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Calendar
of Events
Monthly
Family Support
Groups in both
West Vancouver
and Squamish
January 19 -
April 6, 2010
Family-to-Family
education course
spring session
March 10, 2010
Public Education
Evening featuring
Kim and Lynn Allan
*note: this lecture
is on a special date,
two weeks later than
usual because of
the Olympic Games
March 2-
May 18, 2010
Family-to-Family
Education Course
Sea to Sky Corridor
April 28, 2010
Public Education
Evening
May 15, 2010
Circle of Strength
fundraiser
June 27, 2010
19th Annual
Walk the World for
Schizophrenia
July 1, 2010
North Shore
Canada Day
Parade
September to
December 2010
Family-to-Family
Education Course
Fall session
September 29, 2010
November 24, 2010
Public Education
Evenings
December 4, 2010
NSSS Annual
Christmas Banquet
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Families Helping Families |
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You are not alone. The North Shore
Schizophrenia Society is here to help you cope - with support, information, counselling,
education, advocacy
and fellowship.
The NSSS consists of family members and
friends of the mentally ill who know what others are going through,
and can help by sharing their experience.
At the heart
of our operation is the Family Support
Centre: suite 205, 1865 Marine Drive, West
Vancouver, open between 9:30 a.m. and
5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Please call us at
604-926-0856 to arrange an appointment.
If
you're not free during those hours, we'll meet
with you when you can make it.
Residents of
the Sea to Sky corridor can call the Centre at
the above number or contact Sue, our contact
person in Squamish, at 604-898-9372.
The Centre
provides personal support and information on
major mental illnesses - schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder, depression, anxiety disorders
and eating disorders. We also provide a wide range of programs, plus
education and information for schools and the
general public. To find out more about these
programs and our other activities, please
explore this website. |
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News and events |
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Family-to-Family Registration for Spring
Session
The spring session of
Family-to-Family, our intensive education
course for family members, runs Tuesday
evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. from January
19 to April 13 in West Vancouver and Tuesday
evenings March 2 to May 18 in Squamish. This twelve-session course
helps family members understand and support
their ill relatives while maintaining their
own well-being. The course is taught
by a team of trained volunteer family
members, who know what it's like to have a
loved one with a serious mental illness.
There is no cost to participate in the
Family-to-Family program and all family
members in the Metro Vancouver area and Sea
to Sky corridor are welcome. Read a
recent article on the course
here. See the full
curriculum
here. If
you are interested in taking the course,
please contact Marguerite
at the Family Support Centre at
604-926-0856. Spaces are still
available for the Squamish class. The
West Vancouver class is full, but it's never
too early to put your name on the wait list
- the fall session will start mid-September
2010. Family members in need of
immediate support should contact the Centre
without delay - one-on-one services are
available year-round at no charge.
NSSS Response to Trevor Lautens Column
Letter to the Editor by Herschel Hardin,
December 4, 2009.
Original article by Trevor Lautens,
November 27, 2009.
Read more articles and NSSS news in our
Media Centre.
A Festive Night!
The
NSSS Christmas banquet is a festive
tradition that just keeps growing!
Over 120 people attended this year's banquet
on Saturday, December 5 - one of the biggest
crowds we've ever had - including several
guests who made the trip all the way from
Squamish. It was a great night,
starting with musical entertainment by the
West Vancouver Adult
Pops
Band - it just wouldn't be Christmas without
them - and merry master of ceremonies
Herschel Hardin. Guests enjoyed a
delicious roast beef dinner with all the
trimmings and one person commented that it
was "the best meal he'd ever had."
After dinner, Dave Myles and Daryle Sherman
took to the stage to sing and
play,
to the delight of all in attendance.
And the night just wouldn't be complete
without a guest appearance by Santa Claus
and his assistant elf, with gifts for all
our honoured guests. Special thanks to
the volunteers who gave their time and
energy to make this year's Christmas banquet
an event to remember! Mark your
calendar for the next NSSS Christmas banquet
on December 4, 2010 - same time, same place.
Physical Health and Mental Health
It has a fancy name: Metabolic
Syndrome - weight gain, risk of heart
disease, diabetes, and more. Add
mental illness, and you have an even higher
potential for early death. Because so many
medications cause weight gain and other side
effects, the mentally ill are particularly
susceptible to the effects of metabolic
syndrome. For many, there is so much
focused on their mental health that their
physical health really doesn't get the
attention it needs and deserves. Dr.
Jane Dumontet discussed the syndrome in
detail, along with the warning signs, and
ways to help prevent problems at our
public education
evening on Wednesday, November 25 at
7:30 p.m. in the Lions Gate Hospital
auditorium. Read more in the news
release in our Media
Centre.
Email us for a copy of Dr. Dumontet's
slide presentation.
Estate Planning Workshop
Thanks
to Rose-Marie Goodwin and Eduard Fidler for
presenting an informative and interesting
workshop on estate and will planning at the
District of North Vancouver Library Capilano
Branch on Saturday, November 14.
Rose-Marie covered estate planning and
writing the will - everything from
representation agreements and guardianship
to what happens to estates when there is no
will. Eduard then explained the tax
advantages of making
charitable gifts in a will, and outlined
several strategies to make it possible to
leave a gift for charity without reducing
the bequest amount for family and friends.
The handouts from the workshop are available
at the Family Support Centre, as well as
contact information for both presenters, for
those who would like to learn more.
Click here for our
Wills and estates page.
NSSS Calls for Case Review
One year after the death of her
brother, Halina Haboosheh is speaking out
about the case in the hope that it will help
save lives. NSSS submitted a letter to
Vancouver Coastal Health Interim President
and CEO Dr. David Ostrow with a detailed
description of how the system failed Marek -
a man who was obviously very ill and in need
of treatment - and how the many attempts by
his sister to get him help were brushed off.
Read the full text of the letter, NSSS news
release, and related news stories in the
Media Centre.
Update: VCHA is in the process of setting up
a formal review of the case - check back for
more news.
Circle of Strength Video on YouTube
Even if you didn't make it to our first
big fundraiser on May 2, you can still
watch the video shown at the event,
featuring ten family members sharing their
stories.
Family Support Group
The
Family Support Group meets on the second or
third Wednesday of each month.
If you wish to attend, please call
604-926-0856 to register and confirm the
next date .
The Family Support Group provides
an opportunity for those whose loved ones
have a mental illness to share experiences
and insights with each other. For details,
see our Support
groups page.
Sea to Sky Family Support Group
For those who live in or
near Squamish or Whistler, our Sea to Sky
Family Support Group meets in Squamish
on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30
p.m.
For
more information, please call 604-898-9372. |
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If you wish to support the work of this
website or the North Shore Schizophrenia
Society's programs
generally, you can now do so online, using
the facilities of Canada Helps, the online
donations agency for non-profit groups in
Canada. It's the quick and easy way to help
us continue to offer counselling, education
and other support services.
Click here to view our page on Canada
Helps. |
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