessment, treatment, return-to-work, and ongoing recovery management.

Media Contact:

Cherie Payne, BA, LL.B

Director of Communications
778.386.4347 or cpayne@homewoodhealth.com

Homewood Health Clinicians Shine Light on PTSD at Schedule 2 Employers Group Conference

TORONTO, ON -- (October 24, 2017) - Homewood Health is pleased to announce its continued support of efforts to address PTSD in the workplace. Homewood Health was a lead sponsor of last week’s Schedule 2 Employers Group Conference, an annual gathering of industry professionals from across Ontario focused on workplace wellness, health and safety, workers’ compensation and disability management.

The Director of Trauma Services for Homewood Health, Stacey Ferland joined Toni Harrington, Director of Specialized Services for Homewood to present insights on trauma support in the workplace based on Homewood Health’s pioneering treatment programs that began at the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph and have continued at The Homewood Clinics in Mississauga, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal.

“Looking at research coming out of our national medical clinics and Health Centre, we see a real need for increased attention and support for PTSD in the workplace,” noted Stacey Ferland. “Ontario has made significant progress in delivering provincial support for individuals struggling with post-traumatic stress and other trauma related conditions, and Canadians across the country could benefit from similar levels of support.”

Reducing productivity loss through absenteeism is important to employers Toni Harrington pointed out.

“Providing employees with professional support to manage PTSD, anxiety, depression and substance use disorders is both compassionate and makes good economic sense,” Harrington said.

Homewood Health is Canada’s leader in treating addictions, trauma and other mental illnesses.

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About Homewood Health

Homewood Health is Canada's leader in mental health, trauma and addiction services. With over 135 years of experience, we achieve outstanding outcomes every day through our national network of over 4,500 local employees and clinical experts, The Homewood Clinics, 360⁰dtx, and through the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, ON – one of Canada's largest and leading facilities for medical treatment of mental health and addiction disorders. Homewood Health offers Canada's only complete continuum of mental health and addiction treatment services. We support individuals and their families, employers and organizations, insurers, and medical professionals with a full suite of outcome-focused services for prevention, assessment, treatment, return-to-work, and ongoing recovery management.

Media Contact:

Cherie Payne, BA, LL.B | Director of Communications
778.386.4347 or cpayne@homewoodhealth.com

June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

Recent statistics from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs indicate PTSD as the second leading mental health disorder within the Canadian Armed Forces, with incident rates doubling between 2002 and 2013. However, PTSD is not limited to our military and soldiers. It can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.

Trauma is the Greek word for “wound”. While the Greeks used the term for physical injuries, trauma can also mean emotional and psychological wounds.

Trauma can refer to the traumatic event and the subsequent emotional and psychological injury. PTSD refers to a set of symptoms, which can be diagnosed as the condition of PTSD when the after effects of the trauma don’t go away within a specific time period.

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the psychological reaction to emotional trauma. This could include responses to powerful one-time incidents or chronic/repetitive experiences.

Examples of One Time Experiences:

Accidents, natural disasters, crimes, surgeries, death, other violent events

Examples of Chronic/Repetitive Experiences:

Child abuse, neglect, military combat, urban or domestic violence

Who is at risk?

PTSD does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender or race. PTSD is brought on by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic, often life-threatening event. At particular risk are individuals who work in occupations where they are repeatedly exposed to trauma under high levels of stress. Also at risk are people who experience trauma in childhood and people with a family history of mental illness and addictions.

Symptoms of PTSD

The ramifications of a traumatic event may be felt immediately, but PTSD is not diagnosed unless the symptoms last more than one month. Symptoms include:

Re-experiencing Symptoms

Often, people who suffer from PTSD will relive the traumatic event. This can present in different ways, including upsetting memories which can be triggered by a reminder. For instance, when a combat officer hears a car backfire and it reminds them of gunshots, or when an assault victim sees a news report and is reminded of their own experience. Once triggered, memories can cause the sufferer to react in physical and emotional ways similar to those experienced during the original event.

Avoidance and Numbing Symptoms

Individuals with PTSD may go out of their way to avoid certain triggers. They may not want to return to the site of the experience, and there might be sights, sounds or smells they will avoid. They may even stop watching TV programs that remind them of their experience.

In order to numb themselves, people with PTSD may have a hard time getting in touch with their feelings or expressing them. They may isolate themselves from others, and stop taking part in activities they once enjoyed.

Arousal Symptoms

People suffering with PTSD may feel they are in a constant state of emotional arousal. This can cause them to feel abnormally alert, resulting in difficulty sleeping, irritability and difficulty concentrating. They may feel as though they are “on guard” and searching for signs of danger at all times. This can lead to substance abuse to either heighten or dull their arousal.

Changes in Mood and Cognitions

A traumatic event can result in people altering their beliefs about themselves or the world around them. People suffering from PTSD may start blaming themselves or others, and saying things such as “I should have done more” or

“People in authority can’t be trusted.” They will have a persistent low mood and decreased enjoyment of things they once enjoyed.

How can I support my loved one who suffers from PTSD?

When a family member or close friend suffers from PTSD, it can be overwhelming for family, friends and others close to the individual. It’s hard to understand the changes in behaviour, and it may feel like the individual is less affectionate or angry with you. In turn, you may be frustrated taking on more responsibilities, when the individual suffering is unable to do things they use to do. Try not to take it personally, and remember these do’s and don’ts for living with someone who suffers from PTSD:

DO

• Be patient
• Educate yourself on PTSD
• Be a good listener
• Express your commitment to your relationship
• Minimize stress at home
• Anticipate triggers and try to avoid them
• Watch for signs that your loved one is getting stressed
• Ask how you can help
• Give them space, if they need it
• Let your loved one guide you as to how they are feeling, what they can handle, and how they would like to handle their stress
• Call 911 if you feel you or your loved one is in danger of being hurt
• Make time for yourself
• Build a support system of trusted family and friends
• Set boundaries, know your limits and communicate them to your loved one, family and support team

DON'T

• Pressure your loved one to talk about their experience
• Stop your loved one from talking about their feelings or fears
• Trivialize or deny your loved one’s traumatic experience
• Tell your loved one they are weak because they aren’t coping well
• Offer advice, if you aren’t asked for it
• Take their outbursts or need to isolate personally
• Get upset with yourself if you sometimes have negative feelings towards your loved one

Theo Fluery: Reflections on Healing and Trauma, a One-Day Conversation

While you may remember Theo Fleury as a former NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, he is also the two-time best-selling author of Playing with Fire & Conversations with a Rattlesnake.

Please join the Homewood Community Addiction Services (CADS) for a one-day workshop, where Theo will bare his soul, as he shares his raw, unrefined and refreshingly honest journey through his painful past with trauma, alcoholism and drug addiction. Theo will share his mistakes, his triumphs and his new learnings, while creating a safe space for conversations on trauma and healing.

Click here for tickets and event details

He will discuss how to overcome obstacles and practice mindfulness, and he will encourage others to tell their stories without shame or fear. In turn, he will demonstrate how we must all learn compassion and humility.

Theo’s incredible life experience, both on the ice and off, has given him a wealth of embodied knowledge on the topics of pursuing excellence and personal growth. His insightful perceptions allow him to look beyond external behaviors to what lies beneath the surface. To this conversation, he will bring clarity, honesty and compassion because he has been there and he knows what is needed.

Theo was awarded the Canadian Humanitarian Award, The Queen’s Jubilee Medallion, and he is an Honorary Chief and recipient of the Aboriginal Indspire Award. In 2014, Theo was awarded with an honorary doctorate in Science from the University of Guelph-Humber for outstanding contributions to the Mental Health of Canadians. In 2015, he received a second honorary doctorate in Laws from Brandon University in recognition for his contributions combating child sexual abuse and for his outstanding efforts to promote healing and recovery.

Don’t miss this insightful and compassionate conversation.

• Registration, breakfast and networking begin at 7:30am.
• Theo's workshop begins at 9am.
• Autograph signing, networking and silent auction from 12:30pm- 2pm.

All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Homewood Volunteer Association to support Community Addictions Services (CADS) clients in need, within our local community.

*A gentle notice please, we ask that the presentation not be audio or video recorded. Pictures are welcome, however please refrain from using your flash. Thank you.

Homewood Health Centre and Laurier appoint first music therapist-in-residence

Wilfrid Laurier University and The Homewood Health Centre have partnered to establish the first music therapist-in-residence at Laurier. This partnership will bring together Laurier’s renowned music therapy program and the Manfred and Penny Conrad Institute for Music Therapy Research with Homewood Health’s 134 years of leading clinical experience in mental health and addiction treatment. Music therapy uses music and musical elements to promote, maintain and restore mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.

“Our partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University allows Homewood Health to be the connection between theory and practice for Music Therapy and to advance patient well-being through music,” said Jagoda Pike, president and CEO of Homewood Health. “We are excited to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Mitchell, as the Wilfrid Laurier University music therapist-in-residence who will be leading the music therapy program at The Homewood Health Centre.”

Mitchell will join the Homewood team in the role of music therapist and professional discipline leader. In this position, Mitchell will supervise undergraduate and graduate student placements, provide clinical services at The Homewood Health Centre, and instruct courses at Laurier’s Waterloo campus as the music therapist-in-residence. Mitchell will also partner with the Homewood Research Institute to advance the understanding and study of music therapy.

“This is such an innovative position,” said Mitchell. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work clinically with clients at Homewood and in turn, have that clinical practice inform both the teaching of Laurier students as well as associated research. These are all areas I am passionate about and it’s exciting to have them encompassed within one position.”

Mitchell, who received her Master of Music Therapy from Laurier and her Bachelor of Music, Honours Music Education from the University of Western Ontario, is currently completing her PhD in Music Education, also at the University of Western Ontario. Mitchell is an associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, with a diploma in piano performance, as well as a registered psychotherapist and a music therapist accredited with the Canadian Association of Music Therapists.

“We are thrilled to have Elizabeth join us as music therapist-in-residence for this new initiative,” said Kevin Swinden, acting dean of Laurier’s Faculty of Music. “We are privileged to have found someone with such extraordinary clinical music therapy experience who also possesses such dedication to the educational mission of the university. We look forward to seeing her succeed at Homewood Health and we are confident that we will see a positive transformation in our own students as well.”

The music therapist-in-residence position is made possible through a generous donation from Bryce and Nancy (Sauder McLennan) Walker, who have a long-standing relationship with Laurier.

The music therapy program at The Homewood Health Centre will officially launch on March 17, 2017 with a ribbon cutting in the music therapy space. All media are invited to join and will have the opportunity to speak with Jagoda Pike, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kevin Swinden and both Bryce and Nancy Walker.

RIBBON CUTTING EVENT

• Location: 150 Delhi Street – Guelph, Ontario N1E 6K1
• Date: Friday, March 17, 2017
• Time: 1:30 p.m.

Parking

Media are asked to park in the lot directly across the street from 150 Delhi Street (parking fee will be waived) and enter Homewood Health Centre through the main entrance near switchboard where you will be escorted down to the Music Therapy space.

For more information on this event or Homewood Health in general, contact Maureen Turner, Public Relations Manager, Homewood Health Inc. by phone at 519.766.5805 or 1.800.265.8310 x3172 or by email at mturner@homewoodhealth.com.

ABOUT HOMEWOOD HEALTH CENTRE

Homewood Health Centre is a leader in mental health and addiction services. With over 130 years of experience, the centre achieves outstanding outcomes every day through a national network of over 4,500 employees and clinical experts, and through the Homewood Health Centre—one of Canada’s largest and leading facilities for medical treatment of mental health and addiction disorders. Homewood Health is redefining mental health and addiction services to help Canadians live healthier, more productive and fulfilling lives.

ABOUT LAURIER'S FACULTY OF MUSIC

Laurier’s renowned Faculty of Music is dedicated to fostering artistic and scholarly development of the highest calibre and to providing a creative environment for student success. Over the past 40 years, the Faculty of Music has positioned itself as one of Canada’s top music schools, home to world-class opera, orchestra and composition programs. The faculty is home to over 450 students across seven program offerings taught by outstanding musicians, composers and music historians who continue to be active in their own careers.

Making a Scene for Mental Health: A Fundraising Event to Support the Homewood Research Institute

Homewood Health is honoured to be the VIP presenting Sponsor for Shelley Marshall’s one-woman play, Hold Mommy’s Cigarette, a fundraiser for The Homewood Research Institute (HRI), in celebration of Mental Health Week 2017.

On May 1^st 2017, HRI will host a special performance of the play at the River Run Centre in beautiful downtown Guelph. Proceeds from this one-night-only event will be dedicated to the Shelley Marshall Scholarship, a fund named in Shelley’s honour to support applied research, led by HRI’s clinical scientists, that aims to improve treatment for people living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“We are pleased to present this unique and enlightening performance by Shelley Marshall,” said Roy Cameron, Executive Director of the Homewood Research Institute.

“Shelley is a talented and honest actor and comedienne; she brings mental health into the spotlight – quite literally – in her one-woman show.”

The show, which kicks off Mental Health Week 2017, is an autobiographical play that details Marshall’s personal struggle with mental illness, addressing her father’s suicide and her own suicide attempt, as well as her journey back to purpose and fulfillment.

“I knew creating works of art that expressed my experience, my truth, and my understanding, were what would bring a joyful purpose to my life,” says Marshall.

“I feel I have not only an opportunity, but an obligation, to convey a message that can help people heal.”

Marshall’s performance will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. It’s gritty and honest, raw and heartbreaking and, most of all, painfully funny. She has gained national attention and received many awards, including the Gold Award for Best Theatre Production (View Magazine) and Best New Discovery (Now Magazine). Most importantly, Marshall’s story is bringing much-needed awareness to mental health, and inspiring discussions about resilience and finding real solutions to mental health issues.

For more information about attending or sponsoring the event, please visit www.supportHRI.ca or contact:

Heather Froome
Director of Organizational and Business Development
Homewood Research Institute

519-824-1010 x2435
hfroome@homewoodhealth.com
www.homewoodresearch.org                                     

or

Maureen Turner
Public Relations Manager
Homewood Health

519-821-9258 x3172
mturner@homewoodhealth.com

About The Homewood Research Institute

The Homewood Research Institute (HRI) is an independent not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with Homewood Health and leading scientists from Canadian universities. We are dedicated to research and evaluation to improve care and outcomes for people with mental health and addiction issues, particularly PTSD.