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Beaucoup d’action à la Fondation des maladies mentales! Lisez nos communiqués concernant notre campagne de financement, notre dernier événement ou nos programmes.
21st edition of the Mental Illness Foundation's Annual Golf Tournament: over $250,000 raised!
Going full swing for the benefit of the Partners for Life program
From left to right: Jacques A. Lalonde (member of the organising committee), Hugo Lachance (member of the organising committee), Réal Bellemare (member of the organising committee), Jean-Luc Taschereau (President of the Mental Illness Foundation), Donald Bastien (Chairman of the organising committee and Senior Vice-President and General Manager of CTV-Montreal), Joseph Iannicelli (Honorary co-president of the tournament and President and Chief Executive Officer of The Standard Life Assurance Company), Carlos Carreiro (Honorary co-president of the tournament representative for François Côté and Senior Vice-President, Client services and Operations, TELUS Quebec and TELUS Health and Financial Solutions), Wilfrid Hénault (member of the organising committee), Yvon Lafrenière (member of the organising committee) and Dr. Martin Tremblay (Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mental Illness Foundation and co-director of the Clinique Expertise Neurosciences).
Mental Illness Foundation: to take action and be attentive to a loved one contribute to prevent depression
MONTREAL, QC, May 1, 2011—As part of the 60th National Mental Health Week, which runs from May 1 to 7, 2011, the Mental Illness Foundation invites Quebecers to take action and be attentive to loved ones coping with a mental illness and underlines that the search for good mental health is one of the protective factors in preventing mental illness. The Foundation also takes this opportunity to express its support towards the Canadian Mental Health Association, which organizes the Week, and towards its Quebec campaign “Merci de me faire confiance, ça me donne des ailes!”
This week, the Foundation wishes to inform the public, in particular youth, adults and seniors, on ways to maintain and improve their mental health as well as to increase the sense of trust and solidarity amongst people coping with a mental illness.
How to Break the Isolation?
· Find the right moment and location to talk to someone.
· Choose the right person and tell them about behaviours or changes that concern you, for example if you often cry, if you’re isolating yourself, if your alcohol consumption has increased, etc.
· Seek help from a health professional (doctor, nurse, psychologist, etc.) if:
o You don’t recognize yourself anymore or if others don’t recognize you anymore;
o You can’t find motivation to live;
o You cry at nothing;
o You have lost all interest in activities you used to love;
o You are not able to function normally;
o Your concerns are persistent, intense and won’t disappear with time;
o You can’t sleep well anymore;
o You feel an extreme fatigue;
o You’re isolating yourself more and more.
· Do you need help in finding the right resource? Thanks to its referral service, the Mental Illness Foundation can recommend resources to provide help and support anywhere in Quebec:
- Website: http://www.fondationdesmaladiesmentales.org/en/
- Phone: 1-888-529-5354 extension 222
- Email: ressources@fondationdesmaladiesmentales.org
· Aside from the Mental Illness Foundation, you can reach your local CLSC or the Ordre des psychologues du Québec.
Website: www.ordrepsy.qc.ca
Phone: 514-738-1881
What to do in an emergency
· In a crisis when the individual cannot wait more than a few minutes: dial 911. With the help of regional centres for suicide prevention (centres de prévention du suicide) under the Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (AQPS), the situation will be analysed on the spot and help will be dispatched.
· In case of a suicide emergency, the following resources are available:
o Call the free suicide prevention hotline at 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
o Dial 811 to obtain the phone numbers for various crises centres;
o Attend CLSCs, which offer psychosocial services;
o Crisis referral centres, which can even offer accommodation.
· For a person in distress but who can wait 48-72 hours: the family can request an order for a psychiatric evaluation with the help of a CLSC. The person in question will consequently receive an evaluation from a psychiatrist.
About the Mental Illness Foundation
Founded in 1980 by Dr. Yves Lamontagne, the Mental Illness Foundation's mission is to prevent mental illness in order to reduce the suffering of afflicted people and their loved ones by mobilizing individuals and society as a whole. For more information on the Foundation, mental illness and available resources, please visit the Foundation's website at www.mentalillnessfoundation.org.
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INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY
During the National Mental Health Week, these mental health specialists are available to media to discuss various subjects:
· Dr. Martin Tremblay, psychiatrist, co-director at Expertise Neurosciences, as well as Chair of the Mental Ilnness Foundation’s Board of Directors;
· Dr. Stéphane Kunicki, psychiatrist and co-director of Clinique TDAH de Montréal;
· Dr. Karine Igartua, psychiatrist and medical co-director of McGill University Sexual Identity Centre.
Information/interviews:
Sophie Côté Laplante
Cellular: 514-220-1082
scotelaplante@national.ca
16th Prestige Wine Tasting - Great chefs and business world turn out in force to raise $200,000 for youth
The 16th edition of the Mental Illness Foundation’s Prestige Wine-Tasting event, presented on April 13 at the Montreal Science Centre, was an unqualified success. More than 375 guests from the business world and the healthcare network took part in the benefit event, helping to raise more than $200,000 for the Partners for Life program. Since 1998, the program’s team of field facilitators has visited more than 630 schools across Quebec, meeting with 700,000 students, 8,000 parents and 22,000 care providers to raise awareness about depression, prevent suicide and encourage young people to stay in school.
We're touched and pleased that so many business people turned out to support our youth awareness program. With these funds, our activity leaders will be able to reach even more young people, parents and care providers in the schools over the next year," explained Jean-Luc Taschereau, president, Mental Illness Foundation.
Click here for the official release and pictures of the event.