Febraury 23rd, 2010
The Family Support Institute is pleased to announce the launch of its new initiative, Support Worker Central, an online database designed to match individuals, families and agencies with support workers in their communities. The website is www.supportworkercentral.com.
Over the past few years many people have expressed a desire for a central website where individuals and families and from all over British Columbia could connect with qualified support workers in their communities for personal support needs and community participation.
Support Worker Central is a one-year pilot project aimed at testing the effectiveness of a centralized BC-wide website. On Support Worker Central, families and individuals post jobs, entering specific criteria that will be matched against support workers who have set up profiles on the site.
The Family Support Institute is a province-wide organization whose purpose is to strengthen and support families faced with the extraordinary circumstances that come with having a family member who has a disability. We believe that families are the best resource available to support one another. Directed by families, the Family Support Institute provides information, training and province-wide networking to assist families and their communities to build upon and share their strengths.
Sept 22, 2008
New Resources for Aboriginal women and their families.
Reproductive Mental Health will soon be releasing:
Celebrating the Circle of Life
Emotional Health in Pregnancy and Early Parenthood: A Matter of Balance/Harmony
Bookmark this page for furthur updates.
Also recently available is a new health DVD launched by the Fraser Health Authority:
Aboriginal Journeys in Mental Health - Surviving the Fall
"It should have been the happiest time of my life," a young woman shares of the early days with her new baby. "But I cried all the time - even when I did the laundry. I always felt alone even when I was in a room full of my family - people who loved me."
This personal story is among those courageously shared by six young aboriginal women from the St :lo Nation and their families for a new DVD: "Aboriginal Journeys in Mental Health - Surviving the Fall."
The DVD was produced by Fraser Health's Health Promotion and Prevention and Mental Health and Addiction Services, St :lo Nation Health Services, and Bear Image Productions as an educational and awareness building tool to benefit aboriginal women, their families and health care providers.
Their stories speak to the grief and loss of miscarriage and stillbirth and of the loneliness and isolation experienced with perinatal (post-partum) depression. They describe the mental and emotional struggles, the pain, the frustrations, and the sadness, as well as the recovery and hope gained from reaching out for help.
In the telling, their heartfelt words continue an ancient tradition of the aboriginal people - to share learning and wisdom through oral stories passed on through the generations.
"I'm very pleased to see Fraser Health develop a tool that is culturally sensitive and relevant to our aboriginal population," said Mary Polak, B.C.'s minister of healthy living and sport.
"This DVD brings hope. It will serve as a powerful vehicle to encourage Aboriginal women struggling with perinatal depression to reach out for help and ultimately improve their quality of life and that of their babies and families."
Brian Muth, Fraser Health's aboriginal community engagement coordinator and a DVD project lead (he is the former mental health Liaison for St :lo Nation Health Services), says aboriginals learn best from connections with others.
"In the aboriginal culture, learning is relational," said Muth. "It comes from listening to stories and attending gatherings. This has been the way of the aboriginal people since earliest times."
The women's compelling stories are bolstered by commentaries by a number of health professionals, including Dr. Shaila Misri, director of reproductive mental health at B.C. Women's Hospital.
The DVD also speaks to the importance of weaving mainstream medicine and practices with traditional aboriginal healing.
Depression is the leading cause of disability for women in their childbearing years. As many as one in five women in B.C. may experience depression related to pregnancy and childbirth. Research indicates perinatal depression can significantly affect the health of both mother and child, and if left untreated, can lead to chronic depression.
The public can order copies of "Aboriginal Journeys in Mental Health - Surviving the Fall" by calling 604-851-3087.
Reprinted from: MetroValley Newspaper Group
Fri 19 Sep 2008
Page: 01
Section: Surrey North Delta Leader - Lifestyles