Durham Mental Health Services
519 Brock Street South Whitby L1N 4K8 Durham, ON, Canada

From Healthline.com, an informative and practical article on burnout recovery: https://www.healthline.com/h/mental-health/burnout-recovery.

Flyer and calendar for DMHS' November and December Peer and Family Support Virtual Groups! Flyer - https://tinyurl.com/yxp6nh5s Calendar - https://tinyurl.com/y4n9lrso

Alzheimer Society of Durham Region Donates a Supply of Hygiene Kits to DMHS Durham Mental Health Services (DMHS) recently benefited by receiving a large donation of hygiene kits for clients from the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region (Alzheimer Durham). Alzheimer Durham applied for and received a grant from GlobalMedic to distribute individual hygiene kits. GlobalMedic is a registered Canadian charity with a mandate to save lives by providing short-term, rapid response in th...e wake of disasters and crises. They have partnered with Proctor and Gamble to make the kits, which are filled with regular-sized hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, a tooth brush, and tooth paste. Michelle Taylor, Director, Community Engagement with Alzheimer Durham says, We work with a lot of people who are isolated in a caregiving role at home. They can’t always get out of the house to go shopping, and so these kits have been really beneficial. We recognized that clients of other agencies, such as DMHS and Community Care Durham, would also benefit from the kits, and the response has been amazing. Michelle adds, Any collaboration that we can do within the community is phenomenal, because it helps us reach those individuals who are isolated and in need of support but not linked to our services. It shows the great value of and demand for the work our organizations continue to provide during this pandemic. DMHS Program Manager Mark Bouwmeester collected the donated kits. These hygiene kits made a world of difference to the individuals who received them. Some went to the homeless population we serve or to people with limited funds. The items in each kit are necessities that some people can just not afford. Thanks to everyone at the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region and to GlobalMedic for their thoughtfulness and generosity. For more information about GlobalMedic and their hygiene kit initiative, please visit https://globalmedic.ca/covid-19/.

From WebMD and Boston Children's Hospital, 7 Ways to Help Your Child Cope During COVID-19. https://www.webmd.com//children-doctor-/pediatric-pandemic

How COVID-19 Is Impacting Men's Mental Health Differently (Healthline article): https://www.healthline.com//how-covid-19-is-impacting-mens

CLIENT STORY Melanie! Melanie is a 28-year-old resident of Pickering, ON, who grew up in the GTA. A university graduate, she loves gardening, cooking, baking, and expressing herself artistically. For much of her life, Melanie has struggled with painful and difficult-to-manage emotions, with detrimental effects on her relationships and her self-esteem. In the midst of a crisis, she learned about and got connected to Durham Mental Health Services, which has helped her get to ...Continue reading

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here's a great article on gratitude meditation, including some guided practices, from PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-meditation-happin/

Aubrey Andrus was a long-time DMHS Peer Support Specialist and manager of the Peer Support program who was hugely respected by all who knew her. Earlier this year, Aubrey passed away from cancer. Last night at Ontario Peer Development Initiative's AGM, she was recognized as one of their "Peers of the Year." Her friends and colleagues at DMHS are very grateful that Aubrey's contributions to peer support and recovery and her commitment to eradicating stigma were recognized in... this way. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=375192770285407

Lakeridge Health and Durham Mental Health Services Join Together: Voluntary Integration Official Today. Press release here: https://tinyurl.com/y5ox3d4n.

New Winds Day Program Now Open and Running In-Person Groups The DMHS New Winds Day Program has re-opened and is again serving clients face-to-face! There is a small gathering of members in the morning and another in the afternoon every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In addition, there is an afternoon Chill and Chat group on Mondays and a weekly walking group on Fridays. Many precautions are in place to operate safely. The groups are held in the backyard of the day progra...m building and no members are allowed inside. Chairs are spaced two metres apart and both staff and clients wear masks the whole time. The chairs are sanitized each morning and again between each group. All members are screened for COVID and there is a lot of discussion during the groups about COVID and COVID safety. Members have responded very positively. Here are some of their comments: I feel great. I really, really missed it badly. I missed it! It’s wonderful to have somewhere to go and see some people. It’s good to chat and spend time with friends. Peer Support Specialist Lynn Moulds helps run the day program groups. I am so excited to be back, she says. It is truly wonderful to see the New Winds clients and hear their stories of how they have coped during these unsettled times. I feel blessed to be part of such an amazing, caring, supportive, positive group of individuals that I call my New Winds family!

The annual Lakeridge Health / Pinewood Centre Recovery Awareness Breakfast is going virtual this year, and everyone is welcome! Also, this year DMHS joins as an event co-host. Please find the details on the flyer attached. This is always an inspirational event.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition associated with emotional dysregulation, conflicted relationships, and risky behaviour. For the people who experience it - and for those who love them - education is a helpful and important step towards recovery. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has a terrific FREE booklet filled with information and advice here: https://www.camh.ca//guides-and-p/borderline-guide-en.pdf

Partner abuse can happen even without acts of violence. One type of psychological and emotional abuse is called "coercive control." Here is an informative and helpful article from Healthline.com on 12 signs of coercive control and how to get out. https://www.healthline.com/health/coercive-control

Excellent FREE resource - a children's activity book for Orange Shirt Day (September 30). tinyurl.com/y4j8d57g For more information and resources, visit https://www.orangeshirtday.org/.

This was a very successful initiative - proud to have been a partner on it.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Here are some ways to help (from CNN) - https://www.cnn.com//world-suicide-prevention-d/index.html