Institute for Advancements in Mental Health
95 King Street East M5C 1G4 Toronto, ON, Canada

Stress levels have increased tremendously in the past year due to the pandemic. It can be a challenge to cope with the pressure we are all feeling through this difficult time. Here are some ways you, your friends, and your family can learn how to cope: -Talk to those around you and share how you feel.... -Take care of yourself by eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep. -Go for a walk when you take a break from your work. Spend time on yourself today.

Join us for our next WXN Stand In RAW Courage webinar event - IAM x WXN: Stories of Radically Authentic Women! We’ve seen the outward journeys of women who stan...d in RAW courage but what about the inward ones? Seeing how Radically Authentic Women embrace their vulnerabilities, bounce back from difficulties and nurture their mental health can help us strengthen our own inner mental core now more than ever. We look forward to seeing you on June 3 for an in depth panel and workshop! Register for this FREE event here: https://buff.ly/3vfKyDz #WXN #StandInRAWCourage

Stache it away! Meet Vince Richard. Vince has lived with Schizophrenia for over 40 years. Despite 3 significant setbacks, Vince is a proud survivor. He continues to improve each day and is grateful for all the support he receives from those around him. In his journey to help spread awareness, Vince will be making a personal sacrifice by shaving his moustache.... There are good success stories to be told too and no one hears about these. I am one of these success stories, and I would like to be a model for others. Support Vince and his movement by donating now: www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/stache-it-away/!

We're hiring! The Institute for Advancements in Mental Health is hiring a Communications Coordinator to help us with our vision to redesign society for better mental health by creating environments that are more positive, inclusive and accepting for people living with and affected by mental illness. If you are digitally savvy, with a passion for making an impact for better mental health, we want to hear from you! Click the link in our bio to apply today.

There is so much information about COVID-19 out there, and there are so many organizations offering support for mental health, but I see few of them offering sessions for self-care as you have. I think that care providers and front-line workers are so busy thinking about others that they are rarely taking time for themselves. Being able to schedule an hour or an hour and a half for self-care in the form of a webinar is brilliant. I think there should be more of these!! Family member. At IAM, we support our patients, families, and frontline workers. Self-care sessions are provided for our participants to ensure they are taking the necessary time for themselves. Visit the link in our bio to sign up and learn more about the programs we offer.

November 16-22 marks #DigitalHealthWeek! Digital Health Week celebrates and recognizes how digital health is transforming the delivery of care across the country. IAM offers e-mental health options such as one-to-one support and a variety of virtual programming, including CBT for Psychosis (CBT-p) Informed Workshop for Family Caregiver, Strengthening Families Together as well as ongoing caregiver education sessions. Our one-to-one support program is a web and telephone suppo...rt service that assists family caregivers and people living with mental illness through telephone and online. Since the start of COVID-19, calls to IAM’s mental health support line increased by more than 353% in the first month! Our support line is staffed by a team of mental health counsellors who provide individualized supportive counselling, system navigation, and customized information and education to caregivers, individuals living with chronic mental illness, and our community as a whole. Whether you're dealing with increased stress and anxiety due to a life issue, or experiencing challenges related to a mental health or addictions issue, we're here to help. Digital health, now more than ever, will improve the quality of life for Canadians living with chronic conditions. Learn more about our virtual offerings: https://bit.ly/36EAOYg #ThinkDigitalHealth

The need for change is real, and the time is now. We are committed to effective collaboration with system partners on every aspect of the journey, from ideas to solutions, from the acceleration of a concept to eventually bringing it to the marketplace. To learn more about how we're working to drive change now, in addition to providing our daily services and programs, click the link in bio.

Sharing the story of your mental health journey can be difficult. Looking to share your feelings with someone? Our Ask the Expert Counselling line is staffed by a team of trained mental health counsellors who are ready to provide you with supportive counselling and advice on the mental health system.

Thank you to Heron Creek & Fitness for hosting yoga in support of IAM and mental health! Now more than ever we need your support. Our support line calls have increased over 600% since the pandemic started. Suicide risk, domestic abuse, depression, anxiety and substance use issues have risen greatly. Mental health issues have become a pandemic in itself. Join us this October 3 to help raise awareness and funds for mental health. If you didn’t get the chance to join the yoga event but still would like to donate, please visit our website: https://www.iamentalhealth.ca/About-Us/donate-now

We're in this, together. Too many people are having their mental health needs go unmet. At IAM, we want to make sure no Canadian goes without the care they need. Connect with us today: 1-855-449-9949 / [email protected]

Focusing on the here and now - i.e. issues that surface in day-to-day life, CBT is a targetted, time-limited approach that can help people with psychosis to examine how they make sense of what is happening around and within them, challenging unhealthy thoughts and perceptions and helping guide healthier thinking and healthier choices. Support your family member/friend think well, feel better, and make better choices while experiencing symptoms of mental illness. IAM’s new CBT-p for family caregivers workshop is now open for registration! This workshop helps those living with or caring for someone with serious mental illness such as psychosis or schizophrenia become a partner in recovery and healing. To learn more and to register, visit: http://bit.ly/CBTp-Nov

Our new CBT-p workshop is virtual! This workshop is designed for family, friends, and caregivers and will provide you with the practical skills to be a better partner in their recovery journey. Take advantage of early-bird pricing now! Register today: https://bit.ly/35b15Ne *Prices will increase on Monday, October 19. This program is facilitated by registered social workers and may be partially covered by your health care insurance. Coverage varies, so please check with your provider to determine eligibility.

Are you a caregiver providing support to someone living with schizophrenia or a psychosis related illness? Join us for our 4 session family education group. Our program covers the challenges that families face while supporting a family member living with schizophrenia or psychosis, handling stress and anxiety, practical strategies around communication, and coping with daily living including; scheduling daily activities, motivation, wellness and crisis planning, and caregiver well-being. https://www.iamentalhealth.ca//Strengthening-Families-Toge

IAM exists to bring real solutions to people who need them faster than what is possible within the existing constraints of our healthcare system. We work with existing players to create viable and scalable solutions. We work to provide solutions that can work today, and scale to solve the ever-growing challenges and limitations that affect Canadians getting access to the mental healthcare they need. We are proud of the numerous projects we have already begun to work on through our IAM Innovation Platform, and the positive implications they can have in affecting the future of mental health in Canada and beyond. To learn more about these projects like our partnerships with MOCA and the MHRC, or our physician tool kits, you can visit us here: https://www.iamentalhealth.org/projects. #IAMisHereForYou

Last chance to take advantage of early-bird registration! Prices will increase on Monday, October 19. IAM’s new virtual CBT-p workshop is for family, friends, and caregivers to learn practical skills to be a better partner in their recovery journey and to help improve their quality of life. To learn more and to register visit our website: https://www.iamentalhealth.ca//Even/2020/CBTp-November2020

Did you know that each year about 12 out every 100,000 people in Ontario will experience their first episode of psychosis? The overwhelming majority will be adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 and 35. Psychosis is a debilitating mental condition that alters how a person thinks, perceives the world and ultimately how they feel, behave and function. Psychosis may be caused by a psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It can also be cause...d by brain injury, infection or substance abuse. Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and/or bizarre behaviour. Onset generally develops slowly over several months or even years and typically occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood. Psychosis can impact all facets of a person’s life, such as career, education, relationships and employment. See more

The transformation into IAM allows us to positively impact potentially hundreds of thousands of Canadians of all ages, by developing, co-developing, and introducing new innovations and services. We invite you to stay tuned as we highlight our Mental Health Incubator, Knowledge Network, Partnership Ecosystem and Futures Lab. Learn more about what we are working on, here: iamentalhealth.ca

What is CBT? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy. It combines cognitive therapy and behavior therapy; a focus that helps people to identify and modify the thinking and behaviour that can undermine their mental health. CBT has a proven research and treatment track record for a range of conditions including: generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, psychosis and schizophrenia, and others. https://www.iamentalhealth.ca/Initiatives/CBT-for-Psychosis

Heads up, caregivers! Our new CBT-p workshop is now virtual! Help your family member/friend think well, feel better, and make better choices when experiencing symptoms of mental illness. Join our CBT for Psychosis (CBT-p) Informed Caregiver Workshop, specifically designed for families/caregivers of those experiencing psychosis. To learn more or to register, visit: https://www.iamentalhealth.ca/CBTp-November2020

We're growing! Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to support an established mental health charity? The Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAM) is looking for highly skilled frontline professionals to support us to deliver our frontline training curriculum to professionals across the province. To apply for this exciting opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter by October 21, 2020 via e-mail to [email protected] https://www.iamentalhealth.ca/Who-We-Are/Jobs See more

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. Together, let’s innovate, support, and drive change with people impacted by mental illness to redesign society for better mental health.

Meet Chris. When Chris was 23, his parents became concerned about his behaviour. His calls home became filled with delusional thoughts about people even his family conspiring against him. Fearing for his health and well-being, Chris’ parents took him to hospital. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and immediately became active in his care and recovery. As a result, he was able to quickly build a support network of family and friends to help him as he pushed for...ward in his journey towards mental health and wellness. Chris returned to school, and after obtaining his library technician diploma from Seneca College, was hired as a cataloguer at the Consumer/Survivor Information Resource Centre, working his way up to coordinator and then executive director a position he held for three years. Wanting to share his story to educate others, he became a speaker for IAM’s Speakers’ Bureau and has been sharing his story ever since. What I offer most in my presentation is hopefor recovery, for support, and for overall well-being, he says. IAM also helped me by offering a walk planning opportunity early in my recovery journey which helped with community integration.

Meet Marie. IAM has supported me along my mental health journey in more ways than one. From being a compassionate and understanding community of staff members to provide me with access to counsellors during times of need. Over the pandemic, I experienced an array of symptoms. IAM provided me with the right steps to seek support through their social workers. For more than 8 years, IAM has provided me with opportunities to share my experience living with mental illness in gro...up settings. Even though I have been advocating for mental health, these experiences reminded me of my recovery story. This, in turn, is important for someone like me. To be reminded of the steps it took to get to where I am today helps me to maintain my strength and mindset. The journey hasn’t been an easy one, but IAM has never stopped being one of the places I feel most welcome and accepted.

Meet Justin. "Stigma is a huge barrier to recovery. IAM is helping in many ways to reduce stigma. I worry a lot and have heard from friends who also have lived experience that they worry about stigma. Whenever I have an episode now I shift my goals to being safe rather than what I look like and if people will judge me and it's made a big difference in the severity of my symptoms. IAM is doing a lot through campaigns and the Speaker's Bureau to normalize mental health and I am very grateful for this organization and others doing what they can to reduce mental health stigma."