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About Us |
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The North
Shore Schizophrenia Society is a pioneering
family-support organization, providing help
for those with mentally ill relatives. We
offer personal support and information, and
are also heavily involved in education,
awareness work and advocacy, as well as
sponsoring some social events.
Our work
is based on a family peer-support model,
where core activities, in particular the
family support group, education course, and
one-on-one counselling, are provided by
trained family members – people who have
“been through the mill” and can share their
experience. Hence our slogan: Families
Helping Families.
We cover
all serious mental illnesses -
schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder,
anxiety disorders (including
obsessive-compulsive disorder), and related
conditions like borderline personality
disorder. We serve all of the North Shore
(North and West Vancouver), Bowen Island,
and the Sea to Sky Corridor (Lions Bay,
Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and points
between), but also handle calls from further
afield and provide help as best we can.
Our programs, similarly, are open to people
living beyond our primary geographic area,
if at all practical. Many participants in
our Family-to-Family education course, for
example, come from elsewhere in the Lower
Mainland. And no matter where a family
member is located – another province or
another country – if their loved one is in
our geographic area, we will assist them.
Our main
centre of operation is the Family Support
Centre, located in Ambleside in West
Vancouver. We also have contact person in
Squamish, for the Sea to Sky Corridor.
The North
Shore Schizophrenia Society is incorporated
under the B.C. Societies Act and is a
registered charity. Our mission is to
alleviate the suffering caused by
schizophrenia and other serious mental
illness.
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History of the North Shore
Schizophrenia Society
Board of directors and others
Acknowledgements:
financial donors and partners |
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History of the North Shore Schizophrenia
Society
The North Shore Schizophrenia
Society was one of the three original branches
of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society, established in 1983 by the late Dr. Norma Calder. Norma, the mother of two schizophrenic children, was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society in the province at large as well as her own branch. She was inspired by the creation in Ontario of the first self-help group in Canada for families of those suffering with schizophrenia, originally called the the Ontario Friends of Schizophrenics. BCSS’s original name, similarly, was the BC Friends of Schizophrenics.
The North Shore Branch was incorporated as a
branch society, financially independent
from the provincial society and solely
responsible for the delivery of programs and
services.
In early 2008, the membership elected to
change the name and structure of the Branch,
becoming the North Shore Schizophrenia Society,
separate from the B.C. Schizophrenia Society.
Thanks to the dedication, sheer hard work, and leadership of many family volunteers,
the North Shore Schizophrenia Society has become
well known in the community and among emergency
services on the North Shore. One of its most important achievements was the creation of the Family Support Centre in 1995, with funding from the North Shore Health Region which allowed for a full-time employee. The Family Support Centre quickly became a model for the provision of personal support to families of the seriously mentally ill and information on major mental illnesses. When the new Health Authority arbitrarily eliminated the Centre’s funding in the spring of 2002, the branch dug down deep to pay the rent and keep the Centre open, albeit with great difficulty.
In 2007, the NSSS began a new relationship with
the Health Authority and has recently received a
modest grant for program delivery.
More
recently, in the spring of 2008 we began a
support group in Squamish for residents of
the Sea to Sky Corridor, and hope to be
offering our education course,
Family-to-Family, there as well. We’ve
always had a few members in the
Squamish-Whistler-Pemberton area. The NSSS
Corridor initiative brings availability of
some key programs closer to home.
The
NSSS has created an endowment fund at the
Vancouver Foundation in order to put the operation of the Centre on a sound financial footing.
Donations to the NSSS through the Vancouver
Foundation will build on an existing fund, the Janet Morgan Fund, made possible by a significant bequest in 1993.
The North Shore Schizophrenia Society, through
some of its members, has also been active in
advocacy matters, working largely through the
provincial society and with representation on
its board. Major issues have revolved around
strengthening the BC Mental Health Act to ensure
that those suffering from serious mental illness
receive the treatment they need. Advocacy on
behalf of the seriously mentally ill and their
families remains a major interest of the
society.
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Board of directors
Marguerite
Hardin, president -
email
Judy
Towill, vice-president
Marti Sevier,
secretary
Mason Harris, member at large
Janice Lilley, member at large
Rachel Speiran, member at large
Staff
Cheryl Olney, executive director -
email
Susanna Junnikkala, administrative
assistant -
email
Family to Family teachers
Janice
Lilley
Herschel Hardin -
email
Family Support Groups
Marguerite
Hardin, North Shore facilitator
Sue Puchmayr, Sea to Sky facilitator
Telephone tree
Ida McQuilkin, coordinator |
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Past presidents
Norma Calder 1983-84
Joan Deering 1984-85
Jean Reynolds, Renée Maki 1985-87
Magda Lathioor 1987-88
Louise Harris 1988-89
Tom Scott 1989 - 1991
Hilary Randall 1991-1993
Marguerite Hardin 1993-2002
Adrienne Arinobu 2002-2003
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge with thanks the
contributions of our associates, partners and
financial donors:Financial donors
Our many individual donors
Province of
British Columbia (Direct Access grant)
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (community
grant)
District of North Vancouver (community grant)
City of North Vancouver (community grant)
District of West Vancouver (community grant)
West Vancouver Community Foundation
North Shore Community Foundation
Citizens Bank (Shared Interest Award 2007)
Lynn Valley Lions Club
Ambleside Tiddlycove Lions Club
Fraternal Order of Eagles, North Vancouver #2638
Chris Spencer Foundation
Washington Marine Group
Associates
and partners
Mood Disorders Association of BC (information
materials)
Capilano College and
School Districts #44 and
#45
(Partnership Presentations)
Lions Gate Hospital (lecture
series and meeting space)
North Shore News,
North Shore Outlook,
CBC Radio, The
Province,
Vancouver Sun and other media (event
coverage,
community event listings)
District of West Vancouver
(Community Day
Parade and
Walk the World for Schizophrenia)
City of North Vancouver;
District of North
Vancouver
(Canada Day
Parade)
Mercedes-Benz Canada
West Vancouver Adult Pops Band
Starbucks Coffee Co. (volunteer crew for
Walk the World 2008)
Mike Kelly Vintage Cars
North Shore libraries (placement of books on
mental illness and
leaflet display)
North Shore doctors, Mental Health Services, community centres,
and
service organizations on the North
Shore (leaflet display)
Many local businesses (poster display)
West Vancouver “Blue Buses” (Walk the World
publicity)
Sysco Technology (website design)
Xeropolis.net
(website hosting)
Spidex Consulting (website development)
www.westvancouver.com;
www.northvancouver.com
www.westvancouver.ca;
www.northvancouver.ca;(website
listings)
Canada Safeway #45 Ambleside (in-kind event
contribution)
Marketplace IGA Dundarave (in-kind event
contribution)
North Shore Community Resources Society
(Volunteer Day)
Park Royal
Shopping Centre (public display space)
North Shore Interagency Network
Canadian Mental Health Association, North and
West Vancouver
North Vancouver RCMP and
West Vancouver Police
Department
Charity
Village (web listing)
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