Our best advice
Many family caregivers struggle with getting their loved one help for an addiction or mental illness. Some have difficulty finding local services. Others experience stigma that stops them from seeking help. This collection of articles is intended to help you tackle these problems, and overcome other barriers that caregivers commonly encounter in Ontario’s health system.
The caregiver wishlist describes the changes that family caregiver would like to see in Ontario’s health system, to better meet their diverse needs.
What families need to know if they have a loved one with a mental illness. Don’t go it alone. Don’t get into fights. Learn the mental health system and how to bend the rules. Understand it is a marathon, not a sprint.
What is mental health recovery? Find the answer in this short animation from the Scottish Recovery Network.
The caregiver role in the health system: In this TED Talk, a former patient turned patient advocate, speaks to the immense and important role of caregivers in the health system.
A remarkable recovery from mental illness: When the problem is addiction or mental illness, patients need hope. Family caregivers can help by explaining what recovery looks like and offering examples of success like Dr. Patricia Deegan, a psychologist who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager.
Improving the experience of family caregivers in the addiction and mental health system across Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry and Akwesasne, Ontario.
Project partners: