Every December I find myself reflecting on the year that is soon to be completed and take some time to ponder the last 11 months. When things are very busy it is so easy to get caught up in the hectic pace and forget about the "whys". This year was not unlike the last few and just as before, the last few months flew by and here we are counting how many new calendars we will need to do it all over again. One of the perks of working in mental health is that in between the meetings and planning sessions there are the phone calls and e-mail messages with real people making inquiries about how anxiety is becoming a problem for them or a friend or family member. These are the moments that make it all very real and the opportunities to give some reassurance that anxiety is manageable with evidence based treatment options. Sometimes I share a little of my story and let them know about the self help materials on our website; sometimes I will make them aware of the treatment options available.
I want to also share a bit about the new materials that our hard-working Director of Programs and consultants have been working on as well as our website team for this year. We have been working on a website update project as well as a couple completely new sections. The major addition will be a creative and user friendly youth section geared towards 9-17 year olds. We will also be adding a perinatal section to the site.
Keep posted to the "What's New" section for updates on when the new sections will be "live".
I would like to also thank all of the people who have taken the time to provide us with feedback and testimonials. As always, we really want to know what you think and to also help us identify gaps that we can hopefully respond to. I look forward to another exiting year and I will also remember to smell the roses.
Regards,
Arto Tienaho
Executive Director
I was asked by one of my colleagues to write a short article for the winter newsletter about having the opportunity to meet Michael Schratter, and in fact ride with him on what was the last leg of his epic 6 continent, 33 country, and 40,000 kilometer bike tour to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around mental illness. He was sponsored by the Canadian mental health associations BC division and the money he raised on his journey will go directly to programs. He rode the equivalent distance of circumnavigating the earth. He mentioned that he had to change some of the plans around the original route as he was running out of kilometers and wanting to access as many countries as he could.