The Royal Mental Health Centre

Going through a tough time? You don't have to face it alone. 💙 It's okay to ask for support. Your well-being matters and help is available. https://lnkd.in/e9PaYaca Also, if you are experiencing an emergency, please go to the emergency department or call 911.

📝 Journaling as a Wellness Tool group is a fun and interactive group for women to express themselves through journaling. ✍🏽 Over nine weeks, women will learn the benefits of writing down their thoughts and feelings. Discussion topics also include: making connections; emotional vocabulary; letter writing; lists; gratitude and intentions; self-esteem journaling; creative journaling; and evaluation. Writing assignments are given each week although sharing is optional. Participants will need paper/journal, a writing implement, emailed handouts, a Zoom account and the ability to access to the internet. ⭐ Space is limited to sixteen people. Please note, this group is held several times per year. ⏰ Wednesdays, 1–2:30 p.m. via Zoom 📆 September 18 to November 13, 2024 🎫 This session is FREE. ℹ️ To register, email KJ.Thomas@theroyal.ca or visit: https://bit.ly/37MdL1H

🧠🪥 What is "mental hygiene"? 🤔 💭 Mental hygiene refers to simple practices you can do every day to support your mental health. It’s a form of preventive maintenance that can be likened to other hygienic practices, such as brushing your teeth, showering routinely, and regularly taking part in physical activity. Through the plasticity of the brain, mental training activities can foster healthy cognitive patterns that are conducive to well-being. As such, mental health experts recommend spending at least 10 minutes a day (all at once or in shorter intervals) on mental hygiene practices such as focused deep breathing and mindfulness, gratitude exercises, journaling and others. To spread the word about mental hygiene, we decided to turn the concept into an annual public challenge for the month of March and we called it, "The Royal Mental Hygiene Challenge"! It’s easy – just pledge to incorporate 10 minutes of mental hygiene practices into your day for 31 days. Will you join us in 2025 for the challenge? 🧠Learn more about mental hygiene at https://lnkd.in/eCt_K54p. 📺 Check out our explainer video: https://lnkd.in/eGVFkvva

This week is National Patient Safety Week in Canada. Patient Safety Week is a great time to reflect on all of the steps our staff take daily to ensure we are providing a safe environment for our clients. It is also a great opportunity to highlight the processes that help us continually enhance patient safety while minimizing the risk of harm. Throughout the week, we'll be spotlighting colleagues who have demonstrated strong leadership in patient safety by reporting a variety of safety-related incidents that have helped us identify valuable and diverse opportunities for improvement. Keep an eye out to see who we will be profiling each day! 👀

✏️Perinatal journaling as a wellness tool groups are back! 🤰🏽 The Perinatal Journaling as a Wellness Tool group is a safe space for women to express themselves through the act of journaling, with emphasis on the perinatal journey. Over nine weeks, participants will learn the benefits of writing down their thoughts and feelings. Discussion topics also include: making connections; emotional vocabulary; letter writing; lists; gratitude and intentions; self-esteem journaling; creative journaling; and evaluation. Writing assignments are given each week although sharing is optional. Participants will need paper/journal, a writing implement, emailed handouts, a Zoom account, and the ability to access to the internet. ⭐ Space is limited to sixteen people. Please note this group is held several times per year. ⏰ Tuesdays, 2:30–3:30 p.m. via Zoom 📅 September 17 to November 12, 2024 🎫 This session is FREE. ℹ️ To register please email Michelle Jackson-Brown, or visit: https://bit.ly/3FWka9u

The Royal’s Geriatric Psychiatry Program works with older adults and their families to address the mental health challenges they are experiencing with aging. Working together with patients, families, and caregivers, our interdisciplinary team aims to improve our patients’ quality of life so they can reach their highest possible level of recovery. #WithResearchWeWill find ways to prevent diseases from happening in the first place, and we will find ways to use technology to improve the care we do deliver. ℹ️ Learn more about our Geriatrics Program: https://bit.ly/3tehNrH #ResearchIsCare | #ResearchAtTheRoyal | Royal Ottawa Foundation

✨ New donation brightens up the Client and Family Resource Hub 🎨 Prolific artist, longtime volunteer, and member of The Royal community, Stephen Quinlan, recently donated three large paintings as a way to give back to the organization that supported him, encouraged his art, and opened the door to his recovery. The paintings are now on display in the Client and Family Resource Hub on the first floor of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. 🖼️ Learn more about Stephen Quinlan ➡️ : https://bit.ly/3tehNrH

Calling all social workers who live in the Kingston area - we're hiring! ☎️ The Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic's Satellite Office in Kingston is hiring a social worker who can provide direct support, therapeutic interventions, education and counseling to veterans, couples and family, deliver timely and comprehensive written bio-psycho-social assessments, develop and conduct groups at the clinic and outreach locations, liaise and consult with relevant community agencies and service providers, and more. 💭 Interested? Apply today: https://bit.ly/4e2olOy

🎶 Explore the powerful connection between music and mental health at "The Impact of Participatory Music on Mental Health: Dialogue with Researchers, Community Leaders, Health Professionals and Policymakers"! 🧠 You're invited to join seasoned researchers, expert musician educators and talented musicians to discover the importance of community music programs for people with or at risk of mental illness. 🗓️ November 7, 2024 ⏰ 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. 📍 Huguette-Labelle Hall, Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa 🎹 Don't miss out on this unforgettable event. Secure your spot now! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eJm9b5cK The event is hosted by the University of Ottawa's Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, the Music and Health Research Institute and the Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR) at the Royal.

It’s been an incredible week for the Mental Health Commission of Canada team welcoming a delegation of incredible individuals from Ukraine. I was honoured to attend the reception hosted by the Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada and join the conversation the impact of war on the mental health on people living in Ukraine and the path forward to building fundamental mental health supports and services. Many thanks to the amazing MHCC team, government leaders, elected officials and partners with collective expertise who supported this initiative Embassy of Canada to Ukraine | Ambassade du Canada en Ukraine, Canadian Red Cross, CAMH, Kids Help Phone, The Hospital for Sick Children, Bell Let's Talk, The Royal Mental Health Centre, Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, World Health Organization #mhcc #mentalhealth Karina Rolland Colton Profitt Krista Benes M.A., CHE Michel Rodrigue, MBA, CPA,CMA Marion Fekete Layla Almansour Karla Thorpe