Poem in SWG anthology

    APART apart – a year of pandemic poetry and prose Edited by:Courtney Bates-Hardy and Dave Margoshes Published by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild (2021) My poem  in this anthology.  “Post Pandemic Plans” begins “I do not want to go back to normal.” To order apart from Saskatchewan Writers Guild, visit  https://skwriter.com/programs-and-services/publications/other-publications/apart

Camp Outlook

Camp Outlook by Jayne Melville Whyte  Edited from my grade XI assignment, “What did you do on your summer holiday?” “Good morning!”  I called as I jumped from the top bunk feeling happy and rested.  I opened the door to let the sunshine in. “And just what is it good for?” muttered the voice from […]

Framework for Support: A Retrospective 1984-2004

From 1984 to 2004, the Canadian Mental Health Association, National, Divisions, and Branches modeled and advocated a person-centred Framework of Support model for consumer/survivor empowerment and community resource development.  This Retrospective summarizes the various documents and initiatives of this project.  As CMHA celebrates its 100th year, Retrospective  encourage a fresh look at hearing the voices of people who […]

A Transition Time in CMHA Sask – 1962

Irwin Kahan was a social worker who served as an Executive Director of CMHA and then of the Schizophrenia Society in Saskatchewan. This “fragment”  illustrates the complex relationship among politicians, professionals, research, and the Canadian Mental Health Association (Saskatchewan), a community-based organization.  This “fragment” illustrates a transition time in mental health philosophy and practice. In the […]

Breathe and P

I have not established a routine for posting regularly on my website.  I could beat myself up.   Recently I’ve been listening to a webinar series for writers.  One of the guests interviewed is a creative author and mentor who goes by the name SARK.  She gave these words of wisdom, “The only thing you […]

Mental Health Morsels

Books, articles and archives reveal bits of information that illustrate the development of the mental health (non) system we have now, the things we’ve lost and gained.  My particular interest is the development of the consumer/survivor movements – the ways that people who live with mental illness – have lost and found their voices and […]

A Difference Maker for Mental Health

In 2017, I was chosen as one of the 150 Difference Makers for Mental Health in Canada. [You may need to hit the X in the upper right hand corner to see the post.] The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health received more than 3,700 nominations from across the country.  So it was a surprise […]

Mad Society of Canada

The Mad Society of Canada a Community of Practice bringing together people who want to share the voices and actions of people with lived experience of mental distress.  We choose to call ourselves psychiatric survivors (although other people choose to say consumer, client, patient, ex-patient) and citizens. The mental health system focuses on medical and pharmacological […]