Programs & Services > Community Action Unit > What's New at CND > Demistyfying Mental Illness Workshop
Demistifying Mental Illness
Participants at the Demsistifying Mental Illness Workshop
On March 9, 2005, at the library of Woodbine Junior High School, FSA's Community Action Unit (CAU) and a group of Iranian-Canadian social service providers organized the "Demystifying Mental Illness" workshop in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
CAU took the lead to form a working committee of service providers in the Iranian-Canadian community that would develop linkages and explore a potential collaboration with CAMH. The workshop, attended by over 50 participants — in majority front-line workers in the Iranian-Canadian community — is the first outcome of this collaboration.
The workshop had a double purpose:
- To provide information about various types
of mental illness, different treatments and referral sources and
to distribute resource materials.
This is important for front line-workers who come in contact with community members in a variety of circumstances. Service providers equipped with basic knowledge and understanding of mental illness and addiction and how to deal with such afflictions, will work better with their clients and/or refer them to appropriate services.
- To bring CAMH and the Iranian-Canadian community together and build a relationship between the two. This relationship is crucial because related services for the Iranian-Canadian community are scarce. Also, lack of awareness of mental health and addiction issues within the community prevents it from adequately and effectively addressing these issues.
Guest speakers were CAMH health professionals: Elli Munn, Project Consultant, and Caroline O’Grady, Advanced Practical Nurse. The presentations were followed by a session of questions and answers.
Elli Munn spoke about the impact of stigma and how negative stereotyping prevents individuals from seeking help. Name-calling, stereotyping language and negative images portrayed in the media result in isolating afflicted individuals and often lead to the denial of their illness.
She also referred to several research studies that identified the importance of family and social support in the recovery of patients. She concluded that in addition to clinical treatment the patients greatly benefit from family support as well as support in other areas of one's life such as housing, employment, social and cultural life.
Caroline O'Grady provided extensive information about various types of mental illness and appropriate treatments.
