FSI Calendar for Connection!

Looking for something socially-distanced and safe to do? Check out the Family Support Institute’s Calendar for Connection here!

Here’s how they say it works:

Looking for ways to meet new people and stay socially connected? This calendar was created to help people with diverse abilities know about different fun and inclusive opportunities to connect with others during COVID-19.

Double click on any event to view more details or click the button below to check out events and activities happening all over BC. We are always looking for new events to share on our calendar! If you would like to add an event to our calendar, please contact: fsi@fsibc.com.

Family Support Institute CALENDAR FOR CONNECTION

Mental health and support networks…

The Government of Canada has recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many of us. Stress and anxiety can be worse for those who do not have access to their regular support networks.

Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of any age across Canada can access immediate:

  • Mental Health and Substance use support.
  • Free and confidential resources.
  • 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

See the full list of supports available here.

SOBC “Women in Sport” event!

Special Olympics BC (SOBC) is hosting a virtual forum called “Women in Sport” on May 31, with four featured speakers:

  • Amanda Jones, UBC’s only full-time female strength and conditioning coach, will discuss Physical Activity.
  • Lois McNary, Special Olympics BC’s Vice President, Sport, and member of the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame, will discuss Leadership.
  • Kimberly Rutledge, psychology and biology student at UBC Okanagan, advocate for mental wellness, science, and inclusion, and the sister of SOBC–Kelowna athlete Kassidy, will discuss Sexual Health.
  • Shelbi Snodgrass, counselling psychology master’s student and mental performance consultant, will discuss Mental Wellness.

Find more information, including the link to register, here.

Mental Health Week

Hey everyone, we are marking the end of 2021’s Mental Health Week with this post of resources we found through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA):

As well as other articles published for Mental Health Week, and more resources gathered together by CLBC.

Wellness Together Canada also offers resources tailored to coping with COVID-19. You can find more on their webpage here.

There is also a YouTube version of the Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities virtual course for families and caregivers called “Mental Health for Adults with Developmental Disabilities during COVID-19.” You can find that series of videos here.

BE PREPARED: Make a Plan!

As part of our Emergency Preparedness Week series, we are focusing today on making an EMERGENCY PLAN — that means have a plan on what you will do right away when an emergency happens.

There is a list of details to think about on the GetPrepared website, and this is a great place to start making your plan. It’s also important to think about any accessibility or disability related needs.

There is a video here you can watch that will help you with your planning – check it out!

GetPrepared.gc.ca

BE PREPARED: Build a kit!

As part of our Emergency Preparedness Week series, we are focusing today on building an EMERGENCY KIT — that means the supplies you might need right away to respond to an emergency.

There is a list of emergency kit items on the GetPrepared website, and this is a great place to start building your kit. It’s also important to think about details like: how you will access your supplies, if you will need to transport them, and how you will store them so you can find them easily.

There is a video here you can watch that will help you with your planning – check it out!

GetPrepared.gc.ca

Emergency Preparedness Week!

It’s Emergency Preparedness Week from May 2 -8 this year, and the theme is Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything. The idea is to support Canadians to get better prepared for the range of emergencies that they could face in their region.

You can join the online social media challenge for a chance to win an emergency preparedness kit: share a tip or picture showing how you’re helping to make you and your family better prepared to cope during an emergency, and use the hashtag #ReadyforAnything. Here are some ideas: making an emergency kit with items found around your home, creating a family emergency plan, or becoming more informed about the hazards in your area.

There is more information about the social media challenge and about emergency preparedness here. You can check out some more resources to be better prepared:

Accessibility