Attendance

Dr. Roxanne Still, R.Psych, Regional Consultant, Child and Youth Mental Health, Van Island Region,MCFD;
Hazel Meredith, Executive Director, BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS), Victoria, BC ;
Lynn Collette, Social Work Student, University of Victoria School of Social Work (Collette0@shaw.ca) ;
Keli Anderson, Executive Director, The FORCE Society for Kids Mental Health, North Vancouver ;
Neil Mercer, Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician, Abbotsford Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH);
Hylda Gryba, Team Leader, CYMH, Fraser Cascade;
Mark Littlefield, BCSS and Littlefield and Associates, Mission;
Sharon Von Volkingburgh, Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician, Vancouver Coastal Health;
Andrea Harstone, MSW student, UBC School of Social Work ( aharstone@shaw.ca) ;
Michael Gallo, Doctoral Student and webmaster for (www.parentalmentalillness.org) ;
Dr. Rob Lees, R.Psych, Regional Practice Analyst Mental Health Fraser Region, Associate Clincial Team Leader,
CYMH Chilliwack.

1. FORCE Proposal to Canada’s Public Health Agency; unfortunately this was not
approved for funding despite being a well prepared, thought through proposal. Keli said
the competition was quite fierce and CMHA BC was successful. The good work from
the proposal can be parceled out into the three components with our minds put to
attempting to fulfill each area separately; 1. Research Forum 2. Beardslee Training 3.
Development of a Provincial Framework.
Rob will write to the Chair(s) of a Provincial Committee that brings together the
Ministries for Health Living, Health, Education and Children and Family Development
called the Strategic Coordinating Committee to ask what’s happened since their last
meeting at which they identified Parental Mental Health and Illness as a priority item for
action. This will be sent to them through Sandy Wiens, CYMH Provincial Office.
Keli is working on a proposal for a Canada Wide Child and Youth Mental Health Day,
May 7th in conjunction with a similar group in Ontario known as “Paretns For Children’s
Mental Health”.

2. Hazel reported that BCSS is recruiting for a first offering of a psycho-educational
program for teenagers who have a parent with mental illness based on Michelle
Sherman’s book “I Am Not Alone”. She had grad students from Dr. Bonnie Leadbeater
working on this with the agency. As well, BCSS continues to sponsor Kids in Control in
the south island.

3. Roxanne spoke to the possible hope that through all the recession and changes in
governmental administrative structures that the 10 Year Mental Health Plan will still
proceed and receive support for initiatives related to families with a parent with mental
illness.

4. Mark Littlefield spoke about his work with BCSS on developing Ulysses Agreements.
His contract calls for 10 per year ( April to March) and he has completed 8 and this year,
has some on the go and is getting more calls, particularly from North Fraser.
Mark is retooling some of the templates for Ulysses Agreements and adding in a stronger
emphasis on “wellness planning”. He has forms for parents who have mental illness and
for youth clients of child and youth mental health. He is piloting his youth version with a
client at CYMH Mission.
Mark has also been developing a program which he calls Know It that works
developmentally with families to “know the mental illness of the parent” (ie understand
it). Mark sees this as a hybrid of Kids in Control and the Beardslee model.
There is an active local “Supporting Families with Parental Mental Illness” group in
Mission that involves public health, adult mental health, community services, MCFD
(CYMH and CW) two parents and a youth. The group has three goals; 1) Public
Awareness, a sort of Mental Health Literacy approach 2) Increase Awareness of
Resiliency …they are building pages on the provincial website and will have FAQ and
Resources for Parents and 3) Super Saturday club which is a partnership with the local
leisure centre and the chance to do some psycho education at the same time.
Mark reports it being an action orientated group that holds each other accountable and is
building through the use of informal “potlucks” .

5. Neil has been developing a “Supporting Families with Parental Mental Illness” group in
Abbotsford. They are at a forming stage but there is solid interest from Adult Mental
Health, School District, Community Services and Family Representatives.

6. Hylda and her colleague team leader in Child Welfare are working on building their
alliance with adult mental health and have a date for a meeting. They have received an
anonymous donation of passes to the Hope Leisure Centre which they can use to
encourage a version of super Saturday and other things. Marriane Hildebrand just
successfully completed a “Kids in Control” group in Hope this fall.

7. Rob reported on a recent encounter with Michael Weiss, now a 25 year old man who
was a youth (13) in the first “Kids in Control” group. Michael subsequently became a
young helper with Kids in Control and then did a few public speaking engagements at
conferences with Hylda Gryba. He is currently applying for studies at UFV in Social
Services. Michael was a typical young carer who now looks at his school grades, which
were passable. At this point he can see that he did well given that he missed great period
of school looking after his parents.

8. Sharon introduced Andrea, who is an MSW student working with Dr. Grant Charles and
hopes to do her thesis in the area of parental mental health and illness.
Sharon also shared the sad news that Virgina Ross, a person who has worked on this
issues since the earliest days of our initiative, is in palliative care. Virginia ran a group for
parents in Vancouver for many years and was an early pioneer of the Ulysses Agreement.
On behalf of the group, Sharon will take her a card with our best wishes and
appreciation.
Vancouver is into its’ third “Resilient Kids” group, for kids 8- 12. It is a psycho
Educational program much like Kids in Control, run by staff from Vancouver Coastal
Health.
Super Saturday Club continues with a teen group now added. They recently went to a
Vancouver Canuck Game, a highlight.

9. Australian World Conference on COPMI. Rob and Neil spoke about their time there;
the value of the connections and of learning what is happening in Australia, the
Scandinavian Countries and Holland in particular. The Australian COPMI site launched
an extensive “Workforce Training Site” that everyone should take a look through. Rob
and Neil came home inspired to organize at “Third World Conference on COPMI for
Child & Youth Mental Health Day, May, 2012 in Vancouver”. There is a Second World
Conference organized for Oslo in November, 2010. It would be great to get a couple of
people from BC to attend that conference. Rob and Neil and meeting with Dr. Charles
and Keli Anderson to continue the initial plans for the conference.
Mental Health Commission of Canada. Hazel and Keli spoke about the recent MHC in
Vancouver, the roll out of the plan based on the metaphor of the Canadian Cancer Association.
Hazel and Keli both continue to advocate that the Commission Plans not forget children and
youth and families. Hazel has sent the following website and note related to this item:
http://standinthelight.ca/category/topics/mhccLooking to build a groundswell movement. The website is being built on an ongoing
basis. There does need to be more child, youth and family representation. (Hazel)

10. Angela Guy was not on the teleconference yesterday but sends the following
update: The joint MCFD-C&YMH and VCH Adult Mental Health and Addictions project, "Children and Youth of
Parents Experiencing a Broad Range of Mental Health Challenges" from Olga O'Toole's region of North
Shore, Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound Corridor" has been extended another two months. Angela
thanks both employers for their ongoing support of both the project and the client group.
Between now and the end of February 2010, Angela Guy is finishing up some final interviews and writing
up a draft of the report. The draft report will be edited twice by the Steering Committee before being
turned over to Olga. Recommendations include (but are not limited to): Frontline staff desiring more inter-
Ministry and inter-agency collaboration; A need for education about Ulysses Agreements- what they are
and how to do them; a need for more education regarding employer policy and procedures and various
relevant legislation; Educational needs on what they are and how to do inter-agency protocols; Need for
simultaneous inter-agency and inter-Ministry educational opportunities about each others' mandates and
daily activities, etc.

Some strategies may include, but not be limited to:
- Follow-up; power point summary of the project process and findings (to be sent by email and some face-
to-face presentations
- Development and promotion of Super Saturdays for this region,
- Call for more Family Preservation and Family Support Workers, and a call for more broadly educated
clinicians so that the family can be identified and become the focus of treatment rather than promotion of
a private practice model of care
- Development of a regionally funded, community family education model such as Strengthening Families
or Hope, Meaning & Continuity (or a combination of the two)
- Monthly Bag Lunch Agency Meet and Greet activity so that there will be constant education and re-
education of relevant social services and programs
- Identification of the strong need for respite of all kinds and for more affordable housing and more
subsidy dollars
- Development of a Job Description for Liaison positions or Practice Improvement Leaders or
opportunities for 6 month to 1 year secondments so that front line workers can learn what it is and how
other frontline workers do their jobs with similar client groups

11. Website: Michael continues to be open to suggestions for improvement and will build
pages for communities that want to post activities related to supporting families with
parental mental illness. He can be contacted at MichaelGallo@videotron.ca Michael
will be commencing a pre doctoral residency in BC in August, so we look forward to
having him back.

12. Robert is back to the drawing board with plans for protocol development in Fraser Region.
It isn’t a complete start over as some players remain the same but significant
administrative changes in the health authority and MCFD have meant some early
development and briefing work is needed with new players before meetings can be
convened. Sharon reminded that Vancouver has been developing a protocol which could
be useful, particularly as the Fraser North Communities within MCFD (Burnaby, New
West, Tri Cities, Maple Ridge) are transferred to Vancouver Coastal MCFD. They will
still need to relate to Fraser Health and so their work may lead to quicker uptake in
Fraser.

NEXT MEETING Wednesday March 10, 2010 4 pm Teleconference