CAMH staff, physicians, volunteers, learners, patients, and families, will celebrate Patient and Family Experience Week 2023, with a week of events and activities to honor the partnershipsamong patients, families, and staff working together to improve services and care at CAMH and beyond.
From group art workshops to trauma-informed yoga classes; from thought provoking conversations about caring for loved ones and changing emergency services’ responses to people in crisis to reflections on partnering with families on geriatric mental health research.
You are invited to join us and shape the conversations. Everyone is welcome, everyone’s experience has value.
Check out the Patient and Family Experience Week schedule below, and scroll down for more information about specific events.
Event Details
Flowers in Bloom Collaborative Art Workshop
Monday April 24, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm
In-person event
Location: RBC Patient and Family Learning Space, McCain Centre for Complex Care and Recovery, 1025 Queen Street West, ground floor
This workshop is designed to help you explore the beauty of Spring through flowers, colour, texture, and words of affirmation. Participants will be given cloth templates of Spring blooms which they will use fabric paints to personalize with colour, and markers to write their words of affirmation for the beginning of Spring! Our individual blooms will be integrated into a collaborative art piece that will be displayed at CAMH.
The CAMH Family Advisory Committee invites you to an interactive event for families, by families to come together and collectively navigate conversations on mental health and wellness. Our speakers come from diverse backgrounds with a range of experiences caring for their loved ones. Join us for a time of connection and heartfelt discussion!
Patient and family engagement in research is a key part of driving innovative research that is person-centered and meets our community’s needs. Drawing on examples from the geriatric division, this session will highlight the importance of engagement in research at all stages of the research process, from initial conception to knowledge translation. We will also hear from a panel of researchers, caregivers, and engagement staff about their experiences partnering on projects within the division, as well as the value of patient and family engagement in research.
Tuesday April 25, 2023 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm
In-person event; No registration required Location: RBC Patient and Family Learning Space, McCain Centre for Complex Care and Recovery, 1025 Queen Street West, ground floor
Drop by to meet members of the CAMH Patient Advisory Committee and learn more about their work across CAMH! Meet a CAMH therapy dog, check out a display of patient artwork, and browse a selection of books by authors with lived experience available through the CAMH library. Find out about ways you can get involved with future CAMH projects and initiatives!
The (Im)patient voice – Changing the Response to People in Crisis in Toronto
Tuesday April 25, 2023 | 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Hybrid Event: In-person and virtual
People in crisis in Toronto have experienced too much force and not enough choice. Panelists will describe community based alternatives to police, what there is now and what we can lobby to have in the future. Changing police response will also be discussed, as there are calls police will still attend.
There is growing evidence that family caregivers can play a vital role as peer co-facilitators, enhancing the success of evidence-based interventions, and providing opportunities for personal growth, connection and learning. Despite this, few evidence-based interventions for caregivers include them in their design and delivery. Our Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) model for caregivers of people with neurodevelopmental conditions is not only co-designed by caregivers and clinicians, but also delivered in partnership with them.
At this event, we will share about the impact and experiences of our engagement ACT model on caregiver and clinician facilitators, including barriers and facilitators to successful caregiver-clinician partnerships within a co-delivery model.
Wednesday April 26, 2023 | 4:00 - 5:00 pm In-person Event Location: Patient and Family Learning Space, main floor, McCain Complex Care and Recovery Centre, 1025 Queen Street West
Focusing on the relationship between mood management and the mind-body connection, this session offers a combination of breathing, movement, postures and mindfulness. Teachings are trauma-informed and adaptable for all levels. This class is open to everyone.
The Experiences of Family Members of African Descent in Mental Health Care Systems and Strategies to Mitigate the Challenges
Friday, April 28, 2023 | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Virtual Event
This presentation focuses on building awareness of the challenges experienced by Family members, promoting greater understanding of mental health system for family members, and building capacity among family members to navigate the system.
Join us to celebrate CAMH Patient and Family Engagement Week 2023 and reflect on patient and family engagement at CAMH. The winner of the 2023 Patient and Family Experience Award will be announced!
