CMHA
437 Wesley Street V9R 2T8 Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Experiencing COVID fatigue? You're not alone pal. This has been a long gauntlet of altered living and mild public alarm. We've noticed how quick our brains can turn to negative thinking around here at Mid Island CMHA and we're so lucky to have each other to keep spirits up :) Here's a great little video from the folks at Happify showcasing a simple approach to combatting negative thinking <3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XLY_XXBQWE

Tomorrow is #BellLetsTalk day! How will you participate in raising awareness around the importance of access to mental health resources and chucking the stigma around mental health to the curb?

Thanks to generous donor funding and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, GenQ has gone virtual! The program now runs on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM and is completely free of charge. Learn more & register for this free program at https://www.bgccvi.com/genqvirtual/

Information is the foundation to compassion. As a society we need to promote the idea that there are a multitude of ways for people to support their mental health and general well-being. Assuming that addressing mental health means taking medication, or that medication solves the full scope of the challenges a person with a mental health challenge is facing is harmful.

When was the last time you checked in on a student in your life? Social isolation is a drag for most of us, but for post-secondary students it is especially difficult as they spend most of their days alone on the computer.

The good pals at Kelowna's branch of CMHA are at it again! These free webinars are a wealth of wonderful information and they are free (FREE!). Check out the link below if you are looking for ways to keep busy, make the most of social distancing and want some more tools to cope with these wild times.

Mental Health is Public Health! We will always advocate for an easier, more robust and comprehensive response to mental health resources.

Understanding root systemic causes to homelessness is so important if you want to be a part of the systemic responses to end it. Not only will this help in better understanding how to participate in creating a healthier, more equitable community it will also aid in building compassion and firm up the commitment to once and for all, end homelessness.

We are so proud to be apart of this national organization. Curious to know more about our vision and the impact we've made across the country? Check out the 2020 report linked below :)

Unsure of the most polite way to help someone experiencing hunger/homelessness? Check out this lovely graphic from the good pals at Nanaimo Homeless Coalition

Safe drug supply is something we are passionate about at CMHA Mid-Island. We are so happy to host an anonymous testing service every Friday at 4:30. Spread the word, this service is available for recreational and habitual drug users alike. COVID-19 has brought many a challenge in our lives, and one area that is particularly affected is drug supply. Borders are closed for an indefinite amount of time and cutting agents are getting wilder- so be safe! Come see us to test your supply so you can have a safe experience :) No personal information is necessary to access.

Who doesn't love the comfort that some chopsticks and noodles gives?! We are so lucky for the commitment Noodlebox Canada has to creating healthy communities. On September 16th local Noodlebox locations will donate 30% of all their profits to the CMHA in their hometown. How wonderful is that! Delicious, nutritious comfort food and helping us carry out our programming all at once. What's your favourite dish to get at Noodlebox? Hint: THERE'S NO WRONG ANSWER :)

There have been 165 overdose deaths this year in the Island Health Region, and we are deeply saddened to fully acknowledge such a significant loss to our communities.

Indigenous people in Canada experience significant inequality, including in #MentalHealth. Canada must support all #BIPOC by making mental health supports accessible and culturally competent. #Racism #IndigenousMentalHealth https://bit.ly/2W2Qa4i

Chasing that balance between security/contribution and rest/enjoyment? Achieving the right work-life balance can be tricky, and sometimes we are in certain points of life where we have to prioritize work more than we like. Here's some great tips to help you find the balance, or at least practice a bit more self-care than you may already get around to :)

We are all so proud to represent a national association that prides itself on being inclusive employers, offer inclusive programming, and be a voice for equity!

While you care for your community, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Check out the self-care toolkit brought to you by #RideDontHide Wellness Partner, Medicine Shoppe Canada. #ThankYouThursday https://bit.ly/2ZzMUQh

The good homies at CMHA Kelowna are doing it again with their online web seminars. This time they are focusing on resiliency, and holy moly is that ever topical! Maybe you want to build on your resiliency and coping skills, or maybe you want to learn more about how some of your loved ones having a hard time can benefit from this information. Maybe you'll find a moment to honour resiliency you are already rocking and didn't even know!

Thriving rather than surviving that's the goal. What ways do you actively work on your mental health? And how do you turn a bad day around? Check out the link to see 16 of our tried tested and true strategies to take care of your mental health <3

The good homies at CMHA Kelowna are doing it again with their online web seminars. This time they are focusing on resiliency, and holy moly is that ever topical! Maybe you want to build on your resiliency and coping skills, or maybe you want to learn more about how some of your loved ones having a hard time can benefit from this information. Maybe you'll find a moment to honour resiliency you are already rocking and didn't even know!

Our Mission statement is mentally healthy people in a mentally healthy community. We hope the emphasis on community really stands out - it really do take a village <3

Thriving rather than surviving that's the goal. What ways do you actively work on your mental health? And how do you turn a bad day around? Check out the link to see 16 of our tried tested and true strategies to take care of your mental health <3

It is up to all of us to end racial inequity.

Committed to being a part of creating a healthier, safer future for all our communites <3 Accountability is crucial for progress.

We are super proud to be providers of supportive living on the mid-island. We hope that this helps y'all understand housing first initiatives and become housing for all advocates.

The Overdose Prevention Site saves lives. We are providing a safer way for people to use their drugs; a direct response to the opioid poisoning crisis. It’s a ...life and death situation for many people, says Kiersten Stewart, Programs Director at CMHA - Mid Island Branch. Read more: https://www.uwcnvi.ca//community-profile-overdose-preventi See more

It has been extremely distressing to see the stories involving people's deaths involving police during wellness checks. Mental illness is not a crime. Let us repeat that for full absorption - Mental illness is not a crime. Mental health, and access to it is a human right. Please read our full statement by clicking below. We are lucky enough to live in an area where we already have a mobilized, crisis trained team that any member of the public can call. Did you know about the... Community Outreach Team with Island Health? In the bizz we call it COR for short. They are a multidisciplinary team and we can tell you from firsthand experience, they are passionate about community wellness! They operate 7 days a week from 8:30am to 9:00pm and can be reached by dialing (250) 741-7645. If you are concerned about someone's well-being you can contact them to see if they are the appropriate resource. Sometimes the police are who we need in crisis situations, and we are so thankful for that. But sometimes it can be a community member with specialized training and we are also very thankful for that. Take care of each other, community is what we make it <3

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has created a toolkit designed to provide a snapshot of essential information, tools, resources and examples of promi...sing practices that can be integrated into the daily work of settlement, social, and health service providers across Canada. https://buff.ly/37TzDEu

The world is shifting and we know how difficult it can be to recognize self-care needs when you are working to defeat systemic injustices. This is a great reminder and piece of validation to take moments to recharge in order to continue the conversation for as long as it takes. We hope the current level of urgency around systemic prejudice sticks around for the long haul! big thanks to FeministSexEd for this resource, you can locate their page on Instagram for more resources if you are interested

It's such an incredible time to create the safe communities we value. It is exciting to push for our ideals to become reality. A just and healthy society.

Lets rally to get as much support for this in the next 24 hours as possible! Homelessness affects every corner of our country and WE have the power to change that. 2020 has shown us time and time again that when we band together united amazing things can happen. Just a couple of minutes and a few clicks and you can add your voice to say that you believe in shelter equity.