Mental Health Caregiver Guide
Introduction
This guide is a collaboration between Ottawa Public Health (OPH), Military Family Services (MFS), the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Ottawa and National, and the Mental Illness Caregivers Association (MICA).
This guide was created out of a need identified by a caregiver of a person living with severe mental illness and the president of the Mental Illness Caregivers Association (MICA). This caregiver reached out to Ottawa Public Health (OPH) to identify a gap in resources for caregivers of individuals living with mental illness or experiencing mental health challenges across the lifespan. OPH partnered with the national offices of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) and Military Family Services (MFS) to develop a national resource for Canadian caregivers of children, youth, adults, and older adults facing these issues.
This guide is divided into two main sections: Caring for YOU and Caring for the Individual. The guide is further divided into Child, Youth, Adult, and Older Adult sections to reflect caring for individuals across the lifespan and the responsibilities associated with caregiving.
You are encouraged to focus on the sections that are most helpful to you and the person you care for based on where you find yourselves on the journey to recovery.
This guide is intended to provide you, the caregiver, with helpful tips, tools, and information. We encourage you to “build your own toolbox” using the various Activities in this guide. These activities are designed to help you think about what you are learning in greater depth and to put some tools in place to help with your learning. Some information may seem simple or obvious, but it is a great starting point. The information is based on things you can control, and things that you can do to complement a treatment plan, promote recovery, or while waiting for services.
The information in this guide is based on information from trusted mental health providers including nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, caregivers, and individuals with lived experience. We hope this guide will be helpful.
Download for free A Guide for Caregivers of Persons Living with Mental Illness or Experiencing Mental Health Challenges
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The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery and Wellness
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention: Suicide Attempt Survivors Task Force. The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery and Wellness with insights from lived experience.
Download for free: The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery, and Wellness
The Way Forward: Pathways to hope, recovery and wellness brings insights from lived experience’ as an important tool for better serving individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts, feelings and action in the system of care.
The Way Forward was developed in 2014 by the Suicide Attempt Survivors Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. It is a comprehensive resource for policy makers, service providers and invested community members alike.
Download for free: The Way Forward: Pathways to Hope, Recovery, and Wellness
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30 Resources to Help Caregivers
Senior caregiving is time consuming, resource intensive, millions are trying to balance with everything else going on in their lives. Being the primary caregiver for an aging loved one is hard work, and a lot of caregivers are struggling with the burden without knowing where to turn for help.
Luckily, you do have options. We’ve compiled a list of 30 U.S. resources for caregivers that can help ease your burden and provide helpful information on how to handle caregiving more effectively.