St. John Ambulance Durham Branch
64 Colborne Street East L1G 1L9 Oshawa, ON, Canada

By age 40, The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario estimates that 50% of Canadians will have experienced some form of #mentalillness. Support them on #BellLetsTalk Day by starting the conversation about #mentalhealth with these tips!

Just in time for #BellLetsTalk: St. John Ambulance integrates mental health awareness into its first aid courses.

#LetsTalk about ALGEE (the acronym, not the aquatic plant). ALGEE is a mnemonic device for Mental Health First Aid’s five-step action plan. Like the "ABCs" that help you remember to assess a persons’s airway/breathing/circulation during CPR, ALGEE can help you remember the steps to take when talking about mental health with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. St. John Ambulance Durham is hosting its next Mental Health First Aid course January 30 and 31, 2019. $150. To register, visit www.sja.ca or call (905) 434-7800

#LetsTalk about mental health and social media. Staying connected is great! However, numerous studies show that spending extended periods of time on social media is associated with increased feelings of dissatisfaction, depression and anxiety. Here are five tips for healthy online socialization:... 1. Connect regularly with friends and family in real life. 2. Set time limits on social media use. 3. Don't compare yourself to others online. 4. Don't use social media to seek validation, to settle scores, or to distract you from problems in your real life. 5. Create "social media-less" times before bed, during meals, and when spending time with others.

#Letstalk about the effectiveness of mental health "awareness" campaigns. "It does no good to raise awareness if you have an underfunded mobile crisis team that only has the capacity to go out on calls for 12 hours a day, or if patients wait months for assessment, or if you can’t provide stable, supportive housing for those who need it so they can recover and carry on with happy and productive lives."

#LetsTalk about mental health and social media. Staying connected is great! However, numerous studies show that spending extended periods of time on social media is associated with increased feelings of dissatisfaction, depression and anxiety. Here are five tips for healthy online socialization:... 1. Connect regularly with friends and family in real life. 2. Set time limits on social media use. 3. Don't compare yourself to others online. 4. Don't use social media to seek validation, to settle scores, or to distract you from problems in your real life. 5. Create "social media-less" times before bed, during meals, and when spending time with others.

Does your workplace have an Automated External Defibrillator? A defibrillator can reverse the effects of sudden cardiac arrest. Timing is critical - if your heart stops, your chance of survival drops by between seven and ten per cent, per minute. Contact us today to #LearnCPR and buy a defibrillator. #SavingLives www.sja.ca (905) 434-7800.

Know the risks of tobacco use and second-hand smoke. Thanks to the Durham Region Health Department for the awesome infographic!

#6: Get trained in mental health first aid! Mental Health First Aid is a two-day course developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Practical, evidence-based and collaborative, this course will train you to recognize the signs and symptoms or various mental health conditions, and provide appropriate intervention and support. St. John Ambulance Durham is hosting its next MHFA course on January 30 and 31, 2019. $150. To register, visit www.sja.ca or call (905) 434-7800.

Be careful out there, folks. In cold temperatures, skin that isn't properly covered or protected can freeze quickly.

Does your workplace have staff trained to identify and assist co-workers struggling with mental health challenges? If not, consider taking the first step: education. Mental Health First Aid is a two-day course developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Practical, evidence-based and collaborative, this course will train you to recognize the signs and symptoms or various mental health conditions, and provide appropriate intervention and support.... St. John Ambulance Durham is hosting its next MHFA course on January 30 and 31, 2019. $150. To register, visit www.sja.ca or call (905) 434-7800.

Do you know how to respond when Fido is injured or sick? Join us Saturday, January 19 for Pet First Aid, an introductory lifesaving course for cat and dog owners. ($120) To register, call (905) 434-7800 or visit www.sja.ca

Our therapy dog program volunteers were recipients of the 2019 Mayor's Honour Roll for the Township of Scugog. Congratulations, folks! You're front page news!

Leaders of the pack!

Today's #AdventCalendarKindness: Wrap up the holiday season with Hearth Place at the Oshawa Centre. Hearth Place is a support centre in Oshawa where cancer patients and their families can find resources, and discover new ways to care for themselves and each other. Hearth Place needs volunteers to help staff their gift wrapping station at the OC (see below). If you have some spare time and nimble fingers, give them a shout!

Just a quick reminder of our Holiday office hours: Monday, December 24: 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 25 - Tuesday, January 1: CLOSED Wednesday, January 2: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.... Classes will run as scheduled during the holidays in Oshawa and Ajax. Staff will be periodically checking phone messages and email. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Today's #AdventCalendarKindness: Take a candy-coated tour of Bakersville at the Scugog Memorial Public Library. Every year, the community of Port Perry Ontario creates a magical gingerbread village for the holidays. This year's Bakersville includes over 80 buildings, miniature villagers, moving snowboarders, skaters and a train. The village is open during regular library hours, and admission is FREE! Runs through to Wednesday, January 2nd.

Today's #AdventCalendarKindness: Cross off some items on Durham Outlook - operating St. Vincent Pallotti's Kitchen's wish list. Durham Outlook operates the region's only 365-day-a-year soup kitchen, located in downtown Oshawa. Consider donating some of the items listed below to help those in need. P.S.: Durham Outlook is also fundraising to construct a new building. Visit https://durhamoutlook.com to learn more!

Today's #AdventCalendarKindness: Give the gift of comfort to a hospital patient. The Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation is accepting donations of blankets, to be distributed to patients on Christmas Day. Contact [email protected] to arrange delivery or pickup.

Today's #AdventCalendarKindness: Help the hungry in our community with Feed the Need in Durham. As the food hub for Durham Region, Feed the Need supports 62 member agencies, including food banks, shelters and soup kitchens, with a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Oshawa and a fleet of trucks that are used to collect and distribute food. You can help by donating time, food or money. To learn more, visit https://feedtheneedindurham.ca