families matter effective solutions to support families in mental health & addictions services...
TRANSCRIPT
Families Matter Effective Solutions to Support Families in Mental Health & Addictions Services
Leanne Needham MSW, RSW, BMT - Mood Disorders Association Ontario
Gillian Gray MSW, RSW - Family Outreach & Response Program
Candice Hamilton-Miller RP, MSc – Schizophrenia Society of Ontario
Mood Disorders Association Ontario
Focuses on promoting recovery of mood disorders for individuals and families
Provides peer support groups across the province
Provides onsite, telephone and web-based counseling with social workers or peer-support workers in Toronto for individuals and families affected by mood disorders and psychosis
Provides innovative and evidence-based recovery programs such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning and Laughing Like Crazy, as well as facilitator training in WRAP
Family Outreach & Response
Recovery oriented family mental health supports
Early Psychosis Intervention Family Support
St. Joseph’s Health Centre Family Navigators
DBT-informed family support
Tamil family program (Scarborough)
All staff have either personal or family lived experience
Partnerships – CMHA Toronto, Fred Victor (formerly CRCT), St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Central Toronto Youth Services
In home support
Schizophrenia Society of Ontario Various Family Focused Services:
Ask the Expert
Strengthening Families Together (SFT)
Youth Initiatives
Education, engagement and empowerment
Peer Mentoring Programs
EIP program support (Phoenix, Lynx, Royal Ottawa Hospt, Humber Regional Hosp.)
Partnerships in Local hospitals, and Mental Health Agencies (St. Joes, CMHA, etc).
Research and Advocacy
No waitlists for information, supportive counselling and resources.
Objectives
At the end of this workshop you will:
Be familiar with the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Caregiver Guidelines
Better understand the needs of families and the important role they can play in their relative’s recovery
Identify challenges and successes to supporting families in your organizations
Be familiar with tools and tips to support families
Why don’t we have a family-focused approach in the mental health system? Confidentiality
Boundaries
Lack of knowledge about working with families
Minimal or no contact with families
Assumption that families will seek out or have sought out
help/support/education on their own
Time consuming
Why do families need support?
Guilt and sense of responsibility for loved one’s distress
Taking on caregiving role
Intrusions into the family life space, stress on relationships
Frustration, isolation, low mood, anxiety
Stigma and discrimination (both internal and external)
Neglecting own well being and self care
Lack of support options
Navigating complex mental health system
Why involve and support families?
Benefit to person living with mental health issue, family, health and social service sector
Families can help create an atmosphere or hope in which growth and change are possible
Recovery research shows that a supportive family can be a major attribute in the recovery process
Families require support, information and skills
Families themselves are at risk of having serious physical and mental health problems
What are the Family Caregiver Guidelines?
Printed in 2013 by the Mental Health Commission of Canada
Aim to advise system planners, policy makers and mental health managers in planning, implementing and evaluating a family friendly system of care
www.mentalhealthcommission.ca
Search National Caregiver Guidelines
Components
Values and Principles to care
41 Recommendations
Pyramid
MHCC Pyramid of Family Care Framework
Family Therapy
Consultation
Psychoeducation
General Education
Connecting and Assessment
Barriers to Providing Family Care
Group Brainstorm
MDAO/FOR/SSO Family Survey
N= 58 (MDAO – 21, FOR – 37, SSO - 23)
Distributed to families who are current service users
Assisted us in profiling who we are serving and what they need from the system
Findings
Yes76%
No24%
Is your relative currently receiving mental health support?
Series1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
What type of mental health support is your re-lative receiving?
Psychiatrist Counsellor Case Manager Family Doctor Other
Series102468
1012141618
If your relative is not receiving support, why not?
Currently on wait list Not eligible for appropriate supports
Lack of financial resources for non-OHIP services Not interested in support
Unable to find support that works for them
Challenges faced by families
Medication, agreement to treatment/support
Self-care for family member
Access to the right supports for both relative & family
Deficit focused services/supports, feeling hopeless/helpless
Learning how to be supportive and how to cope
Confidentiality issues
Loved one’s lack of awareness or acceptance of mental health issue
What have families found helpful?
Support from Family Support Organizations
Interactions with providers who are respectful & caring
Availability of support in the community
Getting the right support at right time & place (at discharge, in crisis)
Coordination of services between different programs
Providers in system offering education to families (psychiatrists, case
managers etc.)
Case Study
Recommendations
Medication/Agreement to Support (level 1-3)
Educating families on treatment options and side effects
Educating on communication strategies such as LEAP & MI
Self-care (level 1-5)
Recognizing signs of caregiver burnout
Emphasizing self-care for sustainability
Are there gaps in services for families that would improve well-being, eg. housing support, financial support, culturally appropriate support
Connecting families to resources such as counseling, peer support groups, mindfulness programs, etc.
Access to Right Supports (level 1-5)
Providing families with information about community/hospital supports, family support programs
Following up to ensure they were connected with the intended supports (warm transfers)
Create resource lists that can be provided to families and clients i.e.. Crisis lines, CMH agencies, peer support etc.
Developing partnerships
Instilling Hope (level 1-5)
Provide recovery oriented services/information
Be aware of programs in the community that support recovery and offer recovery tools, for example - WRAP
Consider the language you use. Would it make you feel hopeful about your own loved one?
Work with strengths not deficits
Strategies for Coping and Supporting (level 2-3)
Developing psycho-ed programs such as Strengthening Families, NAMI, or referring out
Have resources such as book ideas available, refer to resource list for families
Lack of Awareness/Acceptance (level 1-5)
Provide psychoeducation
Listening to family, validating frustration
Involve families in assessment
Other tips
Setting clear expectations and boundaries with families regarding your role and referring out to fill the gap
Other ideas?
Confidentiality
How to have a conversation about consent
Pros and cons of involving family
Don’t assume that a client does not want family involved
Conditions around consent
Thank you!
For more information visit:
www.familymentalhealthrecovery.org
www.mooddisorders.ca
www.schizophrenia.on.ca