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

If the pandemic has you feeling run down, check out this helpful resource from the Mental Health Commission of Canada - A COVID-19 Self-Care & Resilience Guide. https://tinyurl.com/yyz5fkch

An upcoming workshop series on procrastination from our colleagues at Community Care Durham. Details on the flyer attached.

How to Be Happy - an informative and inspiring article from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com//how-be-happy-23-ways-be-h. The article is two years old, but the advice is timeless, and pandemic-proof.

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

Last night, at the Whitby Chamber of Commerce's Business Achievement Awards Gala, DMHS was honoured and delighted to be recognized as the winning organization in the "Non-Profit" category. Many thanks to the Chamber for this recognition and congratulations to our fellow finalists, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and Whitby Public Library! Pictured is DMHS' long-time CEO Rob Adams with the award.

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

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/.

Good suggestions for staying healthy despite challenging work.

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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.

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

DMHS has done a lot of work expanding into and building partnerships in West Durham over the past several years. We are proud then to say we've been nominated for a Business Excellence Award from the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade!

Our thoughts are with the victims of the tragic shooting in Oshawa and with all those affected. Our crisis lines are open 24/7 for anyone who could use some support.

If you could use someone to talk to, our C.A.L.L. (Crisis Access Linkage Line) staff are there for you 24 hours a day. Now offering virtual visits.

Durham Mental Health Services and Lakeridge Health join to create a more accessible regional mental health and addictions system in Durham Region. Read more: ht...tps://bit.ly/3aHbi6n Durham Radio News Oshawa This Week Global Durham Jennifer K French MPP City of Oshawa - Municipal Government Lakeridge Health Foundation See more

Great online resource - Free Courses to Maintain Physical and Mental Health During a Pandemic http://www.openculture.com//free-courses-to-maintain-menta

The Big White Wall has relaunched with a great new name - Togetherall. It still offers the same moderated online platform for discussion, education and peer support about mental health and recovery. Check it out at https://togetherall.com/en-gb/.

Our Crisis Services are open 24/7/365 to serve you. Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you could use some support. Now offering virtual visits.

That's Gerry from our Complex Care program on guitar, along with several of his neighbours who joined him for an impromptu concert today after hearing him play! Gerry requested that we share this photo to lift spirits and spread a little cheer. Neighbours and clients both appreciated this spontaneous musical performance.

Client story Tim Tim is an outgoing people person who enjoys a variety of pastimes. Born in Oshawa Hospital, he has been a resident of Durham Region all his life. An optimist, who believes that with determination things will eventually always get better, Tim has encountered challenges throughout his life, many as a result of addiction. With the help of DMHS, Tim is building a clean life and doing better than ever before. Here is his story. Throughout my adult life, I have ...struggled with serious addictions to hard drugs. My Mom always struggled economically and also with the responsibility of raising four children. I was out on my own at a very young age 12 or 13 living with extended family, or with friends of the family. I feel like I have always had to make my own way in life. For many years, I dealt with a serious addiction addiction makes you anti-social and turns you into a person you don’t want to become. The circle I ran with included many others with their own problems many of whom are no longer alive and people will do what they can in order to survive. I’m a giving person, and in this setting, my giving got taken advantage of. I had my own apartment, furnished and stocked with everything I could need, and over time I lost it all, due to people constantly stealing from me. Eventually my landlord told me I needed to leave. With the transient people in-and-out and public drug use and other problems he had to deal with, I don’t blame him. My life had become a nightmare due to addictions. In 2018, after signing an agreement to move out, I was mugged and shot. Not did I almost die as a result, I was severely immobilized, and a tough life got much tougher. I struggled in the streets for a little while, I was still coping with addiction, I knew I needed help. I had known of DMHS Crisis Services for years and had used their services. I now reached out to them again to try to turn my life around. I was admitted to a Crisis bed in early 2020 and have stayed in place during the COVID crisis. It was uplifting and motivating to be around healthy people the staff are very helpful and encouraging. In addition to this personal support, which has helped inspire me to stay away from drugs, they have also given me much practical assistance, such as getting me good new clothing, providing healthy meals and a healthy routine, and also helping me with my housing search. I recently moved out after pursuing a good healthy routine. I was up at 6am every day and living clean. I’m continuing this routine now that I’m on my own. I feel that DMHS helped me establish a strong foundation. Life is what I make of it, and right now its beautiful. I plan on continuing to live a good, clean, healthy life and I’m grateful to DMHS Crisis Services for helping me get to this good place.

Our Crisis phone lines are always open, if you could use some support. Now offering virtual visits. Details on attached flyer.

Client Story Callie Callie is a 30-year-old woman who has been building a healthy life for herself following a childhood and young adulthood during which she was trapped by abuse. Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of her abuse, Callie has also experienced bipolar disorder. DMHS has helped Callie move towards her recovery goals. Here is her story. I first encountered DMHS through their New Leaf Day Program, after hearing about it through my Mom. The i...Continue reading

Helpful resource from the Mental Health Commission of Canada - The Working Mind COVID-19 Self-Care & Resilience Guide: https://tinyurl.com/yy4uusa9.

Our Peer Support Team recently heard from a client thanking them for keeping services safely running via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. These services are so needed by so many.

Important announcement from the Durham Region Health Department - https://www.facebook.com//a.1151915485207/3427014204005103

If you are in need of some support, please don't hesitate to call DMHS Crisis Services. You needn't be "in crisis" to call. Now offering virtual visits.

CLIENT STORY - Kris Kris is 36 years old and was born and raised in Jamaica. He came to Canada at the age of 24, joining his mother, step-father and half-sister who had come here two years earlier. Kris is an animal lover who enjoys music and spending time with his family. He approaches life in a laid-back way but has also experienced clinical depression and anxiety. Here is his story. I really enjoyed growing up in Jamaica, where my father still lives. I have many good memor...Continue reading

Thank you for your leadership and support ...

DMHS Crisis Services is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support you if you need someone to talk to. Now offering virtual individual support.

The Central Lake Ontario Area of Narcotics Anonymous has gone virtual - twice daily meetings (afternoon and evening) are held via Zoom. These meetings are open to anyone who identifies as having an addiction to drugs. For all the details, please visit www.cloana.org/meetings.

Information on DMHS' Peer Support Virtual Groups - https://tinyurl.com/y8x2sehr.

Our Crisis phone lines are always open to serve you if you could use some support. Now offering virtual visits.

Excellent, timely post - "Colour Brave - Not Colour Blind" - from the Violence Prevention Coordinating Council of Durham. http://www.vpccdurham.org//22/colour-brave-not-colour-blind

Our Crisis Services staff are available 24/7/365 if you could use some support. Now offering virtual visits!

If you could use some support, our Crisis Lines are always open. Call now to speak to one of our helping staff!

MPP Jennifer French highlighted local concerns at Queen's Park, incl. support for those on assistance - short clip https://tinyurl.com/y9qrbhx6; full remarks https://tinyurl.com/yc7rw486. Our community is well-represented provincially by MPP French. #HopeIsEssential

The Life and Death COVID-19 Curve that No-One Is Talking About (Toronto Star article) - https://tinyurl.com/ycutqy4q.

Don't hesitate to reach out to the dedicated staff on our crisis lines if you could use some support. The lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

3 tips on resiliency to help you avoid remote-worker burnout https://www.fastcompany.com//3-tips-on-resiliency-to-help-

Our Crisis lines are open if you could use some support. Don't hesitate to call.

Nice words from the Deputy Minister of Health today ...

A message from DMHS CEO Rob Adams: As an organization, DMHS stands firmly in support of equitable treatment of all people. We stand against racism and discrimination in all forms. Like many, we have watched events unfolding in the United States with alarm and concern. We understand the anger at injustice that the murder of George Floyd has inspired across their country. We are not immune to racism and hatred, sadly we need to also look in the mirror and stop pretending it doe...sn’t exist in our community. To all our staff, service users and stakeholders, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to anti-racism and to stand in solidarity with those who are expressing their outrage and pain at injustice. We will continue our work ensuring equitable access to services for everyone in our community, such as our Welcome Centres in Ajax and Pickering. We must stand together to make Durham Region a supportive and inclusive home for all its residents.

Our crisis lines are open and now offer virtual visits. Don't hesitate to call if you could use some support.