“Building Your Mental Health One Support At A Time” is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Week which runs May 3-9, 2010.

Resilience is an important aspect of mental well-being. It means the ability to recover from difficulties or change—to function as well as before and then move forward. Many refer to this as “bouncing back” from difficulties or challenges.

You can build your resilience through building your own supports in three areas: individual, family and environmental is the way to begin.

Supports for good mental health include developing and maintaining:

• positive relationships at work
• good neighbours
• ties to your community
• caring relationships.

CAMH offers a number of resources in these areas. Here are a few to help you get started.

Mental Health and Addiction 101 – These online tutorials are a starting point for learning about substance use and mental health problems, as well as about factors that are critical to understanding those problems.

Resources for clients, families, and friends. - CAMH provides various helpful resources for clients and families including online and print publications.

Resources for families and friends at CAMH - At CAMH, we use the word “family” broadly, meaning a relative, partner, close friend or supportive person. CAMH provides a variety of programs and services for families of people with mental health and/or substance use disorders. Unless indicated otherwise, these services are open to families beyond CAMH.

Growing Up Resilient: Ways to Build Resilience in Children and Youth – this book (available online as a PDF) helps parents and teachers foster resiliency in children and youth.

What parents need to know about teens - Facts, Myths and Strategies – This booklet helps you understand what’s considered normal adolescent behaviour, how to determine whether your child is on a good path, how to encourage his healthy development, and how to get help when problems arise.

Teens and Tweens Series podcasts - Interviews with experts in adolescent mental health and addictions hosted by adolescent and family therapist Avrum Nadigel.

Stigma: Understanding the impact of prejudice and discrimination on people with mental health and substance use problems – This booklet (available online as a PDF) examines and offers ways of reducing negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative behaviour (discrimination) toward people with substance use and mental health problems.

A complete of CAMH publications.

Keep checking the CAMH website for more information about Mental Health Week.