Category: Advocacy, Policy, Public Health

While looking for information to share on this blog, I came across an absolutely wonderful resource for service providers who are interested in learning more about integrated care.  To be honest, I am not sure how I could have missed it!   The site is by the American Psychological Association, but this section of website focuses… Read more »

Please check out the new BC Mental Health, Substance Use, HIV & HCV Services map on our website.  Using this map you can search for services in your area, or in other areas.  Find the map by clicking the link above or by following the menus: Provincial Working Groups – Mental Health – Resources –… Read more »

Here are some tips we can all use! 1. Build Confidence Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them build on them and do the best with what you have. 2. Eat right, Keep fit A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life. 3. Make Time for Family… Read more »

A great document out of the UK, and brought to us by the Ontario HIV and Substance Use Training Program this report provides a general description of the harmful effects of various drugs, including alcohol, methamphetamines, opioids, and over-the-counter drugs, just to name a few.  The report was completed by The Centre for Public Health,… Read more »

  Take a few minutes for yourself and play some mental health games, brought to us by the National Insitute of Environmental Health Sciences out of the US.  They are not as easy as you think!

Our Mental Health Resource page has been updated!  Find exciting reading material on mental health, substance use, HIV & HCV!  All of the materials that you were thrilled to find come through your inbox can now be found in one place.  Check it out!  

While this article is out of the US, it is a great article that talks about the experiences of women living with HIV and mental health issues.  It discusses the complexities of mental health in people living with HIV, and the sometimes difficult task of diagnosing, while emphasizing the importance of taking care of your… Read more »

Mental Health workers recently met in Winnipeg to discuss mental health care in Canada.  Discussion will centre around children, but the lack of funding to mental health care services would likely have been a hot topic, as well as the “invisibility” of most mental illness.  William Ashdown, in writing for the Winnipeg Free Press, weighs… Read more »

A report conducted by our colleagues at the Northern AIDS Connection Society, located in Truro, Nova Scotia, gives insight into health concerns and perspectives of people living with HIV and service providers.  The report looks at issues such as Mental Health, Substance Use, and HCV.  This report is a very informative piece of work and… Read more »

While this report is a few years old (2008), it provides relevant information on the connection between HIV, Substance Use & Mental Health Issues and lists out priorities for action. To read the full article, please click here.

A New Year’s Challenge: What would you do this year if you weren’t afraid? By Shelley Hourston Happy New Year everyone! Despite my years of experience with abandoned New Year’s resolutions, I still enjoy the anticipation that comes with beginning a new year. I must be an eternal optimist because each January I’m hopeful that… Read more »

December 22, 2011: For those of you who have not had a chance to take a look at the new Mental Health, Substance Use, & HIV/HCV Advisory Committee (MHAC) pages on PAN for a while, please do check it out!  Recently added is a resource database for research and training.  Please feel free to send… Read more »