Hey everyone, there is a free webinar/workshop being offered by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) on June 2nd about the importance of practicing self-care as a caregiver – check it out and pass it on!
Managing Stress, Anxiety & Depression…
Hey everyone, here is the link to the Province of BC webpage all about Managing COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety & Depression. There are 5 strategies recommended to help people cope and support one another:
- Know the Facts
- Reach Out
- Have Calm Conversation
- Practice Self-Care
- Seek Help
The website also has great resources available and linked with each strategy. Check it out!
Mental health resources from WorkSafeBC
Hey everyone, you might have read that the Province has posted BC’s Restart Plan, and it talks about a safe re-start with WorkSafeBC. WorkSafeBC has a page dedicated to return to safe operations. On their page, they have a great list of resources geared to support mental health in the workplace:
- COVID-19 Psychological First Aid Service: Information and Signup (British Columbia Psychological Association) – Free virtual counselling provided by registered psychologists.
- COVID-19: Staying Well In Uncertain Times (Canadian Mental Health Association – B.C.) – Tips and information on how to reduce and manage anxiety in the workplace due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Managing COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety and Depression (Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions) – Tips and resources on things we can do as individuals and collectively to deal with stress and support one another during these challenging times.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak (World Health Organization) – These mental health considerations were developed by the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use as messages targeting different groups to support for mental and psychosocial well-being during COVID-19 outbreak.
- Mental Health and COVID-10 (Conference Board of Canada) – Videos on different aspects of mental health, including coping with anxiety, job loss, and dealing with isolation.
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health (COVID-19) (Public Health Agency of Canada) – Tips and resources for taking care of your mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Feel free to share with others!
BC’s Restart Plan
Hey everyone, the Province has posted BC’s Restart Plan to their website. As well as having great resources, it talks about:
- Protective measures we’ve taken in B.C. have made a difference
- The next stage of our challenge
- How we’ll keep transmission low
- How we’ll start getting people back to work (including details on “Phases 1 to 4”)
- Some next steps to make life a little easier
- How we’ll keep taking care of each other
- The little things make a big difference
You can also download the plan as a PDF. Check it out!
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Scams
Hey everyone, the Government of Canada is warning against Coronavirus (COVID-19) scams:
| As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, protect yourself and beware of associated scams. Fraudsters want to profit from consumers’ fears, uncertainties and misinformation. Turn to trusted resources and advice for health, financial and security resources. Full details can be found here |
Be aware of what information you provide, who you are providing it to, and why you need to provide it. If you aren’t sure of “the facts”, you can ask lots of questions and you can talk it over with someone you trust before you decide what to do!
Stay safe, and stay healthy.
Free online training with posAbilities: LINK! Safety, Relationships, Sexuality
Hey everyone, posAbilities is offering free Zoom-hosted online sessions called LINK! Safety, Relationships, Sexuality from June 2 to July 2.
Along with two mandatory sessions for all participants, sessions available include:
- Different Types of Touch and Trusted People
- Self-Care
- Gender and Identity
- Relationships and Decision Making
- Online Safety and Pornography
- Dating and Break-Ups
- Thinking about Sex (Determining “Readiness”, Types of Sexual Activity)
- Safer Sex (STIs and Contraception)
Check out their poster (PDF link below) for more information and details on how to register!
New BC Wildfire Service App
Hey everyone, one of our Service Coordinators (thanks, Viv!) passed along news that the BC Wildfire Service has just launched an app:
B.C. Wildfire Service Launches Official Wildfire App
The official B.C. Wildfire Service mobile app is now available, providing real-time wildfire information and an interactive map that users can customize to display a variety of fire-related data.
Key features of the mobile app include:
Interactive wildfire map
Latest news and advisories
Statistics
Fire reporting tool
The BC Wildfire Service mobile app is free to download in the App Store and Google Play.
Android: The BC Wildfire Service mobile app can be downloaded at Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.bc.gov.WildfireInformation
Apple (iOS): The BC Wildfire Service mobile app can be downloaded from the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bc-wildfire-service/id1477675008?ls=1
Full media release here.
Emergency Preparedness Week!
Hey everyone, it’s Emergency Preparedness Week from May 3-9 in the Central Okanagan!
As we are heading into fire and flood season, we thought we would share some great resources from CORD Emergency Operations including Flooding Preparedness, getting FireSmart, and information from the Province! They also have an option to sign up for their email updates.
Check it out here.
Emergency Funding
Hey everyone, in case you missed this important message from Brian about the emergency funding recently announced by CLBC:
Please see this news release from CLBC regarding the emergency fund set up for home share and residential services. Good news in that we know the additional strains that this Coronavirus response has put on Home Share Providers.
If you have a need that meets the criteria in the news release, please contact your Home Share Coordinator with the agency who will pass on the request to CLBC.
Online mental health resources
Hey everyone, there is a mental health resource available online called Huddol and in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) they are offering free counseling and coaching supports to caregivers.
Check it out, and pass it on!
