Renowned psychiatrist David Goldbloom named new chair of Mental Health Commission of Canada
Renowned psychiatrist David Goldbloom has been named the new chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Month: March, 2012
Peer Support Worker’s Letter Published in Victoria News
Peer Support Worker Doreen Gee had a letter to the editor published in the March 7, 2012 edition of the Victoria News. Gee’s letter appears below:
“The Victoria Leadership Awards ceremony was a momentous event. I was very honoured to be a finalist in the United Way category for my work in promoting respect and understanding towards people with mental illnesses.
“By raising the profile of mental health and the progressive work of the BC Schizophrenia Society here in Victoria, I feel that I scored a victory even though the final award went to another worthy recipient.
“I envision a community where people with mental illnesses are valued and perceived as whole people first, with all of their talents and smarts that they bring to the table. From my personal observation, people with mental illnesses are the most gifted, intelligent and intuitive people that I have ever known.
“Not only is that stigma about mental illness destructive to the people affected, it is destructive to our community. The stigma is a double-edged sword. People with mental illnesses are denied opportunities, but there is another equally disturbing outcome: employers, organizations and businesses never access a tremendous reservoir of skill and mental ability. As a community, we cannot afford to lose that wealth of pure talent.
“We all have to work hard to eradicate that stigma that robs people of proper health care and treatment and their right to contribute and be involved in our community. Equally disturbing, it robs our community of their significant gifts. In a stigma-free society, everybody wins.”
Great letter, Doreen!
Income Tax Preparation Help Available
Even if you have no income or a low income, filing a tax return is important. You may qualify for tax credits (like the quarterly GST credit) and benefits (like the Child Tax Benefit) that could result in a little more money in your pocket.
H&R Block, through their Block Builders program, offers free tax preparation for people on a low income until May 31, 2012. Contact BCSS Victoria to arrange to pick up a coupon for this offer.
A variety of places offer free tax return preparation for people on a low income. Click on the link below to see what’s available in Victoria.
Naked Bungy Event a Success
An estimated 170 jumpers, the majority of whom were first-timers, took the plunge to raise funds for BCSS Victoria on the weekend of February 25/26. WildPlay Element Park in Nanaimo hosted the sixth annual event which drew participants from across the country. One WestJet employee flew in for the event and an Ontario couple who work in the mental health field planned their vacation to include the event. Weather on the weekend added a challenge to the courageous participants with low temperatures, cloud and brief bouts of snow and hail. Thanks to Thrifty’s, Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo, WildPlay Element Park and our fabulous volunteers.
On the Journey: Art from the Heart Coordinator Featured in Oak Bay News
Devorah Stone, coordinator of BCSS Victoria’s creative arts event On the Journey:Art from the Heart, scheduled for April 19th, has been featured in the March 13, 2012 edition of the Oak Bay News. Stone is the vice-president of the volunteer board of the Pandora Arts Collective. The Pandora Arts Collective is facing difficulties because it has no secure, on-going funding.
Genetic Risk and Stressful Early Infancy Join to Increase Risk for Schizophrenia – Bioscience Technology
Genetic Risk and Stressful Early Infancy Join to Increase Risk for SchizophreniaBioscience TechnologyWorking with genetically engineered mice and the genomes of thousands of people with schizophrenia, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they now better un…
Read more →Smoking Seen as Schizophrenia Risk Factor – PsychCentral.com
PsychCentral.comSmoking Seen as Schizophrenia Risk FactorPsychCentral.comBy Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor A novel study suggests difficulties processing auditory stimuli, genetic factors and smoking are potential risk factors for schizophrenia. Sc…
Read more →Newly Occurring Mutations Linked to Schizophrenia – PsychCentral.com
PsychCentral.comNewly Occurring Mutations Linked to SchizophreniaPsychCentral.comBy Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor De novo mutations — new mutations in the carrier, not inherited from either parent — may be responsible for causing schizophren…
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