St. Joseph's Care Group is thankful to a number of community mental health organizations for their valuable input and support for the 'with an OPEN mind' project.

By joining with our project partners on this initiative, we offer a more powerful message about mental illness and recovery for people in our region. In the end, we all hope to improve the sense of acceptance, purpose, and freedom for people with a mental illness in our communities.

Thank you to our Ideas/Working Group for creating, researching, and developing the information and concepts for this anti-stigma project. It was their dedication to raising awareness about mental health and mental illness that helps reduce the myths, misconecptions and fear in our communities. They are what makes 'with an OPEN mind' so successful.

Please take the time to visit our partners' websites for more information.

Contributing Partners

As a nation-wide, voluntary organization, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Thunder Bay Branch promotes the mental health of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness.

Our Vision Is Mentally Healthy People In A Healthy Society.

The Canadian Mental Health Association - Thunder Bay Branch is dedicated to enhancing, maintaining, and promoting the mental well-being of individuals, families and communities. We strive for excellence in helping people challenged by mental illness to live to their fullest potential through consumer involvement, public education, social change and advocacy, rehabilitation and support services.

http://www.cmha-tb.on.ca

People Advocating for Change through Empowerment (PACE) Inc. is a consumer/survivor driven organization striving to effect changes in the mental health system and enhance the quality of life for people with a mental illness and their families. Being a member of PACE will give you:

• Workshops and seminars
• Newsletter
• Committee involvement
• Support and self help
• Volunteer opportunities
• General membership meetings
• Focus groups and panels
• Recreation

Use of drop in facilities including computer room with internet access, movie and book library, daily newspapers, and laundry facilities

Remember, PACE – Thunder Bay is consumer run and directed through its membership. Your concerns and interests as a consumer/survivor can help to shape the future!

http://www.pace-tbay.net

Supporting Partners

Alpha Court is a non-profit community mental health organization. The agency is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors representative of the community we serve. Since it’s establishment in 1987, Alpha Court has provided services specifically for people with serious mental illnesses. Over time, the agency has responded to the challenges and opportunities of a changing mental health field, while maintaining our commitment to excellence in service provision. Trained mental health professionals provide intensive support services through four distinctive services:

• Community Mental Health Services
• Ooshke Bemahdesewin Mental Health Program
• Homelessness Initiative Project Phase 2 (HIP 2)
• Rapid Response Outreach Services

Alpha Court has provided services specifically for people with serious mental illnesses. Over time, the agency has responded to the challenges and opportunities of a changing mental health field, while maintaining our commitment to excellence in service provision.

http://www.alphacourt.ca

Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario (BISNO) is a non-profit charitable organization which provides rehabilitation and support services within the community to individuals living with the effects of an Acquired Brain Injury. BISNO affiliates itself with other agencies and professionals in developing and providing a wide range of services in Northern Ontario.

http://www.bisno.org

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital. CAMH succeeds in transforming the lives of people affected by addiction and mental illness, by applying the latest in scientific advances, through integrated and compassionate clinical practice, health promotion, education and research. We have central facilities located in Toronto, Ontario and 26 community locations throughout the province, including Thunder Bay and Kenora.

http://www.camh.net

The Children's Centre - Thunder Bay is a children's mental health centre. We provide mental health services and support services to troubled children, adolescents and their families. We are a United Way agency. Most of our services are free. Parents or guardians, may be asked to contribute to the cost of personal needs for their children when appropriate. Parents are the primary referral source to the Centre. Doctors, community service agencies, schools, and other helping professionals refer children to our Centre with the prior knowledge of the family. Self referrals may be made by youth over the age of twelve. All referrals are made to an Intake Worker at which time they are reviewed to determine the most appropriate service to be provided.

http://www.childrenscentre.ca

Family Services Thunder Bay is a non-profit, community based agency that was established in 1967. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of community volunteers and is a agency of the United Way of Thunder Bay. Services are available to all citizens of the Thunder Bay area. F.S.T.B provides counselling, education and advocacy services for:

• Professional counselling for individuals, couples and families
• Financial and Credit Counselling
• Alcohol and other drugs assessment and counselling
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Traumatic Incident Debriefing
• Mediation and dispute resolution
• Training and workshops

http://www.fstb.net

Hope, Education, Awareness, Recovery, Understanding, Stigma

• Hear from people who have struggled with disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.
  
  
• Gain insight into how people with serious mental illnesses cope with the realities of their disorders while reclaiming productive lives.
  
  
• Ask questions from the real experts - the consumers are the ones who "have been there," and from mental health professionals who work with recovery techniques.

Download Hear Us pamphlet (219kb pdf)

Northwestern Ontario Patients' Council assists patients in a co-operative manner to encourage recovery, facilitate the connection of consumers/survivors with existing peer support groups and to develop such groups where they are absent. The Council trains and promotes effective representatives on committees and boards both within the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital site and the broader community.

NWOPC has a Board of Directors which supports the work of the council. NWOPC is staffed on a rotating basis by peer support workers, all of whom are psychiatric survivors.

Through its committees, NWOPC offers social and educational opportunities. Weekly events include computer classes, games day, arts and crafts, model classes and movie day.

The mission of acute care adult mental health services at a Schedule 1 facility is to provide intensive inpatient and outpatient care that includes: emergency services; short-term inpatient assessment; assessment, stabilization and short-term inpatient treatment; discharge planning; outpatient services; and, consultation, education, coordination and integration. Currently, mental health services consist of:

• Inpatient beds (30)
• Outpatient services and medication clinics
• Mental Health Assessment Team
• Community Mental Health Program
• Community Treatment Order Team
• Two Assertive Community Treatment Teams (289 Munro St.)
• Shared Mental Health Care Service (Fort William Clinic)

http://www.tbrhsc.net

Wesway is a local non-profit organization in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Wesway provides community-based respite care services that are personalized to meet the unique needs of each family. Wesway was incorporated in 1973 by a small group of volunteers from the Wesley and Wayside United churches. Although Wesway is no longer formally affiliated with the original church groups, our name still honours the tremendous contributions of our early volunteers.

http://www.wesway.com