AnxietyBC Strides - Summer 2011 issue: Are You Worried?
A new direction for Strides
This issue of Strides marks the start of a new direction for the e-news letter. In the last issue we announced the departure of Dr. Ron Norton, as editor, who was instrumental in organizing a series of articles written by foremost psychologists and psychiatrist, describing factors, such as personality, genetics, and learning, that increase the likelihood that a person will develop an anxiety disorder.
To fill the gap, while we develop a new direction for Strides, we will be reissuing stories and articles from previously published issues. Right now these articles do not show up in web site searches - by republishing them they will. This will reintroduce many fine articles and stories by consumers, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists that were written for the news letter over the years. I hope you will enjoy them.
Annual General Meeting: report
At the AnxietyBC Annual Meeting held on June 14, 2011, the attendees were informed of the many positive accomplishments during the 2010/2011 operating year. It was reported that in continuing to advance the goal of providing self-help materials on all the anxiety disorders, a third DVD has been finished, dealing with OCD in children. This DVD will be distributed throughout the province and also will be screened for the public at various locations in the weeks and months to come (watch for further information on www.anxietybc.com)
Many opportunities were available in the past year to increase awareness of anxiety, and AnxietyBC took advantage of these opportunities whenever possible, participating in the Open Minds Conference, the Summer Institute, and the Beyond the Blues Anxiety and Depression Screening Day. AnxietyBC played a key role at the University of Victoria Campus Project, participating in a 3 hour "webinar" broadcast to six other colleges and universities from northern BC to the east Kootenays. AnxietyBC was asked to appear at various community events, such as health fairs, and we were happy to speak to various support groups about anxiety issues.
AnxietyBC was proud to partner with Interior Health (of British Columbia) on an anxiety awareness outreach campaign which saw 30 literacy outreach coordinators visit 30 elementary schools in the Okanagan with materials on anxiety. We will be actively seeking such partnerships in future to help us widen our reach, with the goal of increasing awareness and promoting education.
At the Annual Meeting the Board acknowledged the retirement of two Board members, Dr. Adrienne Wang and President Shelly Jones, and elected Dr. Ekin Blackwell. The incoming Board looks forward to the 2011/2012 operating year and extends its appreciation to the staff and volunteers of AnxietyBC for their tireless work and dedication.
