Podcasts about Canadian Alliance

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.Greetings, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! We're recording this one on Sunday June 15th mid-afternoon – parallel timing with start of the highly-freighted G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. Here to talk with me about what we might expect from the meeting is Jason Kenney, making his 2nd appearance here on the pod. I mean, who among you Herle Burly-ites doesn't know Mr. Kenney? The 18th Premier of Alberta. Former Leader of the United Conservative Party and the last leader of the Alberta PC Party. MP for the Reform Party and Canadian Alliance … and a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Harper's Conservatives from 2006 to 2015. Today, he's a Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones.So, we're going to talk about Canada on the world stage. What success looks like for Prime Minister Carney at the G7. His continuing relationship with President Trump and the future of Canada-U.S. trade. Global politics and national defence.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Canada faces a pivotal moment in transforming its food systems for a sustainable future. In this latest episode of The Wicked Solutions Series, presented by Generate Canada, Dr. Tammara Soma from Food Systems Lab, Amr Addas from Farm Credit Canada, Barbara Swartzentruber from Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food and David Hughes, President and CEO of Generate Canada, explore how a circular economy mindset, systems-level policy alignment, and cross-sector collaboration can turn food waste into opportunity. Discover the challenges of fragmented infrastructure, policy misalignment, and the pressing need for place-based solutions that secure food sovereignty, equity, and resilience for all Canadians.Read the full interview and key takeaways: https://thefutureeconomy.ca/interviews/from-waste-wealth-building-canada-circular-food-economy/Explore the series here: https://thefutureeconomy.ca/content-series/the-wicked-solutions-series/Watch more videos from the series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2vcORABmSd7wk6rWKoc2d9Jxp-RCnHTL&si=irLK6XaO0iwRs3o3Subscribe for exclusive previews of upcoming episodes and updates on new releases: https://bit.ly/3ri2IUuFollow us on social media: https://linkin.bio/thefutureeconomy.ca=====About TheFutureEconomy.ca=====TheFutureEconomy.ca is a Canadian online media outlet and thought leadership platform that produces interviews, panels and op-eds featuring leaders from industry, government, academia and more to define a strong vision for our future economy.Our content emphasizes our interviewees' insights and calls-to-action on what we must do now to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Canada's future economy.Check out our website: https://thefutureeconomy.ca/#ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #SystemicChange #FutureOfHealth #CanadianResearch #MedicalAccess #RocheCanada

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2024 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. Presented annually by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, these awards celebrate artistic excellence across Mi'kma'ki. This would not be possible without the fantastic production work of Heist and Keke Beatz. On this episode I spoke with Emerging Artist Award recipient, Susanne Chui.  A central figure in Halifax's contemporary dance community, Susanne became Co-Artistic Director of Mocean Dance in 2012. With Mocean, Susanne has developed roles in works by Heidi Strauss, Serge Bennathan, Tedd Robinson, Lesandra Dodson and Claire French, and co-created Burnwater: Alchemy with Erin Donovan (Hear Here Productions). Susanne trained professionally at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and was based in Toronto from 1999-2007. During that time she danced for many independent choreographers and extensively with Yvonne Ng, with whom she toured to Singapore in 2005. She was a founding member of TILT: sound + motion dance company, where she had the pleasure of performing works by some of Canada's finest choreographers including, Robert Abubo, Marie-Julie Asselin, Bill Coleman, Lesandra Dodson, Deborah Dunn, Sasha Ivanochko, Sharon Moore, and Heidi Strauss. Since returning to Halifax, Susanne has become immersed in the dance community collaborating with dance artists Jacinte Armstrong, Lesandra Dodson, Veronique MacKenzie, Gwen Noah Dance, Phin Performing Arts, as well as with SiNS, a collective she co-founded in 2005 with Jacinte Armstrong and Sara Coffin. Susanne collaborates across disciplines, working regularly with master musician Jerry Granelli and teaching at Creative Music Workshop, an annual improvisation-based summer program. As a choreographer she has received funding from Canada Council for the Arts and Arts Nova Scotia and her works have been presented in Moncton, Toronto and in Halifax by Kinetic Studio and the TD Halifax Jazz Festival. She was the first recipient of Kinetic Studio's Explorations Choreographic Scholarship and was the 2012 recipient of the Diane Moore Creation Scholarship. In 2016 she received the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia's Masterworks Award, for her role as a dancer in Mocean's Canvas 5 x 5, choreographed by Tedd Robinson. An active arts manager, Susanne has worked in various roles in the arts community. She has served on the boards of Live Art Dance Productions, Kinetic Studio and the Legacy Centre for the Performing Arts, and participated on various committees and juries including Arts Nova Scotia, City of Halifax, Nova Scotia Talent Trust and the Canadian Dance Assembly. She is a member of Dancer Transition Resource Centre, Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and Canadian Dance Assembly.

With so much attention on Donald Trump and the trade war, it's easy to forget about the other crisis facing Canada today: Housing affordability. All three major federal parties are pledging billions of dollars in their housing platforms. But are these plans ambitious enough to meet the moment? A group of industry associations and advocacy organizations have come together to form the Canada Housing Coalition. They have a blueprint for the next federal government's housing policy. For whoever ends up as Canada's next Prime Minister, solving the housing crisis will be a monumental task. Host David Smith speaks with Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, about what's at stake in this election for Canadians dreaming of an affordable place to call home.We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

I'm excited to kick off the new year with a very special guest - Michael Cooper, MP for St. Albert-Edmonton. In this episode of Resuming Debate, Michael shares his journey from getting involved in politics as a high school student to his current role as Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform. Join us as we talk about his early involvement in the Canadian Alliance party, his commitment to battling foreign inference, his celebrity status in Taiwan, and how his experience as a lawyer helped shape his work at committees exposing Liberal scandals. If you liked this episode of Resuming Debate, please subscribe and leave us a review.

WELCOME TO THE MWSA PODCAST FOR THURSDAY, JAN 02 Advocates have raised concerns as the Alberta government recently announced plans to replace the funding model for homelessness agencies – which would see funds being distributed to organizations solely by the Province. We hear what impact this change will have - with Tim Richter, President & CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Next – it's another “Mental Health Moment” with our Mental Health Advocate & Social Worker Karen Gallagher-Burt. This time out, Karen gives us an update on her own ‘mental health struggles' – and offers up some suggestions for healthy coping mechanisms to increase your productivity and lower your stress in the New Year. And finally - the New Year is a great time to refresh, declutter and get organized. We catch up with Calgary-based Professional Organizer and Declutterer - Megan Golightly, for some tips to get the ball rolling – when it comes to getting organized in 2025.

A campaign called Stay With B.C., launched by the Business Council of B.C., aims to make people think twice before moving out of province for economic or other reasons. Council president Laura Jones joins BC Today host Amy Bell as we ask viewers what it would take to convince people to stay.Holidays can be difficult for those without family and friends to spend them with. We ask viewers how they overcome loneliness during the holidays and how they find connection. We speak with Ingrid Andersen, Reverend at the Church of the Advent in Colwood, and Kiffer Card, professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University, and Scientific Director of the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health.

Over the past few years, homeless encampments have become a fixture in every major city across Canada. Governments of all stripes have been grappling with the best approach to dealing with them. Is it best to clear out encampments, and push the people living there into the shelter system? Or is it better to take a hands off approach, and accommodate encampments as best as possible? In the province of Ontario, the Ford Government has taken the drastic step of tabling legislation to give municipalities more power to evict people living on public land, and shield authorities from lawsuits afterwards. Is that a step in the wrong direction? Host David Smith speaks with Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, about why governments are struggling to effectively deal with chronic homelessness.Over the past few years, homeless encampments have become a fixture in every major city across Canada. Governments of all stripes have been grappling with the best approach to dealing with them. Is it best to clear out encampments, and push the people living there into the shelter system? Or is it better to take a hands off approach, and accommodate encampments as best as possible? In the province of Ontario, the Ford Government has taken the drastic step of tabling legislation to give municipalities more power to evict people living on public land, and shield authorities from lawsuits afterwards. Is that a step in the wrong direction? Host David Smith speaks with Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, about why governments are struggling to effectively deal with chronic homelessness. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Welcome to Episode 12 of The Truth About Ag podcast! This episode features John Stackhouse, a senior vice-president at RBC Royal Bank and former editor-in-chief at The Globe and Mail. Stackhouse is also a member of the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food's operating committee. In this podcast, co-hosted by Evan Shout and Kristjan Hebert, Stackhouse... Read More

Episode 12 of The Truth About Ag Podcast features John Stackhouse, a senior VP at the Royal Bank of Canada and former editor-in-chief at the Globe and Mail. John is also a member of the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food's operating committee; and dives into their origins. He outlines CANZA's commitment to enabling Canada to increase production while reducing emissions, emphasizing their unique approach of involving farmers directly and rewarding sustainable practices. The episode also explores the critical role of agriculture in the Canadian economy and the importance of investing in rural areas.

In this episode, Matt Cohen sits down with Arati Sharma and Satish Kanwar, the powerhouse duo behind Good Future, a family office with a mission to support and grow the Canadian tech ecosystem. They discuss their journey from starting the digital design agency Jet Cooper to playing pivotal roles at Shopify, and now investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs. The conversation delves into their insights on building community, the importance of innovation, and their commitment to making a lasting impact on the Canadian tech scene.About Arati SharmaArati Sharma is a prominent entrepreneur, angel investor, and technology leader based in Toronto, Canada. She is the Co-Founder and President of Good Future, a family office focused on building and investing in companies that positively impact the world. Arati is also the Founding Partner of Backbone Angels, a collective of female investors dedicated to supporting women and non-binary founders, particularly those from underrepresented communities. Alongside her investing activities, Arati co-founded Ghlee, a skincare brand rooted in South Asian tradition, which has gained significant traction since its launch in 2019.Prior to her entrepreneurial ventures, Arati spent nearly a decade at Shopify, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the company's marketing strategy. She was the Director of Product Marketing, responsible for establishing and scaling the product marketing function as Shopify expanded its global reach. Arati also led the creation of Shopify's annual Unite conference, transforming it into a major event for the company's partners and developers. Her earlier roles at Shopify included leading offline, experiential, and community marketing, where she spearheaded initiatives like Shopify's first merchant roadshow and high-profile events such as Kylie Jenner's first pop-up shop.Before joining Shopify, Arati worked at Jet Cooper, a Toronto-based digital design agency, where she held various roles, including Communications & Strategy and Operations Manager. Her work at Jet Cooper involved developing the company's communication strategies, managing operations, and contributing to the firm's internal culture. Arati's early career also included leadership positions in student organizations, such as the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, where she honed her skills in advocacy and leadership.About Satish KanwarSatish Kanwar is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and business leader from Toronto, Canada. He is the Co-Founder of Good Future, a family office that invests in and operates businesses with a focus on positive-sum impact. In addition to his role at Good Future, Satish serves as the Board Chair of BetaKit, Canada's leading tech news publication, and holds board positions at Toronto Global and Delphia. His leadership and influence in the tech community have earned him recognition, including being named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 and Toronto Life's Most Influential lists.Satish spent a decade at Shopify, where he held various senior roles, most recently as Vice President of Corporate Development and Head of Product Acceleration. In this capacity, he oversaw over 30 strategic acquisitions, investments, and alliances, significantly contributing to Shopify's growth beyond online stores into multi-channel commerce. His earlier roles at Shopify included leading the company's product strategy for online stores, retail point of sale, and multi-channel platforms, establishing Shopify as a leader in global commerce technology.Before his tenure at Shopify, Satish co-founded Jet Cooper, a digital design studio based in Toronto that was acquired by Shopify in 2013. At Jet Cooper, Satish was instrumental in building the agency into a well-regarded design firm, which ultimately became Shopify's foundation in Toronto. Earlier in his career, Satish worked as a Marketing Manager at Microsoft Canada, where he developed his passion for technology and entrepreneurship. Satish is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration.In this episode, we discuss:(00:34) Starting at Jet Cooper, the early days of Canadian tech(02:13) Meeting Satish and the mystique of Jet Cooper(03:03) The importance of community and design(04:51) How Jet Cooper cornered the market on design talent(07:03) The unexpected Shopify acquisition offer(09:42) Transitioning to Shopify and leading community initiatives(13:55) Building Shopify's multi-channel platform strategy(16:20) Leaving Shopify to pursue new creative ventures(18:47) The founding of Backbone Angels and supporting diverse founders(23:19) The mission of Good Future and supporting Canadian innovation(27:08) The vision behind Good Future and its unique approach(32:39) Balancing investments with building new ventures like Ghlee(33:13) Acquiring BetaKit to strengthen Canadian tech storytelling and why supporting media is crucial for the Canadian tech ecosystem(37:27) BetaKit's mission and avoiding paywalls to tell Canadian stories(42:01) Balancing personal and professional life while building together(44:41) How becoming a parents made them more empathetic leaders and taught them the importance of work-life balance(47:51) The biggest risk to Canadian tech is a lack of shared vision(50:07) The need for affordable living to foster Canadian innovation(53:01) Leaving a legacy as force multipliers for Canadian tech(53:38) The legacy they want to leaveFast Favorites:

Social service agencies and governments are working on addressing the current housing crisis in the Capital Region. Housing is a Canada wide issue and in this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams gets a National perspective on homelessness as he speaks with Tim Richter and Elisabeth Noble about the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

In late 2023, a dream team of former elected officials, mayors and chief planners, Indigenous leaders, designers, builders and developers, affordability advocates, and finance and insurance experts came together to create a Task Force for Housing and Climate.  This group released their Blueprint for More and Better Housing in March 2024.This episode we welcome Housing and Climate Task Force co-Chair Don Iveson.  We discuss why addressing Canada's housing crisis should also include consideration of the climate crisis.  We hear how over a hundred recommendations coalesced into a report that is both bold and grounded. We explore why this challenge motivated Don and his colleagues on the Task Force to try and set the floor for climate and housing discussions.About our guest:Don served as Edmonton's Mayor from 2013 until 2021, and Chair of Canada's Big City Mayors for 5 years. Since retiring from City Hall, he's worked part-time with Co-Operators as Executive Advisor for Climate Investing and Community Resilience. He also operates Civic Good, an advisory practice focused on climate resilience, housing innovation, and civic innovation projects with clients ranging from startups to governments. He's a member of the Expert Panel on Adaptation at the Canadian Climate Institute, is Co-Chair of the Task Force for Housing and Climate, and serves as Board Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Additional resources:https://housingandclimate.ca/blueprint/ https://civicgood.substack.com/p/a-blueprint-for-housing-and-climate https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/work-in-progress/ https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/canadas-housing-affordability-challenge-plenty-of-questions-some-answers-jan2024/

Is it foreseeable the federal Liberal and New Democrat parties will formally unite before the next federal election and merge as a permanent combined party? The Liberal Democrat Party of Canada perhaps? (This happened in the U.K. in the 1980's...and in 2003 in Canada as the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance merged to form the Conservative Party of Canada.) Guest: Mario Canseco, president ResearchCo, British Columbia. ResearchCo polled Canadians on the question of a merged federal Liberal/NDP party in October of last year and determined whether a Liberal-NDP merger would hurt the Conservative Party of Canada's pursuit to form national government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's podcast:   Three premiers appeared before the federal government operations and estimates committee this past week to make the case for delay of tomorrow's federal carbon tax increase (or abandoning the carbon tax entirely). Yesterday we spoke with Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe (one of the three premiers). Today Alberta premier Danielle Smith who also appeared before the parl committee and made the case the carbon tax increase is not just "reckless, but also immoral." Meanwhile Alberta's fuel rebate ends tomorrow as well, adding 4 cents per litre charge for gasoline and diesel. Guest: Danielle Smith. Premier, Alberta   The senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada Carolyn Rogers last Tuesday in a Halifax speech made the case falling productivity rates in Canada create an "emergency," adding "you've seen those signs that say "in case of emergency, break glass. Well, it's time to break the glass." Meanwhile, according to the OECD Canada will for the next 36 years (2060) will be the laggard and post the worst economic performance among advanced nations as far as real per capita GDP is concerned.  What does this all mean in everyday speak and what are the implications for Canadian taxpayers, entrepreneurs and career-seeking youth of today??   Guest: Professor Eric Kam. Macroeconomics at Toronto Metropolitan University.     Is it foreseeable the federal Liberal and New Democrat parties will formally unite before the next federal election and merge as a permanent combined party? The Liberal Democrat Party of Canada perhaps? (This happened in the U.K. in the 1980's...and in 2003 in Canada as the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance merged to form the Conservative Party of Canada.) Guest: Mario Canseco, president ResearchCo, British Columbia. ResearchCo polled Canadians on the question of a merged federal Liberal/NDP party in October of last year and determined whether a Liberal-NDP merger would hurt the Conservative Party of Canada's pursuit to form national government.   In real terms, what happens to gasoline, diesel, home heating, food, clothing and other related costs beginning tomorrow as the carbon tax takes a leap upward for already stretched to the max Canadians? How might it affect particularly younger Canadian adults, 40% of who according to this Global News story https://globalnews.ca/news/10048246/canadians-lose-sleep-inflation-money-cost-of-living-rbc-young-people/ told reveal to pollsters for the 2023 RBC Financial Wellbeing Survey they are losing sleep over their personal and family finances? Among millennials, ages 27-42, the number losing sleep jumps to 53%. We speak with Dan McTeague, and callers. Guest: Dan McTeague. President: Canadians for Affordable Energy. --------------------------------------------- Host/Content Producer – Roy Green Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom Craig If you enjoyed the podcast, tell a friend! For more of the Roy Green Show, subscribe to the podcast! https://globalnews.ca/roygreen/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glenn Brimacombe, Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health Chair, Public Affairs joins Vassy to discuss the implications of this failing grade.  On today's show:   Listen to Vassy's full conversation with Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business regarding the deadline for the repayment of CEBA loans.  Dan Riskin, CTV Science and Technology Specialist with his weekly segment 'Talk Science To Me' The Daily Debrief Panel with Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star, Marieke Walsh, senior political reporter with The Globe and Mail and Laura Stone, Queen's Park reporter with The Globe and Mail. Armel Castellan, Warning Preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada with an outlook on the weather in B.C. 

According to Statistics Canada, almost half of Canadians (44%) were very concerned about their ability to afford housing or rent in the near future (2022).  Over 11% reported that they had personally experienced homelessness at some point in their lives already.The Canadian Alliance for Homelessness reports that there are possibly over a quarter of a million homeless in Canada. The need is absolutely massive.Our guests today, Stephen Wilsack and Matt Grant, were inspired to become part of the solution after visiting a homeless encampment in Halifax. What started out as giving some bedding and supplies has now developed into an operation where they have raised money to erect a small village of ice fishing tents just outside City Hall. They have also been working to equip the tents with heat and power, two things that onlookers believe have already saved lives. Stephen and Matt are with us to share what they've been up to and the impact that they're having.  Thanks for joining us. Please share.____________________________Faytene.tv is a listener-supported program. To help us produce more interviews on essential topics for our nation, please click here to donate: https://www.faytene.tv/donate____________________________If you want to be sure and never miss an episode, sign up for our email list here:https://madmimi.com/signups/72187/joinFIND US AT:Main Site: https://www.faytene.tv/Free App: https://apple.co/3rgzcfCYouTube: https://bit.ly/3d7XyTzFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/faytenetvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/faytene Twitter: https://twitter.com/fayteneVimeo: https://vimeo.com/channels/faytenetvBitchute: www.bitchute.com/channel/faytenetvRumble: https://rumble.com/user/faytenetvGab: https://gab.com/faytene#faytene #canada #Halifax #tent #shelter #poverty #homeless #restore #aid #help #charity #winter #housing #unhoused #icefishingtents

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.Alright you holiday Herle Burly-ites, welcome to our last pod of the year. We'll be back week of January 8th , 2024, as I'm heading to my prairie homeland during the break for a little L-H-R in R time. That's a Herle acronym for Lemon Hart Rum in Regina time. But getting back to today's show … This is just a fantastic way to send out our podcasting year: Jason Kenney is our guest! The 18th Premier of Alberta. Former Leader of the United Conservative Party and the last leader of the Alberta PC Party. MP for the Reform Party and Canadian Alliance. And a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Harper's Conservatives from 2006 to 2015. Just a highly distinguished political career. Which is where you might expect me to take the bulk of this conversation. Except that, I won't.Instead, today I want to talk to Mr. Kenny about the Conservative movement and modes of thinking on a larger scale and on a number of issues. Global Affairs. Russia and Ukraine. China. Israel and Gaza. Climate Change and different ways to grapple with it. The future of the U.S. Republican Party, and more.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

If you've ever worked in the United Kingdom (no matter what nationality you are), you have paid into the UK State Pension. Once you move away, say to Canada, you might think that those payments are simply lost, or like me, you're unsure what can even be done from overseas… Good news is, I'm joined in this episode by Ian Andexser, a fellow Brit in Canada and chairman of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP). He's here to shed light on how you can “buy back” missing years of contributions since moving abroad and still receive a good payout when you reach pension age - Despite no longer living in the UK! Ian also discusses the ongoing “frozen” pension issue, a problem that is costing pensioners in Canada hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as the ways that CABP is lobbying the UK government for change.   You don't want to miss: Ian's story of hitch-hiking across Canada as a tourist in the 1970s and then falling in love with his Canadian wife of 46 years. His life today in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. The basics: What is a UK State Pension, who qualifies for one and how do you get one. How to “buy back” missing years that you haven't paid into the UK pension scheme since moving to Canada. Ian's real-life example: How he retroactively paid $3,000 to now get $10,500 per year from the British government. PLUS, the fight against non-indexation of pension payments based on a pensioner's country of residence - and an optimistic look to the future. Links & Resources: Join the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners & learn how you can manage your pension: britishpensions.com/ Check your State Pension age: https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age  Sign the Change.org petition here to support the fight against frozen pensions. Join the New to Canada Academy: Learn more  Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! https://thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/  Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective  For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com  

Climate change challenges Canadian agriculture in so many ways. How can Canada help farmers adapt? The report, “A New Ag Deal: A 9-Point Plan for Climate-Smart Agriculture”, lays out ideas to help farmers adapt and reduce the impacts of climate change on their farms while growing food production to feed the world. Mohamad Yaghi, Agriculture & Climate Policy Lead at the Royal Bank's (RBC) Climate Action Institute tells us about their plan in this episode. The Royal Bank has been active reporting about agriculture and climate as part of its Thought Leadership initiative, working with the Arrell Food Institute here at the University of Guelph on several of these. Mohamad and his team spoke with more than 500 farmers and food producers, to gain a better understanding of what practical policies could make a difference helping farmers adapt. We talked about a number of these ideas. The world's top food producing countries are making sustainable agriculture a strategic priority, building formidable climate-smart food supply chains backed by sizeable funding and bold policy measures. The sector risks falling behind if Canadian governments don't match their competitors in supporting producers with the funding and policy tools to grow more food with fewer emissions. The agriculture sectors in the U.S., EU, Australia, and China get roughly three times the climate funding that Canada provides to its industry. We talk about carbon markets and how to build markets that are fair and that farmers can benefit from, for soil carbon, methane, and other emissions. Encouraging innovative farmers who drive the initial charge to new farming practices is another important focus that farmers often say is neglected. Canada's dwindling knowledge sharing network or extension system for getting new research knowledge into the hand of farmers needs a major boost. We also discuss the newly launched Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agrifood (CANZA) and what the Alliance plans to do in coming years. RBC is a partner in this new Alliance, along with the Arrell Food Institute. More information: A New Ag Deal: A 9-Point Plan for Climate-Smart Agriculture https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/a-new-ag-deal-a-9-point-plan-for-climate-smart-agriculture/ The Next Green Revolution: How Canada can produce more food and fewer emissions https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/the-next-green-revolution-how-canada-can-produce-more-food-and-fewer-emissions/ The Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agrifood https://canza.ca/ Arrell Food Institute https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/

The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness will hold its annual national conference in Halifax next week. Organizers say the conference is a chance to find out what's working and what's not working to end homelessness. Guest host Carolyn Ray spoke with communications director Andrew Burns and host committee co-chair Sara Napier.

Vassy speaks with former human rights commissioner Heather Kuttai about her decision to step down.  On today's show:  A conversation with Noor Hamdalla, a Palestinian-Canadian from Ottawa who has been trying to escape the West Bank. Canada's inflation rate has slowed to 3.8 per cent. Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist at  The Conference Board of Canada, joins the show.  The Daily Debrief panel with Laura Stone, Shakir Chambers and Elliot Hughes.   Florence Budden, co-chair of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and Glenn Brimacombe, Public Affairs lead for the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, on their demands to the federal government. 

Quotes: “Silent suffering is suffering without the possibility of hope.” Marla Thomas“No matter how dark things get, things can get better.” Dave Thomas With so much being said in the media and posted on social media about mental health, the stigma has lessened, but mental health issues are not without preconceived prejudices. With more celebrities speaking out and sharing their own mental health struggles, it's better, but we're still nowhere near ending the discrimination that many people face every day. On this episode of Authentic Living with Roxanne, we welcome Marla and Dave Thomas to share the story of their adult children and how you can help stop the biases. Dave Thomas is a 10x Grammy Award-winning member of TAKE6. Marla is a celebrity realtor and motivational speaker. Together, they are fierce and vocal mental health awareness advocates. Married for 35 years, which is nearly unheard of in Hollywood, this power couple has raised three children in the glow of the spotlight - two of them have been diagnosed with a litany of mental health challenges. Authentic Touch Points: A bit about Marla and Dave. 3:30 Values and respect. 8:00 Staying grounded at home. 13:00 A continued connection. 18:30 Compassion for the diagnosis. 27:00 The stress of division. 37:00 Advice for parents. 44:00 Marla and Dave are dedicated to helping families find resources to care for their loved ones with mental health challenges and ending the stigma attached to mental health. Their foundation, Loving Beyond Reason, is committed to helping people with brain differences become productive and healthy members of their communities. According to the Harvard Center for Health Decision Science, the estimate for the global burden of mental disorders is approximately $5 trillion USD. They also estimate that at a regional level, the losses could account for about 8% of the gross domestic product in North America. Just how much of that amount is your company paying out, and what can you save by being proactive? It's time to take action and make a difference! Book a strategy call to discuss mental health in your workplace. https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/ Links: Loving Beyond Reason: https://www.lovingbeyondreason.org/ Donate: https://www.lovingbeyondreason.org/take-action Mental Health Mondays Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@MentalHealthMondays NAMI: https://www.nami.org/home Canadian Alliance for Mental Health: https://www.camimh.ca Book a call with Roxanne: https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/ ROR: Return On Relationships: https://www.amazon.ca/ROR-Relationships-Authentic-Leadership-Resilient/dp/1739001923/ Harvard article link: https://chds.hsph.harvard.edu/quantifying-the-global-cost-of-mental-disorders/

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Be sure to tune in whether you're on the road to see family or cooking up a feast in the kitchen. Our guests include Brent Muller, GM for Vessel Liquor, who joins Anthony to recommend wine, cocktail and beer pairings for meat and meatless tables; Francesco Ricasoli calls in from Italy to tell us about his family's centuries old winery located in Chianti Classico; for those who've been concerned about their alcohol consumption since the World Health Organization reported there is "No Safe Level" for alcohol, you will want to hear from Mark Hicken, Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance for Responsible Consumption who says otherwise; lastly we revisit a buoyant interview from the summer featuring Annelise Simonsen and Kaleigh Jorgensen of Penticton's Creek & Gully Cider.

Allisa Swanson is an award winning Costume Designer and a film and television veteran with over 25 years of industry experience in the BC film industry. Knowing her calling early on, she moved to Los Angeles, CA after high school where she earned a BFA in Fashion Design & Marketing. She then returned to Vancouver, BC and started her Costume Design career, where she's worked on TV series like The 100, Once Upon a Time and Firefly Lane, to feature films such as The Snow Walker, which earned her a much deserved Leo Award for Best Costume Design. Allisa and I discuss how she and her team bring costume concepts to life, from design and sketching to sourcing and construction, and then right onto set, where you are never free of real time wardrobe adjustments and repairs (try sewing a loose button back onto an actor while 60 crew hover around!) Allisa gives back in so many ways as well with mentorship and workshops, and she is also currently the President for The Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD), a not-for-profit organization that promotes learning, networking and achievements of Canadian Costume Design.

We spoke with AnnMarie Churchill, a research fellow at Memorial University in the department of Psychology, and President of Stepped Care Solutions. The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health recently announced Churchill as a recipient of the “Champions of Mental Health Award” in the “Innovation” category.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc speaks with reporters in Charlottetown, where he is attending a three-day meeting of the federal cabinet. He faces questions on the Liberal government's ongoing talks with opposition parties in launching a public inquiry into foreign interference. He also comments on whether the cabinet is considering lowering immigration targets to ease the housing shortage. Mike Moffatt, senior director of policy and innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute, and Tim Richter, president and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, speak with reporters in Charlottetown. The speakers are briefing ministers on the issue of housing as a three-day meeting of the federal cabinet continues.Ministers Chrystia Freeland (finance), Anita Anand (Treasury Board president) and Randy Boissonnault (employment) speak with reporters in Charlottetown as a three-day meeting of the federal cabinet continues. They respond to questions about the federal government's housing strategy and the plan for federal ministers to identify $15 billion over five years in spending cuts.International Trade Mary Ng speaks with reporters in Charlottetown, where she is attending a three-day meeting of the federal cabinet. She faces questions on Canada's decision to launch a legal challenge of the latest American duties on Canadian softwood lumber products. The minister is also asked about progress on establishing a foreign influence registry in response to foreign interference in Canada's elections.

Mateusz Salmassi, the director of advocacy for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A woman speaks out after a painful procedure at a Brampton hospital Guest: Terri-Ann Perras, Canadian blogger and stay-at-home mom Hospital mistakes - and the lack of transparency around them in Canada Guest: Dr. Rob Robson, patient safety expert, principal advisor at Healthcare System Safety and Accountability How to tackle rental affordability in Canada Guest: Tim Richter, President and CEO, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Journo Corner: Afghanistan two years after the fall of Kabul  Guest: Zahra Nader, Afghan-Canadian Journalist, editor-in-chief of the Zan Times, and Ph.D. student at York University An evacuation order in Yellowknife, in effect due to wildfires Guest: Donna-Lynn Baskin, Yellowknife resident “The Fittest Man on Earth” is an athlete from Montreal Guest: Jeffrey Adler, Canadian CrossFit athlete, won "Fittest on Earth" at the 2023 CrossFit Games.

We need tangible solutions to end the homelessness and housing crisis in Canada, and the recently released National Housing Accord is just that. Today I'm joined by Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness and Michael Moffat Chief Executive at REALPAC to talk about how the accord came together, what it's all about, their hopes for the future and how we all can support the accord moving forward

Capturing carbon is one thing, but as many farmers are aware, quantifying the amount of carbon being sequestered can be a tricky feat. Hebert Grain Ventures (HGV), of Fairlight, Sask., has joined the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agriculture (CANZA), and will work with researchers from the University of Saskatchewan on a national case study. The... Read More

Sex Workers in Canada face incredible barriers in their lives due to the criminalization of their work. Jenn Clamen, National Director of the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, describes the impacts this has on the daily lives of sex workers and the various ways in which their coalition has been fighting back. The discussion centres on a recent Constitutional challenge working its way through the courts that will serve to decriminalize sex work, and the alliance's history fighting for the rights of sex workers in Canada. Why did they choose the courts as their field of battle? Where are they getting support from? And who is getting in their way?For more information: More on CASWLR's Constitutional Challenge Impacts of Sex Work Laws (PCEPA) – Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law ReformRecommendations for Law Reform

Against the backdrop of numerous economic and social crises, there's a lot of chatter in Canadian public policy circles about the need to “meet the moment.”In this episode, we examine the broad canvass of challenges facing the Great White North; whether the conservative movement in Canada is well-equipped to tackle them; and the need for a renewed discovery and embrace of the transcendent, immutable truths and traditions which serve as the foundation of the country's political and social architecture.Our guest is Stockwell Day, one of the leading emeritus statesmen of Canadian conservatism.From 1986-2000, he served in the Alberta legislature, holding multiple portfolios in the provincial Cabinet.  From 2000-2001, he was leader of the Canadian Alliance and Her Majesty's Official Opposition in the House of Commons.  Following the merger of Canada's two major conservative parties in 2003, he remained as a Member of Parliament, and held several Cabinet roles in the government of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.Day's long tenure in politics came to a close in 2011, when he declined to run in that year's federal election.  Since then, he's served in numerous Board and fellowship positions, and has run his own strategic consulting firm, Stockwell Day Connex.ReferencesStockwell Day (official website)@Stockwell_Day (Twitter)Support the showwww.crownandcrozier.comtwitter.com/crownandcrozierfacebook.com/crownandcrozierhttps://www.instagram.com/crownandcrozier/Please note that this podcast has been edited for length and clarity.

COVID-19 has upended and disrupted the lives of many Canadians, but none have suffered more than our elders. As the virus infiltrated our communities in March and April 2020, horrific scenes unfolded at care homes across the country. Thousands of fatalities, seniors left for days without food and even opportunities to wash. Perhaps even more tragic is that, despite many warning signs and numerous investigations and special commissions, eldercare in Canada has been pushed aside for decades. The pandemic simply exposed an issue that had, in a twisted way, existed in silence and outside the public spotlight for some time. Today, we try and understand how and why Canada arrived at this moment, and what we can do differently to ensure our elders get the care they want and deserve.    Topics discussed include: The origins of medicare and elder care in Canada, why politicians who champion healthcare issues aren't rewarded, success models from other countries, addressing the shortage of care workers, whether market forces & the private sector can resolve challenges on their own, and much more.    Guest Bio:   Our guest is Mr. André Picard. Mr. Picard is a health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail, where he has been a staff writer since 1987. He is also the author of five bestselling books, including most recently, “Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada's Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic”, which was nominated for the prestigious Donner Prize in Canadian public policy writing. Mr. Picard was named Canada's first “Public Health Hero” by the Canadian Public Health Association, as a “Champion of Mental Health” by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication to improving healthcare.   Further Reading:   Picard, A. (2021). Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada's Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic. Random House Canada.   Picard, A. (2022, October 23). In an aging world, seniors' loss of independence and quality of life is a preventable tragedy. The Globe and Mail.   Song:   Highway to the Sea by Thea Koper   Producers:   Connor Fraser - @RealCJFraser Anna Lazaris - @lazaris_anna

Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness

Born in Fort St. John, B.C, and raised on the family farm near Taylor in the B.C Peace River country, Jay Hill developed a strong work ethic at a young age. After graduating from high school, Jay held numerous positions in the oil and gas sector, both in exploration and production in northern BC. ​ In 1975, Jay returned to his roots and became a partner on the family farm with his father and brother. Off season he subsidized his farm income by continuing to work in the oil patch. ​ Jay honed his leadership skills as he served as President of the B.C. Grain Producers Association, Director with the B.C. Federation of Agriculture, a Director of Soil Conservation Canada, and Chair of the B.C. Provincial Seed Fair. ​ This experience led Jay to a career in federal politics where for 17 years and through 6 general elections, he was known by most as a dedicated, respected, and fair statesman – a rarity in the world of Canadian politics. ​ Later Jay played a key role in Canada's political landscape. As the party evolved from the Reform Party of Canada, to the Canadian Alliance and finally the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) Jay presided over the caucus transition, building morale and unity. Jay always served in senior roles, as Whip and House Leader, both in Opposition and in Government. ​ After being named to Cabinet in 2007, Prime Minister Harper appointed Jay to several roles that further developed his leadership skills. These included all-party and committee negotiations, Treasury Board fund approval, strategic and regulatory review of government departments, managing the House of Commons legislative program, and providing guidance and mentoring to new and would-be politicians. When Jay retired from full time politics in 2010, he established a government relations consulting practice to provide strategic counsel and guidance to CEO's and senior executives in the energy and telecom sectors. ​ Jay recently wrapped up his consulting practice but continues to help his brother on the family farm with planting and harvest. Jay also remains active and engaged in Canadian politics. *************************************************** Follow the Cross Border Interview Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossborderpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrossBorderPod Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CrossBorderInterviews Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2i25ZVKTO84oUsLyO4jig Website: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/ Back the Show: https://www.patreon.com/CrossBoderInterviewPodcast The Cross Border Interview Podcast was Produced and Edited by Miranda, Brown & Associates Inc © 2022

A national advocacy group is working to get more education about human trafficking into medical school curriculums. The Canadian Alliance of Medical Students Against Human Trafficking has a new chapter at Dalhousie University. Hear why it's important for new doctors to know and to recognize the signs of trafficking.

Starting out helping the Canadian Alliance as a volunteer, Andrew Scheer would be elected to Parliament at the age of 25. In 2011, he became the youngest Speaker of the House of Commons in Canadian history. From 2017 to 2020, he led the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition. Support: www.patreon.com/canadaehx Donate: www.canadaehx.com E-mail: craig@canadaehx.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigbaird Instagram: @Bairdo37 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/canadianhistoryehx

SUMMARY In Part 2 of this podcast on Schizophrenia, we're joined again by Katrina Tinman (peer support worker with lived experience of schizophrenia), Chris Summerville (CEO of the Canadian Schizophrenia Society), and Dr. Phil Tibbo (clinical/research psychiatrist who specializes in psychosis-related illnesses). They dig deep into emerging holistic recovery approaches that integrate biological, psychological, social, vocational, and spiritual supports. They also explore stigma, impacts of COVID-19, needed changes to public policy and the mental healthcare system, and the world of schizophrenia 20-30 years from now. TAKEAWAYS This Part 2 podcast will help you understand: Emerging diagnostic practices and medications Integrated healing that incorporates biological, psychological, social, vocational, and spiritual recovery supports Benefits of meditation/mindfulness and positive lifestyle choices Benefits of creative therapies that use art, music, drama, and writing Advances in personalized/precision medicine Advances in technology and the Internet to support recovery Effects of COVID-19 Stigma's impact on recovery Challenges for families of people with schizophrenia What medical professionals need to know about schizophrenia What public policy changes would support recovery Why changes should be made to the mental healthcare system What the world of schizophrenia could look like in the future SPONSORS RESOURCES RECOVERY: Research Into Recovery Recovery Model of Mental Illness: A Complementary Approach to Psychiatric Care A National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health Recovery-oriented Practice − An Implementation Toolkit PEER SUPPORT: Peer Support  The Future is Peer Support Using Peer Support in Developing Empowering Mental Health Services MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA: Fighting Stigma and Discrimination Is Fighting for Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination Addressing Stigma Five Ways to End Mental Health Stigma SCHIZOPHRENIA: Hope and Recovery Schizophrenia Treatment and Self-help   GUESTS  Katrina Tinman Katrina Tinman is a peer support worker for Peer Connections Manitoba, formerly the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, and is located at the Mental Health Crisis Response Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Katrina is currently working toward formal peer support worker certification with Peer Support Canada, though she already has peer support certification through the Ontario Peer Development Initiative. Katrina received a university education in journalism and political science in 1998, from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Since then, she's had a wide range of life experiences from working in the professional arena, extensive travel, motorcycle riding, alpine skiing, and SCUBA diving, to homelessness and mental illness. Regardless of some negative life experiences, Katrina's greatest achievement was a sense of fearlessness that carried her through along with hope for the future. Now she's able, through her peer support work, to use her life's insights to help others in their recovery from crisis and mental illness. Email: k.tinman@peerconnectionsmb.ca Website: www.peerconnectionsmb.ca  Facebook: www.facebook.com/katrina.tinman.5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinman_katrina Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/katrinatinman Chris Summerville, BA, MDiv, M.Miss, D.Min, LLD (Honorary) Chris Summerville is from a family with mental health challenges (father and brother with bi-polar disorder, a brother with schizophrenia, siblings living with depression, and two suicides). He has also received mental health care himself, which has informed and inspired his work as CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada since 2007. Chris has been involved with the schizophrenia-recovery movement for nearly 30 years, having served on the boards of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Mood Disorders Society of Canada, National Network for Mental Health, and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada. Chris earned a doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary, is a certified psychosocial rehabilitation recovery practitioner (CPRRP), and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Brandon University in 2014. He is a regional, provincial, and national leader and advocate for a transformed, person-centered, recovery-oriented mental healthcare system, and believes mental health concerns should be addressed using integrated bio-psycho-social-spiritual-vocational approaches.  Email: Chris@schizophrenia.ca Website: www.schizophrenia.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchizophreniaSocietyCanada Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchizophreniaCa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/schizophrenia-society-of-canada Phil Tibbo, MD, FRCPC Phil Tibbo was named the first Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders, an endowed research chair, at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry with a cross-appointment in psychology at Dalhousie University, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. He is also director of the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program (NSEPP) and co-director of the Nova Scotia Psychosis Research Unit (NSPRU). Dr. Tibbo is funded by local and national peer reviewed funding agencies and well published in leading journals. His publications are primarily around schizophrenia, and his current foci of study include individuals at the early phase of, and individuals at risk for, a psychotic illness. Dr. Tibbo's areas of research include application of in vivo brain neuroimaging techniques, to study psychosis as well as research interests in co-morbidities in schizophrenia, psychosis genetics, addictions and psychosis, stigma and burden, pathways to care, education, and non-pharmacological treatment options. Dr. Tibbo is president of the Canadian Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis (CCEIP), helping to advance early intervention care at the national level. He is a recipient (2015) of the Michael Smith Award from the Schizophrenia Society of Canada for research and leadership in schizophrenia, recipient of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health's Champion of Mental Health Research/Clinician award in 2017 and, most recently, recipient of the 2018 Regional Prix d'excellence – Specialist of the Year – Region 5 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Email: phil.tibbo@nshealth.ca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-tibbo-62170b18/ HOST Jo de Vries is a community education and engagement specialist with 30 years of experience helping local governments in British Columbia connect with their citizens about important sustainability issues. In 2006, she established the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) to “inspire community conversations for sustainable change.” FOF's highly acclaimed events include Building SustainABLE Communities conferences, Reel Change SustainAbility Film Fest, Eco-Blast Kids' Camps, CommUnity Innovation Lab, Breakfast of Champions, and Women 4 SustainAbility. FOF's newest ventures are the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Summit and HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast. Website: Fresh Outlook Foundation Phone: 250-300-8797   PLAY IT FORWARD The move toward optimal mental health becomes possible as more people learn about the challenges, successes, and opportunities. To that end, please share this podcast with anyone who has an interest or stake in the future of mental health and wellness. FOLLOW US For more information about the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) and our programs and events, visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, and like us on Facebook and Twitter.   HELP US As a charity, FOF relies on support from grants, sponsors, and donors to continue its valuable work. If you benefited from the podcast, please help fund future episodes by making a one-time or monthly donation. Katrina Tinman, Chris Summerville, Phil Tibbo Interview Transcript You can download a pdf of the transcript here. The entire transcript is also found below: RICK  0:10 Welcome to the HEADS UP Community Mental Health podcast. Join our host Jo de Vries with the Fresh Outlook Foundation, as she combines science with storytelling to explore a variety of mental health issues with people from all walks of life. Stay tuned. JO  0:32 Hey, Jo here. Thanks for joining me again with my three incredible guests as we continue our conversation about schizophrenia, this time focusing on integrated recovery support, emerging science, and advancing technology. We'll also touch on the stigma faced by people with the illness, and gaps in the current mental health care system. But before we dig back in, a big shout out to our amazing sponsors, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, Emil Anderson Construction, WorkSafe BC, and AECOM Engineering Canada. We celebrate them as their continued support is fueling our passion for improving mental health literacy. Again, my three guests are Katrina Tinman, a peer support worker with Peer Connections Manitoba, Chris Summerville, Executive Director of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, and Dr. Phil Tibbo, a Canadian psychiatrist who studies, treats, and advocates for people with psychosis and schizophrenia. In Part 1 of this podcast, we heard personal stories and learned about signs of the illness, myths, and recovery movements. Dr. Phil Tibbo also talked about past diagnostic practices. To start this episode, we'll connect with Phil again about diagnostic practices today, and what research is telling us about them. PHIL  2:06 It's a big area of research. And I think I mentioned earlier, we're still not at a point where we can do a blood test similar to other medical illnesses, and from that result in a diagnosis. So there's still a lot of work going on here, and especially at early phases of illness as well. And so a lot of the research is looking at multimodal or multifaceted approaches to diagnosis, that can include not only from interview and behavioral, looking at symptoms, but as well as what we call the biological markers, biological indices, which can be some of the neuroimaging research. Some very exciting work going on even EEG type of research within brainwaves, but as well as in genetics too. The one difficulty with schizophrenia, and again, different from some other medical illnesses where it's a single gene, and something wrong with that gene causes a medical illness. We know that's not the case for psychosis and schizophrenia. And often what it's called is an illness with multiple genes of small effect. Research is active in here, but really that focus is to really help us to identify early. But it'll probably be, like I say, multifaceted or a multimodal sort of approach to diagnosis. I wish I can kind of drop in in 20 30 years time and see what the approach is going to be. I think we're going to see a difference from how we're approaching things now to what it will be in the future, which is of course, the way that it should be. I mean, we're doing things differently than what we were doing 20 30 years ago as well. JO  3:38 Let's now hone in on current treatment strategies that focus on integrating biological, psychological, social, and vocational support, as well as psychosocial rehabilitation. And we're gonna break that down, so don't worry about all those big terms. Starting with biological support, Phil from what I understand, biological or brain-related effects are still best treated with anti-psychotic medications, which ideally, are only one part of an overall treatment plan. Is that what you're seeing? PHIL  4:17 Yes, you still have to consider that schizophrenia is a brain illness which needs to be treated, and medication can be a cornerstone of that treatment. But as a result of the illness, there are other things that may be needed when we were looking at other non-biological therapies. Definitely have psychotic medications are a cornerstone. Now that said, the amount of medication or the length that somebody is on a medication really depends on the individual and really what their needs are as well. Because I have individuals that I see that may need medications for actually a fairly short period of time, and they've been doing well with no medications at this point. It really is kind of individual, but yet yes from biological standpoint, the anti-psychotic medications are a cornerstone treatment. JO  5:04 Kat and Chris, in your personal experience and as shared by your peers, what are the pros and cons of anti-psychotic medication? And are people's responses changing over time as the medications change? KATRINA  5:21 It gets to symptoms versus side effects. As I went through the process of finding what medication would work, it was a journey that lasted about 10 years. And I'd ran the gamut of, well, three I can remember Lexapro, Risperdal, and Zyprexa. But nothing really fit. Remember the description of the spectrum, and trying to find where things fit. And for me, it wasn't until 2013 when I ended up fortunate enough to have a doctor to work with me at length, to find the right medication that would actually be the best fit for me, in communication with me. And it turned out it was one of those that hadn't even been invented until right around that timeframe. Abilify turned out to be the right one for me. CHRIS  6:15 Well, certainly, antipsychotics and antidepressants can address the symptoms of psychosis and mood disorders and minimize them. But as one of our former chiefs of psychiatry here in Manitoba said, "If only the medications did everything that we hoped that they would do." Unfortunately, as Katrina stated, there can be significant side effects. And there are many side effects that we don't have time to go into. But the two that I would mention most pronounced are cardiovascular illnesses and metabolic illnesses. And that's one reason why many people don't want to take the medications or discontinue after a while, because of that fear. JO  6:57 Phil, what advances are being made to make these medications more accessible and effective with fewer side effects? PHIL  7:05 There's a lot of research and development going into newer medications. And I think we always have to be careful in our discussion around this. Because while there may be cardiovascular, may be metabolic side effects, it's not a given. Significant number of individuals that I see that do not have any side effects with their medications. That's with our open and honest discussions. But we have to be mindful of when that can occur, and just be able to catch it early. I know we'll talk about stigma, but there is a stigma about medication that has resulted and it's probably from the older medication. The research and development these days, the focus is on developing an effective medication with little to no side effects. With a better understanding of the illness, with better understanding of brain receptors, there's more targeted, more focused research on the development of these types of medications. I have to agree that there was a period of time where there's a lot of sort of what I call 'me to' medications being developed, very similar to ones that are already out there. But what we're seeing now is just that more focused, more targeted development. JO  8:14 Phil, what about options for people who might forget to take their medications, or choose not to take them for whatever reason? PHIL  8:21 We've had, I'll use the term LAI's, long-acting injectable medication. We've had them for a while. But for similar reasons Katrina and Chris mentioned, you know, they've kind of fell out of favor because of their side effect profile. But recent developments have allowed us to have newer medications in that particular format with much fewer side effects. People can just be on a once-a-month injection medication, or once every three months. And there's product and development for other medications for once every two months. I have this conversation with individuals that I see. It allows them to focus on their recovery, because they don't have to remember to take their medication. And I think that's an important piece. What some of young adults tell me is that they have to take a pill every day that just reminds them that they have an illness. But if they just need to come into the clinic once a month, or every three months for an injection, that helps them focus on their recovery as well. JO  9:18 And Phil, while doing research for this episode, I came across information about using cannabis to treat psychosis. Is that legitimate? PHIL  9:27 No. First of all, a couple of points around that. When we talk about cannabis, keep in mind if we're talking about just overall cannabis plant, there's over 100 active compounds within that. The two most common compounds people hear about, of course, are THC and CBD. And we know that THC is actually more of the risk factor with respect to psychosis development, and poor outcomes after the development of psychosis. There have been some studies trying to look at CBD, cannabidiol, and its potential role within a psychosis, but honestly, there's not a lot. And we just recently published a position statement for the Canadian Psychiatric Association as well as a systematic review and meta-analysis, examining this literature and looking at randomized, controlled trials of different cannabis or cannabinoid products. There's actually only six studies in schizophrenia where they've looked at cannabinoid products, really not much effect. I'm not being negative about it. But just highlighting that we do need a lot more research into this area. And we have to be very clear on what sort of cannabinoid product that we're talking about. JO  10:39 Let's talk about another piece of the recovery puzzle, which is psychological support. Psychological or mental and emotional effects associated with schizophrenia can include depression, anxiety, substance-use, suicidal ideation, and others. These often respond well to treatments such as cognitive behavior therapy, and other emerging approaches such as reality therapy and cognitive remediation. Phil, how do these work? And how can they be integrated with biological solutions? PHIL  11:16 Well first of all, our approach is integrated. We look at, say, medication plus as well as the psychotherapy and psychosocial treatments as well. Having more tools in our toolkit to be able to address the illness. We will have some people who will definitely benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis. And that really allows an individual to learn how to adapt, and respond, and develop strategies to work with their symptoms, for example, so that an individual is not as stressed by their symptoms or able to manage them so that they can do what they want to do, basically, in their day-to-day lives. There's a number of different strategies and therapies along these lines. Some are more similar to each other than not. We have a sort of service and commitment therapy as well, ACT, plus as you mentioned, CBT. But they're really there to help augment that individual's experience with their symptoms, or for example, with comorbid symptoms as well, such as depression and anxiety. JO  12:17 So Chris and Kat, are your peers ever hesitant to add these therapies to their recovery plans? KATRINA  12:25 I know I wasn't. In talking with peers, we usually do touch on some of these possibilities. And there's usually enthusiasm at the idea. Oh yeah, I heard of that, or along those lines where they are willing to engage. CHRIS  12:43 I don't think there would be a hesitancy in general, if people were aware of what their various therapies are. There are many what I call, talk therapies that we can utilize today. Some have been mentioned, cognitive remediation, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and acceptance commitment therapy, and family therapy. People in general, I think, have a fear of going into therapy because someone's going to try to fix me, and I have to expose them to, and I have to reveal all of my problematic thinking or what have you. So, I think the goal of these therapies have to be clearer for the patient or the client, and that is helping one to manage difficulty in the area of cognition and their thinking, helping them in their executive skills, helping them to improve their communication skills and relationships. So, the therapy has to be explained to people that it will be more than a supplement to the medication, where the medication is not able to address certain issues. Talk therapies have been demonstrated to promote the recovery process. JO  13:47 What are the biggest barriers to people not receiving the psychological support they need? CHRIS  13:53 Well number one, here in Canada, psychological support services are not covered by our health care system unless you're a patient in the hospital. But once you're out in the community, you have to shell it out of your own pocket, and most people can't afford psychological support therapies. And also, the lack of awareness about the role that trauma can play in psychosis and recovery. A lot of people don't know about that. And many service providers may not actually be trained in trauma informed care, due to the lack of trauma informed services. So all those things that I've just mentioned, can be great barriers to people receiving the appropriate psychological supports that they need. PHIL  14:32 I'll have to step in and agree with that. Access and availability is a big thing. The other thing to consider as a barrier. Families talk to me about this kind of at the beginning, when is psychotherapy going to start? And sometimes the barrier, of course, is the illness itself and that person to be able to engage and work within some of these therapies, they have to get to a certain cognitive level to be able to do that. And that's where sometimes we have to wait a little bit of time until we get some better control on some of those symptoms, so that people are then able to engage in some of the psychosocial and talk therapies that would be helpful. JO  15:08 What about creative therapies that use art, music, drama, and writing? KATRINA  15:14 Those, speaking from a person of lived experience and pure perspective, can be very, very useful for meditations and journaling, because really it helps somebody walk through and process thoughts, feelings, and experiences. And I personally think that can be very valuable, as it's really helped me in many ways. PHIL  15:40 I'd have to agree. We've been researching areas of this as well, and we published on this too in a number of different formats and looking at mindfulness-based support groups for families looking at self compassion, and mindfulness, in relation to depression and anxiety. And interestingly too, we've even published on claymation art therapy in our youth and young adult population and the benefits of that. One person may do well with claymation art therapy, and another person not interested at all. So, it helps to be able to investigate and to know that these types of therapies and creative therapies can be helpful. JO  16:14 In your stories and insights, I'm hearing that social support is also vital for people recovering from schizophrenia, this being available through peer support, self-help programs, and family education and support. Chris, what are the biggest barriers to people receiving the social support they need? CHRIS  16:35 Society in general and the media as well, they tend to think that it's just all about medication. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked this question through the over 1500 media interviews that I've done, in which I will be asked, "well, how do we make sure these people stay on their medication?" As if medication was the cure all? Again, education is needed that, quote, the treatment of mental illness, and particularly schizophrenia that we're talking about today, is very holistic, so a holistic approach. And that means, what do we do to help people when they're in the community, back at home, back in the community? What kinds of social supports do they need? Whether it's peer support, support groups, whether it's accommodations in pursuing education, accommodation and getting a job, adequate housing, decent income, all those factors. As a society, I think we get it with most other illnesses. These kinds of questions didn't come up when my wife was experiencing breast cancer. There was pure support, there was family engagement, there was family education. There was not just attempts but helping her to connect with various community agencies. One of the things that perhaps gets in the way, which we'll talk about later, is that this profound stigma and prejudice towards people who have a mental illness that live in our community, that affects our policies, that affects our funding. It's a great misconception out there that to address mental illnesses is just a matter of the medical. But as we've listened to Dr. Tibbo and Katrina, they've articulated well that psychological, social, the communal aspects involved in recovery are equally important. JO  18:35 Kat, can you share a story of how important social support is? KATRINA  18:40 The way I'll share it is actually to state that sometimes we hear feedback as peer support workers from our peers, as we're going through the process and discussing with them where they're at and where they're going, and what they're working on, and what they're trying to accomplish. And one of my peers sent back the message, for instance, that I made them feel comfortable, and that I connected with her, that I was nurturing, and calming, and helped that peer make their own decisions that were right for them. And that's, I think, an important piece, that connection to the recovery process and that non-aloneness. And I think that is something that peer support is demonstrating. What we're doing right now at the Mental Health Crisis Response Center is a pilot program. The feedback that we're getting is huge, phenomenal to positive that, yes, this is worth it. JO  19:41 I know you're researching the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical treatment options like therapy and peer support. What have you learned so far? PHIL  19:52 Well, I think the high-level approach to this question is really important. And that we need to continue with our research in looking at non-pharmaceutical options, and the different types of therapy and peer support. Specifically finding out what we can use, what has the best effect, will be important for the population that we work with as well. We have researched peer support and we have found, yes definitely, it is needed and people, as Katrina mentioned, do benefit from it in many varieties of ways. JO  20:21 Chris as a recovery practitioner, you're very familiar with psychosocial rehabilitation, which I've learned among other things, includes case management, advocacy, structured living residences, and rehab centers, for example. Tell us more about that. And what are the biggest barriers to people receiving the rehabilitation they do need? CHRIS  20:46 We have here in Canada, what's called Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada, an organization that promotes psychosocial rehabilitation of all mental health service providers. So it's not just limited, let's say, to social workers or mental health workers. So let me just define it. First of all, psychosocial rehabilitation, also sometimes called psychiatric rehabilitation, it promotes personal recovery, successful community integration, the satisfactory quality of life for persons who have a mental health problem or mental illness. Psychosocial rehabilitation services and supports, they're what we call collaborative, person directed, individualized, and we believe they're essential element of human service prospective. And so the goal of psychiatric rehabilitation, or psychosocial rehabilitation is focused on helping individuals develop skills, and access the resources needed to increase their capacity to be successful and satisfied, in what we would call living, working, learning, and social environments of their choice. And so you need a wide continuum of services and supports. The approaches, they are evidence based. And they are promising practices in key life domains of, let's say, employment, education, leisure, wellness, and basic living skills. And family involvement, family peer support, individual peer support are very important aspects of psychosocial rehabilitation. JO  22:18 Chris, what needs to be in place for this to happen? CHRIS  22:22 Truly integrated comprehensive mental health services in which the various sectors are endorsing and creating relationships with each other. So whether that's psychiatrists, social worker, a mental health worker, spiritual health care director. The team of support around the patient, they're not in competition with each other. They are to be working as a team when they have their meetings, and hopefully, with the patient there, listening to the patient. Again, that's that question. What do you feel would help you? What do you feel you need at this point? And as well as offering, what I want to say as wisdom through listening, offering a wisdom back to the patient in helping them to find the various supports and services in and outside of the hospital, that can promote the recovery experience. JO  23:15 Let's expand upon that and look at vocational rehabilitation, and or training that prepares people with schizophrenia for work that best meets their individual wants and needs. Chris, can you tell us more about that? CHRIS  23:31 So let me just tell you a story to illustrate this point about vocational training. This individual's true-life story who had schizophrenia and he had gone through four mental health workers. Well, what happened with the fourth mental health worker? Began to listen to the individual because he was always very persistent with his mental health workers, that he wanted to be an astronaut. They would just dismiss that, "There's no way you can do that, because you have schizophrenia." Well, the fourth mental health worker began to listen to him and ask him, let's just assume that his name is Joe, and said, "Joe, why would you like to be an astronaut?" And he had seen the first moon landing and other things, and he was very enchanted that he wanted to be an astronaut. So, she asked him then in the course of not just in one conversation, but as they developed their relationship. "Well Joe, what do you think would help you to be able to reach that goal?" And they talked about that, and perhaps hygiene could be a problem. Of course, they began to focus on education. "And so what school do you think there might be, and where would you like to go to school to learn more about this?" And so she encouraged him. "Well, why don't you try for one course?" And he took the course and guess what happened? He failed. But that's not the end of the story. She continued to encourage him about other options, and again, a true-life story. He eventually found work and began to work in a space aeronautics museum, welcoming guests and introducing them to the museum. So did he fulfill his goal and his dream? Yes, but it had to be adjusted. But she didn't give up hope on him in terms of his vocational desire. JO  25:06 What a great story. In my research, I continually came upon the term personalized medicine. Phil, what is personalized medicine? And how could it revolutionize diagnosis and treatment strategies for schizophrenia? PHIL  25:24 Personalized medicine, and sometimes people refer to it as precision medicine as well. So sometimes you hear those terms interchangeably. And really what it is, is the tailoring of the medical treatment to the individual, to the individual characteristics of each patient. It does rely on research, it does rely on an understanding of a person's own unique, molecular, and genetic profile as well, and how that can influence treatment. If you think about a personalized medicine, it is really what's going to be appropriate, what's going to work for you specifically based on who you are, both biologically and otherwise. And really, this sort of came out of the advent of trying to figure out from a genetic perspective, how can we use an individual's unique genetic makeup to guide treatment decision? We're not quite there yet, in that respect, but it allowed us to be able to step back, though, and still think about, okay, what is appropriate for this person that's sitting in front of me. And I think that's a little bit more of a holistic approach to our treatment, and that is truly personalized. Now, if we get to that stage where we can do a cheek swab, get a genetic makeup, and then say, okay, this particular treatment, either medication or otherwise, this is specific to you and will work the best. Obviously, that's a great outcome. Are we there yet? No. But research is going in that direction. JO  26:46 One topic I didn't come across in my research is the role of lifestyle choices in recovery. Healthy habits, like getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly. Kat, how important have lifestyle choices been in your recovery? And do you teach life skills as part of your work with peers? KATRINA  27:09 Lifestyle choices are very important in my recovery. It's something I pay very close attention to. As far as teaching life skills, we do workshops that do some form of teaching, but teaching as an agenda. It's more of an exploration type discussion. JO  27:30 Phil, what do you see in your research and hear from your patients about the importance of lifestyle choices? PHIL  27:36 Research obviously has shown that it's very important, these lifestyle choices. What are lifestyle choices? These could be anything from smoking, cannabis use, to sedentary lifestyle, activity, diet, a number of different choices. We know that individually each of those, and accumulatively each of those can have an effect on outcomes. And the research is pretty solid with respect to that. And so a lot of our focus, so once we get to some of the early sort of phases is, okay really, how can we improve lifestyle, what kind of healthy choices we can help people with lived experience make. We do things, we have a project where we got some funding currently from our Mental Health Foundation, where we're trying to target our rural population. So we got Fitbits. So that allows us to measure and monitor some things along the lines of sleep and steps and exercise. But to be able to send that to their clinicians and to be able to have those discussions, that's sort of great talking points about lifestyle. CHRIS  28:36 Let me combine that question about lifestyle choices and the previous one about personal medicine. Personal medicine, in terms of consumer movement or people who live with mental illnesses, it was really first introduced in early 2003 as a result of qualitative research conducted by Dr. Patricia Deegan. Now, Patricia Deegan is a psychologist, PhD, has lived experience of schizophrenia and experience of recovery. And so personal medicine along with what Dr. Tibbo said, is also about what we do that's medicinal for us in managing, let's say, my depression. What are those lifestyle choices that I know helped me in terms of managing all the stress associated with living with a mental illness? And stress can lead to relapse, we know. So it's not necessarily something prescribed by a doctor or nurse. It comes from within, and it's finding that right balance of what to do and what we take in our pathway to recovery. So that can be mindfulness, can be spirituality, it can be running and exercise. Those things that you know help you to manage your illness in terms of stress management, increasing your resiliency, and your mental health as well, because people with a mental illness can have positive mental health. We know that. And so that word as Patricia Deegan has written about it, personalized medicine has to do with those things that we know that are uniquely medicinal for us, and helping us move forward in our recovery. JO  30:16 Thanks Chris, great comments. Phil, is there any science to support the role of practices such as meditation in recovery? PHIL  30:26 Yes, there is research on this. It's not necessarily for everyone. But for people who can do mindfulness-based practices and meditation, it definitely has been shown to be quite helpful in a number of different ways. I don't say for individuals with lived experience, but we published actually on mindfulness-based techniques for family members, and definitely see the benefits within that group as well. JO  30:50 Advancing technology is another thing I'm hearing a lot about for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Phil, from your perspective and in your practice, can you bring us up to speed on that? PHIL  31:02 Our advances of technology, we're trying to utilize those as best as we can, as quickly as we can as well. And also moving from research to clinical applications, of course, is really quite important. Kind of alluded to this a little bit earlier. We have had advances in the various brain imaging techniques to help us with diagnosis. And there's a lot of different types of brain imaging techniques that are focused either on brain structure, but as well as brain function, and of course, the different parts of the brain, white matter and gray matter. And then other types of diagnostic technologies are there, treatments as well, such as rTMS. There's a lot of this that's happening. And I don't want to minimize that there's a lot of research that have gone into the development and use of smartphone apps as well, and their utility within helping people move forward with their lives and on their treatment to recovery goals. JO  31:56 Chris, what about that technology for social support services? CHRIS  32:01 Well, there are two things that COVID has surfaced for us. Number one has placed mental health definitely on the radar. Ninety-eight percent of Canadians are more concerned about the impact of mental health. Secondly, the use of virtual technology, and that will not go away after the pandemic. In fact, about a year and a half ago, I had my first FaceTime experience with my GP. I never thought that would happen. So use of Zoom and other technology to offer peer support individually, to offer support groups. Many of the schizophrenia societies across Canada are doing education with family members through virtual technology. So that's not going to go away after the pandemic. It is all in a state of development. I think Dr. Tibbo, when he and I've had discussions on this, we have to look at safety, confidentiality issues, privacy, and having good standards. And then, are the various apps that have been developed and ought to be developed, are they evidence based and effective? So I'm excited about where virtual technology can lead us, especially for people who live outside of urban areas. But the great challenge is that many people with mental illnesses, especially if they're on income security, they don't have access to internet, they can't afford a laptop or an iPhone. JO  33:24 Kat, how willing are your peers to take advantage of advancing technologies? KATRINA  33:30 It's hard to conjecture, because every peer is different. As Chris pointed out, even the ability of some might be limited. But from what I'm hearing as we compare notes, peers and I, now hey I have that app, this app that works really good for me. It comes up. So I think, for the most part, it's very favorable in that direction. JO  33:53 Chris mentioned COVID-19, and just a very quick question. Phil, how has COVID affected your patients with schizophrenia? PHIL  34:03 Keep in mind that for my particular patients that I see, it's mainly youth and young adults, and actually the resilience there is really quite high. And the adaptation to virtual technologies, such as Zoom and having meetings along those lines, they're actually fairly quick to adapt to. However, what is also interesting is that a lot of the youth and young adults that I see actually didn't want to have their meetings via Zoom. They'd rather be in person. So we've tried our best to work with that. We obviously want to make sure that nobody is going to have relapse or have any ill effects because of COVID. I think we did a pretty good job of pivoting and shifting service delivery and care to accommodate that. COVID-19 overall in the general population, there's a lot of research that has gone into that and we have seen an increase in, for example, substance use in this population. We've also studied acute care admissions to the inpatient units, and I've seen a shift during the height of COVID in states of emergency declarations, where the substances have played a role, a more significant role in admissions than they did before, as well as in a little bit older age group than what we would normally see in a non-COVID year. JO  35:15 Chris, what are you seeing with your peers and their families as a result of COVID? CHRIS  35:22 Each of my workdays, two to three hours now, have been devoted to taking phone calls and answering emails since the pandemic began, by individuals and family members who are looking for additional help. There is evidence that people with schizophrenia are more likely to develop the illness resulting from COVID-19, as opposed to the general population. I think fundamentally, what some recent reports have indicated is that it's become somewhat harder for people with pre-existing mental illnesses to consistently get not only psychiatric care, but also primary health care. JO  36:02 Kat has the pandemic been difficult for you? KATRINA  36:07 It's been challenging in ways for myself and for my peers. For instance, some describe that it slammed them when they were in healthy spaces. It actually slammed them right back into illness because it looked the same. Now, we were isolating, so they were isolated, again, or still. And that just took them back into it. Just as one example alone. For me, I have to admit riding buses to commute to and from work is a challenge because of what I see. And it causes me a little stress. The people that pull their masks down on the bus when they're supposed to have it up, and stuff like that. But for the most part, I think it's, we're just all hanging in there. JO  36:57 Before moving on to talk about stigma, I'd like to thank our major sponsors again, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, Emil Anderson Construction, WorkSafeBC, and AECOM Engineering Canada. As a registered charity, we rely on support from sponsorships, grants, and donations. If you'd like to support our HEADS UP programming, please visit freshoutlookfoundation.org/donations. As I say on every podcast, you can't have a conversation about mental health, without talking about stigma. Phil, how does stigma affect people you've researched and treated biologically and psychologically? PHIL  37:40 Stigma can be a huge part of the illness. There are a number of elements to stigma as well. And I'm sure Chris and Katrina will elaborate on these as well, and some we've already alluded to as well within our discussion. Because stigma can affect people's entry into care. And that because of the stigma around the illness, or stigma actually even towards mental health, either themselves or even within their family members as well, can actually affect their pathways to care. And we've done some research on that and have been able to show that. And then when somebody is in care too, and we do have to work with what we sometimes call self stigma, people's perceptions and ideas of what a diagnosis of schizophrenia means and what it can mean. And so there's those elements as well. And of course, we're trying to be the best advocates that we can for patients and our families. And that's where we try to work with the stigma in other areas around society towards the illness, towards mental health, of course, in general. Being those advocates and supports towards vocational or educational pursuits as well. We've definitely gotten a lot better with respect to that over the last number of years, but there still exists some of that stigma out there. JO  38:54 Kat, how would you describe stigma from the perspective of a person with schizophrenia? KATRINA  38:59 I would describe it as a belittlement. And a discreditation is a way of writing somebody off to make them not count. It's even, now how many times do you see it on TV used in a court of law, theoretically, to discredit somebody so much that that witness doesn't even count. It's a write off, and that's not fair. JO  39:21 Chris, what about the impacts of social and vocational stigma on the people you're advocating for? CHRIS  39:28 Well, first of all, we need to understand that all stigmas are built on the same formula. And that is misconceptions and myths, plus lack of education multiplied by fear, results in prejudice, and none of us are immune from prejudice. We all as a human experience. And what we need to do is to be able to look at our attitudes, confront them, and be willing to grow up, to change. Because there is societal stigma, and then when an individual with a mental illness internalizes society's stigma, we call that self stigma. So they think, well, I must have a broken brain and I'm not deserving. And then there's structural stigma in terms of laws, and policies, and practices that result in unfair treatment of people with a mental illness. Now, what does it all result in? It's not just about hurt feelings. Stigma results in a reluctance to seek out treatment. It delays treatment, it increases morbidity and mortality, it results in social rejection, avoidance, and isolation. It results in worse psychological well-being for individuals living with a mental illness. There's poor understanding amongst friends and families. Stigma can lead to harassment, violence, and bullying, poor quality of life, increased socio-economic burden. That's above and beyond the shame and the self doubt that the individual may face. That is perhaps our greatest enemy in promoting comprehensive mental health services and recovery oriented mental health services. That's why we have to advocate as Martin Luther King did, as other leaders and various other movements did, to claim our voice and to identify injustices where they are, and what impedes our being able to see people with mental illnesses as our brothers and sisters, our neighbor, and the fact that we should love one another as we love ourselves. JO  41:33 Kat, you and Chris have both experienced the mental health care system. Just wondering what you've seen, as far as stigma goes within that system. CHRIS  41:43 Well, the Mental Health Commission did a study a number of years ago amongst mental health service providers, and it found that stigma is alive and well within our mental health system, and those who provide psychiatric supports and services. So that might be surprising to people. None of us are immune to stigma, it has to be addressed. And whether you're a doctor, a psychiatrist, a police officer, a correctional guard in one of our prisons, people have to receive supportive education, which helps them to identify their attitudes, which leads to actions of discrimination, or improper behavior, or working with clients, patients, prisoners, etc. So this is a huge issue. JO  42:36 So we're on the homestretch. Now, given what you've learned over the years, what would you say to give hope to people who are early in their recovery journeys? CHRIS  42:48 What I would say is, I want you to meet Katrina. Katrina has lived experience of psychosis. But she also has found ways to move forward and live beyond the limitations of mental illness. She's a peer support worker. And so Katrina, through her lived experience, she will listen. And she will give you realistic hope. Because the hope for recovery is possible. I know this is a difficult time for you right now. And the next couple of years, it may seem like you're not coming out of this deep, dark hole. So what I'm saying here is that I think introducing patients to a peer support worker as soon as possible, can help with the depression and the forlornness that a person may be experiencing by receiving a diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia. We need to be realistic, but also, we need to communicate hope that things can get better. And the person who can communicate that the best is a peer support worker who's been down that road and knows what helps and hinders recovery. JO  43:53 Kat, what have you learned about hope? KATRINA  43:56 I've learned that it is the most wondrous and beautiful thing in existence to have hope, and that life without hope, isn't life at all. JO  44:06 Chris, what would you say to family members who are confused, fearful, and frustrated? CHRIS  44:13 I would say that it's normal. It's very normal to be confused, and frustrated, and fearful, and to feel shame. It's normal. And that is not your fault. But that help is available. We know more than we've ever known before about schizophrenia, psychosis, treatment modalities, what helps in the recovery process. And so I would encourage the family who's new at all of this, that there are individuals known as family navigators, or family peer support workers, and that there's family education. There are support groups because the family is in recovery too. The individual with schizophrenia or psychosis, they're not the only one in recovery. But the family is also on a recovery journey, in terms of dealing with their stigma. Dealing with their fears and their frustration, learning communication skills with their loved one who has a mental illness, and that there's hope for the entire family. And things can get better, but not minimizing the barriers and the frustrations that are there. JO  45:17 Phil, what would you say to medical and mental health professionals to help them better understand schizophrenia, and to respond more compassionately? PHIL  45:26 A lot of it is that storytelling, and a lot of what we're doing here tonight too, as well, and just appreciate that a diagnosis of schizophrenia is not necessarily a negative diagnosis, and that people can have great outcomes. And its outcomes based on the individual and what they perceive that their own personal sense of well-being and psychological well-being. And so appreciating and having them appreciate the various outcomes that can exist within schizophrenia and psychosis. So it really comes down to still a lot of that education, that's important. It's not necessarily education, for example, from me from the medical community. It's also education for family members. It's education from people with lived experience, as well. And these are very important stories for the medical community to hear. JO  46:08 How would you pitch the need for wholesale change in mental health care to the people making those policy and funding decisions, Chris? CHRIS  46:18 Well, in terms of policymakers and politicians, I think that we not only point out to them, and most the time they know this already, that our current mental health system is not adequate. And it fails many people. And that most people struggling with a mental health problem or mental illness, are not getting the kinds of supports and services that we've talked about on this podcast today. But then I would move forward, promoting transformation of the mental health system through the recovery philosophy. Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, England, has moved towards recovery oriented mental health services. In fact, the fastest growing occupation in the mental health system in England is that of peer support workers, embedding peer support workers in the mental health system, which can help transform the mental health system. We have to educate those who make policy, in politicians. And we have to get to administrators and hospitals and other domains, and not just write recovery into policies, but develop toolkits to help practitioners to move towards a recovery environment. We have to be patient, but we have to be persistent. And we have to be consistent in our advocacy. And we have to speak with one voice. The best advocacy is collaborative advocacy. Unfortunately, there is still much debate within the mental health community about the medical model versus the recovery philosophy. But we have to persist, we have to be determined we can overcome. PHIL  47:57 So it's a great question. And I guess I kind of go back to some of a little bit what I mentioned earlier, it shouldn't be me doing this pitch for wholesale change. And sometimes I really think it needs to come from those individuals who are living it, both the individuals with lived experience, and their family members. And oftentimes, our major changes in either service delivery, or funding, or policy have come because of the advocacy of family and individuals with lived experience as well. We can be there in the medical community to help support, and give that research, and give the data, and look at cost analysis. But the pitch needs to be unified with all the important stakeholders. JO  48:38 And what would you say to those of us who may not know enough about schizophrenia, but who are willing to explore our ignorance and our conscious and or unconscious biases? CHRIS  48:50 Well, it's all about contact-based education. So what I would say to a person is get to know someone, get to know that relative who has schizophrenia, and get to know that neighbour who is experiencing psychosis the same way I had to do when I was a racist in the deep south. In the first part of my life, as a child, as a teenager and young adult, I had to confront my racism. And the way I did that was by moving out of my supposed circle of safety. And that was getting to know people different from me, people of colour. Eating with them, praying with them, interacting, listening to their hopes and dreams. And then you see a person. So we have to do the same thing in terms of going beyond our comfort zones, to learning the truth about the reality of people who live with psychosis or any mental illness. JO  49:44 Kat, any comments? KATRINA  49:46 To those who are willing to explore, you'll find a whole new world because you'll rediscover people that were there the whole time. JO  49:56 What I've discovered is a whole new world of potential. So, not only for people with schizophrenia, but for collaborative change. CHRIS  50:06 Exactly. You mentioned a wonderful word, their potential. In fact, that is the mission of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada. Build a Canada, where people living with psychosis and schizophrenia achieve their potential. And that's what recovery is all about. JO  50:26 So in closing, I have just one more question for each of you. Given what you've learned, personally and professionally, and what we're collectively learning through research and advancing technology, how do you envision the world of schizophrenia changing over the next 20 or 30 years? Kat, let's start with you. KATRINA  50:48 That there won't be the fear of the illness to stop people from finding out if they need help, how to do it. That there won't be this belittlement that can lead to the self stigma, which feels horrible. That there will be treatments that encompass the wholeness of who you are, working together in greater capacity than where we're at now. We have made some progress, but we're not there yet. JO  51:23 Chris, your vision? CHRIS  51:24 We will live in a society in which no one is left behind. Not because they have schizophrenia or psychosis. That stigma will basically be a thing of the past, and it will not be our big albatross. That in fact, that treatments will go beyond anti-psychotics and won't even have to use antipsychotics. And that the recovery philosophy will be fully ingrained within our mental health system. That's what I hope for. PHIL  51:56 I think we'll have a better understanding of the illness and understanding, for example, from the biological underpinnings of the illness. That will in itself help us to understand the best treatments for schizophrenia. So I think we'll see some advancement there within the biological treatments, but as well as the psychosocial or psychotherapy type of treatments, as well. And I think really what we're seeing as well, is just that better understanding and appreciation. I think in 20 or 30 years, we'll see some of the stigma being reduced as well. I think what will continue to happen is that understanding of illness, and it's really getting back to that early intervention piece. And people understanding that if things aren't really quite right, they should get it checked out. And I do make that analogy when I do some public speaking about skin cancer, and that we've had enough education at this point to realize, okay, if we have a funny looking mole, we should get it checked out. May not be anything, but it may be something that needs a little bit more attention. Hopefully, we will be in 20 or 30 years with mental health and wellness as well, is that enough education there to say, okay, if things aren't really quite right, then we should get it checked out. Again, maybe nothing, but it may be something that needs attention. The earlier that attention is there and the treatment than the better the outcomes. JO  53:10 Thanks so much to all of you for your profound insights, ideas, and passions for making the world a much better place for people with schizophrenia, their families and friends, their employers, and society at large. Phil, I so admire and applaud your attention to the ever-changing details of diagnosis, and both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment options. Your boundless curiosity will certainly make schizophrenia less mysterious, and perhaps one day even curable or preventable. PHIL  53:46 Thank you so much for that. And importantly, as these venues, these educational opportunities, these podcasts, are really going to help us to those eventual goals as well. Thank you very much for this opportunity. JO  53:58 Kat and Chris, your willingness to be vulnerable so that others might be helped, is truly inspiring. And I'm sure will help to inform and transform the evolving conversation around social support and advocacy. KATRINA  54:14 It's a pleasure to help. I know, if I would have had peer support years ago, things would have been different. And that's why I'm working so hard to be a peer support worker is to make that difference. JO  54:31 Chris? CHRIS  54:31 I hope that the listeners of this podcast will be inspired and motivated to take a different approach to seeing people who have a mental illness. And here's the statement, ask not what illness a person has, ask what person the illness has. See a person, not an illness. JO  54:53 Thank you both. This is one of the most robust and powerful discussions I've had. The three of you, what you bring to the conversation individually is astounding, but how well you blended your experiences and insights is really truly remarkable. This has been a wonderful, wonderful experience for me. That's a wrap on Part 2 of our podcast on schizophrenia. Be sure to catch Part 1, which focuses on stories, signs, myths, and recovery philosophy. Huge thanks again to our guests for sharing their amazing minds and spirits. To connect with Kat, Chris, or Phil, check out the episode show notes at freshoutlookfoundation.org/podcasts where you'll find contact info, complete bios, and a transcript. I'd appreciate you leaving a review as well. I'm also grateful for all you listeners and hope this information inspires and mobilizes you along the rapidly changing road to recovery. If you haven't already signed up for monthly HEADS UP e-blasts about new episodes, please visit freshoutlookfoundation.org. And for ongoing information, follow us on Facebook at FreshOutlookFoundation and Twitter at FreshOutlook. In closing, be healthy and let's connect again soon. Episode Reviews

SUMMARY Schizophrenia affects about 80 million people from all countries, cultures, ages, abilities, and genders. This two-part podcast explores their widespread challenges, and the hope and healing opportunities available to them and their families via integrated bio-psycho-social-spiritual-vocational therapies. In Part 1, Katrina Tinman (peer support worker with lived experience), Chris Summerville (CEO of the Canadian Schizophrenia Society), and Dr. Phil Tibbo (clinical/research psychiatrist specializing in psychosis-related illnesses) share personal stories, recount history, summarize signs and stages, bust myths, introduce recovery philosophy, and argue for recovery-focused healthcare. TAKEAWAYS This Part 1 podcast will help you understand: First-hand experience of schizophrenia and ongoing recovery Sibling experience with schizophrenia in pre-recovery era Current global and Canadian Schizophrenia statistics Definitions and differences between psychosis and schizophrenia Signs, stages, and the “schizophrenia spectrum” Psychological and physical conditions that can co-occur with schizophrenia History of diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia Relationships with loved ones, friends, peers, and patients with schizophrenia Recovery philosophy and language and its evolution over time Recovery movement supported by government policies, programs, and funding SPONSOR The Social Planning & Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis, and community development approaches to social justice. The SPARC team supports the council's 16,000 members, and works with communities to build a just and healthy society for all. THANK YOU for supporting the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Summit and the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast.   RESOURCES RECOVERY: Research Into Recovery Recovery Model of Mental Illness: A Complementary Approach to Psychiatric Care A National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health Recovery-oriented Practice − An Implementation Toolkit PEER SUPPORT: Peer Support  The Future is Peer Support Using Peer Support in Developing Empowering Mental Health Services MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA: Fighting Stigma and Discrimination Is Fighting for Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination Addressing Stigma Five Ways to End Mental Health Stigma SCHIZOPHRENIA: Hope and Recovery Schizophrenia Treatment and Self-help   GUESTS  Katrina Tinman Katrina Tinman is a peer support worker for Peer Connections Manitoba, formerly the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, and is located at the Mental Health Crisis Response Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Katrina is currently working toward formal peer support worker certification with Peer Support Canada, though she already has peer support certification through the Ontario Peer Development Initiative. Katrina received a university education in journalism and political science in 1998, from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Since then, she's had a wide range of life experiences from working in the professional arena, extensive travel, motorcycle riding, alpine skiing, and SCUBA diving, to homelessness and mental illness. Regardless of some negative life experiences, Katrina's greatest achievement was a sense of fearlessness that carried her through along with hope for the future. Now she's able, through her peer support work, to use her life's insights to help others in their recovery from crisis and mental illness. Email: k.tinman@peerconnectionsmb.ca Website: www.peerconnectionsmb.ca  Facebook: www.facebook.com/katrina.tinman.5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinman_katrina Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/katrinatinman Chris Summerville, BA, MDiv, M.Miss, D.Min, LLD (Honorary) Chris Summerville is from a family with mental health challenges (father and brother with bi-polar disorder, a brother with schizophrenia, siblings living with depression, and two suicides). He has also received mental health care himself, which has informed and inspired his work as CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada since 2007. Chris has been involved with the schizophrenia-recovery movement for nearly 30 years, having served on the boards of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Mood Disorders Society of Canada, National Network for Mental Health, and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada. Chris earned a doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary, is a certified psychosocial rehabilitation recovery practitioner (CPRRP), and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Brandon University in 2014. He is a regional, provincial, and national leader and advocate for a transformed, person-centered, recovery-oriented mental healthcare system, and believes mental health concerns should be addressed using integrated bio-psycho-social-spiritual-vocational approaches.  Email: Chris@schizophrenia.ca Website: www.schizophrenia.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchizophreniaSocietyCanada Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchizophreniaCa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/schizophrenia-society-of-canada Phil Tibbo, MD, FRCPC Phil Tibbo was named the first Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders, an endowed research chair, at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry with a cross-appointment in psychology at Dalhousie University, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. He is also director of the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program (NSEPP) and co-director of the Nova Scotia Psychosis Research Unit (NSPRU). Dr. Tibbo is funded by local and national peer reviewed funding agencies and well published in leading journals. His publications are primarily around schizophrenia, and his current foci of study include individuals at the early phase of, and individuals at risk for, a psychotic illness. Dr. Tibbo's areas of research include application of in vivo brain neuroimaging techniques, to study psychosis as well as research interests in co-morbidities in schizophrenia, psychosis genetics, addictions and psychosis, stigma and burden, pathways to care, education, and non-pharmacological treatment options. Dr. Tibbo is president of the Canadian Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis (CCEIP), helping to advance early intervention care at the national level. He is a recipient (2015) of the Michael Smith Award from the Schizophrenia Society of Canada for research and leadership in schizophrenia, recipient of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health's Champion of Mental Health Research/Clinician award in 2017 and, most recently, recipient of the 2018 Regional Prix d'excellence – Specialist of the Year – Region 5 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Email: phil.tibbo@nshealth.ca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-tibbo-62170b18/ HOST Jo de Vries is a community education and engagement specialist with 30 years of experience helping local governments in British Columbia connect with their citizens about important sustainability issues. In 2006, she established the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) to “inspire community conversations for sustainable change.” FOF's highly acclaimed events include Building SustainABLE Communities conferences, Reel Change SustainAbility Film Fest, Eco-Blast Kids' Camps, CommUnity Innovation Lab, Breakfast of Champions, and Women 4 SustainAbility. FOF's newest ventures are the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Summit and HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast. Website: Fresh Outlook Foundation Phone: 250-300-8797   PLAY IT FORWARD The move toward optimal mental health becomes possible as more people learn about the challenges, successes, and opportunities. To that end, please share this podcast with anyone who has an interest or stake in the future of mental health and wellness. FOLLOW US For more information about the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) and our programs and events, visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, and like us on Facebook and Twitter.   HELP US As a charity, FOF relies on support from grants, sponsors, and donors to continue its valuable work. If you benefited from the podcast, please help fund future episodes by making a one-time or monthly donation. Katrina Tinman, Chris Summerville, Phil Tibbo Interview Transcript You can download a pdf of the transcript here. The entire transcript is also found below: RICK  0:10 Welcome to the HEADS UP Community Mental Health podcast. Join our host Jo de Vries with the Fresh Outlook Foundation, as she combines science with storytelling to explore a variety of mental health issues with people from all walks of life. Stay tuned. JO  0:32 Hey, Jo here. Thanks for joining me and my three guests as we learn about schizophrenia, perhaps the most misunderstood and stigmatized of all mental illnesses. In this two-part podcast brought to you by the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, we'll explore the challenges experienced by people with schizophrenia, and the proven opportunities for healing available to them. We'll hear from three remarkable people who are devoting their lives to the cause. First, a woman with decades of lived experience, who is now helping others along their own recovery journeys. Then, the executive director of the Canadian Schizophrenia Society, will share his personal and professional observations about recovery, and needed systemic change. And finally, a clinical and research psychiatrist will share past, present, and emerging diagnostic and treatment strategies, along with his thoughts about recovery philosophy. But before that, let's connect with Rick our researcher to learn the basics. RICK  1:37 First off schizophrenia is not a single distinct illness, but instead a psychiatric diagnosis with various symptoms found on the schizophrenia spectrum. There is no single lab test or brain scan for schizophrenia. Doctors will explore symptoms on the spectrum if there are no medical conditions, mental illness, or substance-use issues that could be causing signs of the illness. JO  2:04 What symptoms are doctors looking for to confirm a diagnosis of schizophrenia? RICK  2:10 Symptoms are classed as positive, negative, or cognitive. Positive, or psychotic symptoms include hallucinations and delusions. These occur when a person loses touch with reality and must be present for a diagnosis. Negative symptoms indicate lost capacity, such as social or occupational dysfunction, or a lack of hygiene, expressiveness, or motivation. Cognitive symptoms affect thinking processes, and can impair concentration, memory, judgment, and decision-making skills. JO  2:49 Who's most affected by schizophrenia? RICK  2:51 Symptoms are typically first recognized in the late teens and early 20's. While boys are 40 percent more likely than girls to be diagnosed, girls are more likely to be diagnosed at an older age. JO  3:06 Do we know what causes schizophrenia? RICK  3:08 While potential causes are still unknown, experts agree that several vulnerabilities can set the stage including genetics, prenatal infection or birth complications, abnormal brain structure, chemistry, trauma, cognitive impairment, and environmental stressors. JO  3:29 Last question Rick, how widespread is the illness? RICK  3:33 People from all geographies, races, cultures, abilities, genders, and socio-economic groups have the illness. About one percent of the world's population is affected. That's about 80 million people worldwide, or about 380,000 in Canada. JO  3:52 Thanks Rick, it's certainly a big problem with serious implications for individuals, families, workplaces, communities, and certainly our mental health care systems. For more information, you can visit the Canadian Schizophrenia Society at schizophrenia.ca. I can't wait to dig in deeper with our guests, the first of whom is Katrina Tinman, a peer support worker at the Mental Health Crisis Response Center with Peer Connections Manitoba. Welcome Kat, and thanks so much for joining us. KATRINA  4:29 Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. JO  4:32 Later, we'll explore the stigma and discrimination faced by people with schizophrenia. But for now, I'd like to share my own story of stereotyping. Until I met Kat and her colleague Tracy Kosowan, I'd never spoken to anyone with the illness. My only experience was seeing people in my community who I knew were affected. Some walked fast, their faces expressionless with eyes focused straight ahead. Others talk to themselves. One fellow always carried a stack of books, while another always wore headphones and the same dirty clothes. That was the extent of my understanding about the illness. Then I learned about Kat's life and read a speech Tracy wrote. My first thought was just how difficult their journeys have been, and how amazingly resilient they both are. I don't know that I would have been so able or determined to recover if I'd been in their shoes. Mostly though, I was struck by the fact that they're just like me, women with mental health challenges who've learned to manage their conditions, their work, their lives, and their dreams in meaningful and productive ways. So Kat, let's open with your incredible story. Where's the best place to start? KATRINA  5:49 You know, it took a few twists and turns. It started though, as just an average kid, growing up middle class, Can-American in my case because I'm a dual citizen. That was the one unique thing about me. I'm a dual citizen of Canada in the United States. And as I progressed through schooling, I did very well, even was one of who's who in American high school students, as I was studying high school in the United States. Attended University of Fargo, North Dakota and graduated in 1998 with a degree in journalism and political science. That took me to about the age of 25. And that's when things started to change. Now not really right away, because I met, married, and fell in love with somebody, not necessarily in that order, and became a sales and marketing director for a pool set company actually making pools accessible for elderly and disabled. I traveled, skied, rode motorcycles, camped, played Texas hold'em poker, and even scuba dove. I was living the life, as my cousin once said, and never expected what was coming my way. But there were a few things that didn't pan out. And a few things that were kind of negative. By 2003, I started to experience symptoms that others noticed. I'd say it this way, because I never recognized or realized myself that I was getting sick in any regard. I just knew people were telling me, "oh there's something wrong" and, "might be a mood disorder." Though they were never certain back then what was going on in my head. In ways, neither was I. It's a very sneaky thing at first. I just didn't see it. And I should have realized the potential. But that's hindsight because my mother actually had illness before I did. What got me though, was mental illness, it's not a genetic absolute, and that I always knew. So I didn't get how I had it, and didn't see the absolute and I wasn't seeing it myself. I went through my many experiences from 2003 'til present, and actually define I had two different journeys of recovery. The first one concluding coming to a climax point in 2009, where I had reached a point of going from being examined and not really recognizing, realizing it, and starting to get it, I guess, that in 2009, the doctors actually said, "well, you can go off medications, your insight is strong enough, you're aware." A lot of things changed for me in 2009. I divorced my now ex-husband, and I no longer was employed. And that presented a lot of stress. And I ended up not recognizing or realizing it again, because I still was at the point of not acknowledging illness. I actually thought it was just because my marriage turned out to be a bad one. Discreditation of me, I thought it was just trying to write me off, make me not count, make my voice not heard, and things of that nature. In 2009, those stressors really served to trigger me. And it was retrospectively, I can say it now, at the time I couldn't, I didn't think it was me. But in 2009 in July, I was starting to really get sick and go on that journey. And because, at the time, I was so immersed in my divorce and some of the other things of trying to find a job in an economy that actually was taking a massive hit in 2008 and 2009, I still didn't see it. And I actually moved myself from Fargo, North Dakota where I was residing to Tucson, Arizona in search of a job. Even that decision might have been a sign of my illness at play in a way and I just continued straight downward in a long, slow spiral. By 2010, my economic assistance, unemployment, had run out and I was no longer able to maintain housing. It just collapsed more and more and the illness did reveal. But it's retrospect that shows me that at the time, I didn't really realize. That's one of the things about the illness. It's like this betrayal from the inside out. You can't believe what's inside. By 2010, I basically went back to Fargo, North Dakota with assistance from somebody. But things were still getting worse and worse and worse. My decision making was horrible. It really was. Even my choices in partners were based in unreal things in ways. And I still, up until that point, didn't see it. By 2011, I actually left Fargo and came back to Winnipeg, where I was born, and just tried to survive, still not getting it. By 2013, though, I was actually already at the point of homeless because that was from 2011, through on again off again in very assorted ways, and in hospital. Somebody actually cared enough to look at me and say, "No, there's something here." And it started to sink in. But not until about 2012, 2013. I went that long a time. Not getting, not seeing, not wanting to either. There was one particular instance, a former roommate saw me on the street. I converse with him briefly and he right away said, "Are you okay? Are you sure you're okay?" There was an instance where I'm trying to take a moment to feel human in the midst of homelessness. I went into a dress shop to try on a dress. And it did hit in the back of my brain as I looked in the mirror at myself and saw what I had become, which really was not good. I had shrunk from being a size 14 and 2009ish to being a size six by end of 2009, down to by 2012 when I was homeless, I was shrinking down to zero. It was like I was shrinking away to nothingness. Now, that's a lot to take in. But there was still hope. And that's what actually got me. There were a few instances over time of help that came my way. And I think I started to recognize that. And, it's not easy saying it but I ended up in hospital involuntarily. But it was because somebody cared enough to call. And there was enough evidence of it. It wasn't because of the want to harm self or others that wasn't present. But the detriment to self was really there. For all of it. I never had suicidal ideation. But there was definitely enough evidence of illness present. I was having hallucinations. I was having delusions. My cognitive impairment was definitely present. It was all of it. And once again, it took a lot out of me because when I was a kid, I was nothing like that. I made it all the way through university, attaining exceptionality in grades, and doing well and juggling multiple jobs to get her done. In conjunction with financial aid, I was able to work for a decade actually being a sales and marketing director. But in that journey of recovery there was some semblance of support system, while I was married. Now the hard part was that marriage end and that transition. My parents, they had actually reached a point where they were no longer together, and they were both at retirement age. And they didn't have a way to support me and give me that help. And I was residing in an area that didn't have much social structure for agencies to help. And I moved to another area that really didn't have anything that I could find easily. But in the midst of it all, I wasn't looking because I wasn't seeing that I was sick. And it wasn't until 2013, that really, it came about in a hospital. I was actually walked through some of the questions, now what are the berms? And it was something that I realized, oh no, you're asking me that when the berms were something, and that moment I realized were something unreal. And to this day, I wish I could thank those doctors. Just saying in those moments, you can say they saved me. There's so much more that I could encapsulate between 2003 to 2013. Because one of my stories includes hitchhiking across two countries, lost. Still kind of survived, but I was truly lost. The education was wasted. Those four and a half years I spent obtaining a degree with two areas of focus, that was out of the window. When I was released from hospital in 2013, I did finally have network, I had a social worker, a mental health worker. And at discharge, it was first a question where to get housing. I took what was available, which was actually the Winnipeg Hotel, which was a dive hotel. Only had one incident there that was unpleasant, and ended up there for a year, and then was able to get into housing. And that was beginning of 2014. That same timeframe, the social worker, after engaging me for a while and trying to pick my life back up from being at that bottom point, he actually had this broad sheet of information about some of the agencies that Winnipeg had. And it was at that point, I kind of reached a juncture of where do I go. Because at that point, I finally had a diagnosis. What originally started in 2003 as just well, mood disorder, we don't really know what's going on, mood disorder, we'll just call it that. Because it's a mood disorder, we know that it had evolved. And by 2013, it was schizoaffective disorder, which is the traits of schizophrenia and the traits of a mood disorder, in my case bipolar. That still kind of left this trick of where to go, because the agencies that I found were very illness specific. But I found the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, and Chris Summerville actually. I actually first met, though, a woman named Karen who worked for the organization. And she kind of introduced me to what it stood for and what it was about and what help might be. I started using that opportunity. Something had shifted in myself in 2013 and 2012 end point, where after going through all of it, which included the self stigma even, I turned around on myself and re-embraced myself and said, "Well, I'm still human, I'm still me. And okay, so there's this illness point, but it can be dealt with just like mom dealt with diabetes." And I was able to turn things around and started going to the Schizophrenia Society, and then falling for it in a way of deciding, well, this might be a good place to volunteer, and pay back all that I had acquired through social structure and help in other regard. And I progressed and stayed a volunteer until the beginning of 2015 and was at that moment able to become an employee. Now 2014 is when I was able to move into housing, that was actual housing. It took a year, though, for things to really flush out where I could look for a job again. And yes, in 2015, the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society offered me that opportunity. JO  19:21 Thank you for sharing Kat. Your incredibly compelling story is the reason that we do this podcast. I'm so blown away by your resilience. Can you tell me where you think that comes from? KATRINA  19:35 I really think it comes from my parents and how they raised me. I don't know beyond that, something else inside me, my faith and hope that I found the beauty that still surrounded me that I could still see. A psychologist in my early recovery journey, once spoke with me and the psychiatrist both, about how the truth is still in people. And there's still all those parts of reality there. It's just kind of piecing it back together again. JO  20:09 So how do you support yourself, or what do you tell yourself, during your most challenging moments? KATRINA  20:16 I remind myself that I've already done so much. I take a look at all that I have done and realized, not many could. Because I look around and there's so many who are there, and are not doing it, and are not getting out of it, and are still in their places and spaces that are more difficult for new people venturing into those spaces. I actually am now at this point where I'm turned around so much toward it, to facing it, that it's a deep core value. And that's the peer support part of me that I am now doing, and that work to reach back out and help others, and that feeds me. JO  21:08 How did your schizoaffective disorder impact the relationships you had, and now have with your family, friends, and colleagues? KATRINA  21:18 It's an interesting situation in many regards, because it depends on so many factors for each one. In the instance of family, it was intense conversation and misunderstandings. At one juncture in my journey, I was in Tucson, Arizona with my dad's sister and her husband, my aunt and uncle. And I was really raging leo. I kept turning off the swamp cooler for their air-conditioned Tucson, Arizona home. And that is actually the worst thing you can do for a swamp cooler. And they couldn't understand that it was actually part of my delusion. And I couldn't understand their point of view, because I was in the midst of my delusion. And so, we had various different, difficult situations and conversations to the juncture that they said at that point, I couldn't stay with them, I had to go to my Dad. Now this was actually at a point in time when I was homeless. And on that hitchhike, I was in the States at that point in time as was my Dad was moving to Denver. The short story is I didn't connect with him. I ended up back in Winnipeg in a longer term. But there's other relationship issues, the interactions between significant others and myself. Those are always charged with it, with a fear that can impact me now, how is this person going to react to me, and respect me, and treat me. I've had situations where there wasn't the proper treatment, where I was actually healthy and accused of being mentally ill for being in an argument with a person, when they were themselves being out-of-line and inappropriate. A big day before a big event of my life, where one would have thought they would have been more supportive. And yeah, we are arguing and that came out of them instead. That uncomfortable, "Why are you mentally ill?" I've had situations of being assaulted, and the illness being used as an excuse. I've had situations of, my current partner might be a keeper. Because I have had situations because my medication doesn't cover all my symptoms perfectly. And I've had medications, well we're worse. This one is actually really good. But it doesn't cover everything. And once in a while something pokes through. And this partner, he's actually been on his own journey and understands in a different way, how things can happen, and illness can happen. And he embraces me in a different way. So now, I'm possibly in a positive situation. JO  24:21 How much of your story do you share with peers or the people you work with? And why do you think sharing your lived experience is helpful in their recovery? KATRINA  24:31 I try to share what is most applicable to their story and situation. Because ultimately, the sharing is supposed to be relevant for that peer as they're going through their process and conversation. Oversharing is not what it's about. It's part of my training actually, to look for that fact and to be aware of that potential. Because the peer is the ultimate focus of the interaction. It's appropriate for sharing in creating connectivity between myself and the peer and being able to share with them that feeling that they're not alone. And that reinforcement that they can do it, and that validation that they might be lacking. So, it really depends on the situation. Sometimes there is very little sharing. Sometimes there's more. JO  25:24 As mentioned earlier, the Schizophrenia Society of Canada is a great source for information, inspiration, and mobilization. I now have the pleasure of introducing Chris Summerville, the society's Executive Director since 2007, who has amazing insights that reflect personal and professional experiences with schizophrenia over 50 years. Chris earned a doctorate from the Dallas Theological Society, is a certified Psychosocial Rehabilitation recovery practitioner, and an adjunct professor at Brandon University in Manitoba. So glad to have you here, Chris. CHRIS  26:06 Thank you so much, and what a pleasure to be joined with Katrina and Dr. Tibbo in making this podcast. JO  26:13 We're so happy to have you here Chris. We'll dig into your perspectives as a recovery practitioner and society leader slash advocate a little later. But first, please tell us about your family's experiences with mental health challenges in general, and schizophrenia in particular. And when did your focus on schizophrenia change from being personal to professional? CHRIS  26:40 Well, as you've heard Katrina's story, it's definitely not just an individual experience, but it is indeed a family experience. I mean, the family is involved in all the trauma, and the burden, and the suffering, and dealing with the complexity of having a mental illness. For the Summerville family, my mother, seven of her seven children had significant mental health problems. We lived in a very, what used to be called a dysfunctional home, a very unhealthy home, and that certainly did not help us in dealing with the mental health problems and the mental illnesses. My father struggled with what we would call today, bipolar disorder, along with alcoholism, addiction issues, as did a brother Dennis, who struggled with the same thing. And both of them took their lives by suicide. It was just difficult for them to continue on and had lost all hope that things could get better. Then my other brother Terry was in Vietnam, and he developed cannabis-induced psychosis, and also struggled with addictions. And both of those two brothers spent time in prison. And I myself as a teenager, I struggled with what's called today, depersonalization derealization, along with depression. And basically, it's sort of like an out-of-body experience, and you're not sure you're in reality. And it's very scary, and you feel very lost as if you're a rimless bubble on the sea of nothingness. That's a sort of an existential thought, even for a teenager as I was to be trying to figure all of this out, which I indeed was trying to figure it out. But in those days, we didn't talk about mental health, we didn't have words for it. We literally didn't have words for it. And so, it was the shame of the family that bound us, there was really no hope. Even as an adult, periodically, I would struggle with depression, along with suicidal ideation, and never, quote, attempted to take my life. But having noticed suicidal ideation and the fear of hopelessness and living the secret because you didn't talk about it, you don't talk, you don't feel, and you don't trust. And that in itself was a great bondage, so to speak. Then I pastored for 25 years, I started when I was 17, and I struggled with it. But I remember when we moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1985, my wife and I, at that particular church there, I was addressing mental health issues. I was kind of an unusual pastor in terms of the fact that I would speak occasionally about my experience, and was very conscious about individuals that were part of the church that I pastored that they were struggling, not just with spiritual issues, but also with mental health issues. Unfortunately, the faith communities not really address mental health issues as they ought to. I mean, they're certainly getting better at it. But during those days, in the 1970s, 1980s, and even the 1990s, it was rare for a pastor, number one to be vulnerable, and number two, to address it in a forthright manner. As I progress with my story 22 months ago, when I'm 68 years old, I had a hospitalization. It was actually my first hospitalization. I had been struggling with depression and anxiety, and my psychiatrists had put me on a new antidepressant. And I had serious side effects, very, very serious side effects, as if I were having muscular seizures, inability to concentrate, the anxiety getting much worse. And so, I was admitted to a hospital voluntarily, but under the Mental Health Act. That was all very scary, because unfortunately, to be a patient in a psychiatric center is not pleasant. Unfortunately, many service providers treat you as a diagnosis as opposed as a person. To answer the question about moving from it from a personal or professional aspect, like I said, I did address it as a pastor. The response was very hesitant. People weren't comfortable about disclosing. And that was very sad to me. And many people would deny not because they lacked insight, but because they were ashamed. And it was embarrassing to be so vulnerable and open about it. In 1995, I made the transition from the pastoral world to the mental health world, because I wanted to work more closely, and to be a strong advocate, and to be a voice for those who are voiceless, and to see transformational change in the mental health system here in Canada. So I began with the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society in 1995, was there for 25 years. Also, during that 25 years, in 2007, I became the CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada. It has been a pure joy. It has afforded me to be a leader of leaders. I often think about Martin Luther King, not that I'm in the same arena as he is, but I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. I know what racism looks like, because I was a racist, and learned myself out of it. And also, my spirituality helped me to move towards seeing people and not labels, in color necessarily. To be able to take my lived experience, and not only bring hope and encouragement to individuals and families, but also to be able to engage, along with Katrina and Dr. Tibbo, being at the tables where decisions are made by different levels of government, and to represent the voices of those with lived experience, and in the family lived experience, and to create a better mental health system in Canada. JO  32:37 Another amazing story Chris, thank you so much. Can you tell us more about the evolution of your brother's experience with schizophrenia? CHRIS  32:47 Well remember, it was 1964 when Terry developed cannabis-induced psychosis. And the reality is if he were living today, his outcome would be better today. There was no understanding about early intervention. So, he went for years without any assistance or help. There was no access to psychiatric or psychosocial rehabilitation. So once you began to get quote, help, that help was very limited. It was basically take these medications to reduce symptoms and go home. You won't have any friends; you probably won't get married. It was a sort of a kiss of death diagnosis, so to speak. And recovery, good grief, very few people and very few service providers were even trained, let alone talked about the possibility of recovery, which we can define later. And as far as addictions, no one addressed the addictions. And we now know that they both should be seen as primary disorders in terms of a mental illness, and a substance-use problem. And then both have to be simultaneously treated because one influences the other. There was no family education. Insight into having any understanding about mental health and mental illness was zero for ourselves. And so, I'm absolutely convinced that if my brother were developing schizophrenia today, that his outcomes would be a lot better in the process. He lost his physical health, developed cirrhosis of the liver, he lost his family, he never saw his grandchildren. He was sort of ostracized by everyone. Those losses were profound. And it wasn't just because he had schizophrenia, the wall, there was a giant wall like he was on the other side of the wall, and we were on the other side. And that wall was not just the schizophrenia, it was stigma. It was self stigma. It was loss of identity. It was the lack of early intervention, psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery, mental health services, the lack of addressing the addiction, the lack of hope that created this huge wall barrier. And we basically had no way of understanding as family, how to tear that wall down, and he on the other side of that wall. I mean, Katrina is much, much, much more informed, as you've heard her story. It doesn't have to be that way today. What my brother experienced, that doesn't have to happen today. But unfortunately, it still does in areas of Canada. JO  35:31 How is your brother now? CHRIS  35:32 He is actually still living in a veteran's home, sort of a ghetto. It's a slum, which breaks my heart again. His health is reasonably good. He doesn't struggle with psychosis. He's on medication. But my aggravation and my grief is that that's all he's gotten really is medication, as opposed to all the kinds of supports, and just even a decent place to stay. And I have gone down to the state to try to help, but they know I live in Canada. And so, my advocacy efforts have always been very limited. JO  36:08 Can you tell us more about the relationship you have with your brother, and the personal insights you've gained over his five decades with this illness? CHRIS  36:18 We have a good relationship. We both have a strong sense of humor, which we got from my mother. And we utilize that in terms of maintaining our relationship. He knows that I care from my heart. And I think listening to him and being able to empathize with the emotions that he feels. You shouldn't agree with the content of the delusions or hallucinations when one has them, but one thing you can do is come alongside of the person, and affirm, and confirm, and validate the emotions that they may be feeling as a result of those delusions or hallucinations. And that's therapeutic. And in fact, it lessens the angst and the anxiety that the person is experiencing when you are able to do that. The fact to, I don't argue, I've never argued with the illness. Well no, that's not true. I had to learn not to argue with the illness, which many families do, to see him a person and affirm him in terms of his expressed desires. Another thing I learned was not to always focus on the mental illness, but to ask him questions like you would have any other person about his hopes and dreams. I think the fact that I did not abandon him, I did not isolate from him, but have attempted to maintain a relationship with him over all these years. I know he's appreciative of that. JO  37:38 Such profound insights Chris. We'll bring you in again after we hear from our next guest, Dr. Phil Tibbo, a Canadian psychiatrist who studies, treats, and advocates for people with psychosis and schizophrenia. Dr. Tibbo is also a professor of psychiatry at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and director of both the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, and Early Psychosis Intervention Nova Scotia. Welcome Phil, such a treat to have you here. PHIL  38:12 Well thank you, and it's great to be here. And thank you so much for having this as a focus for a talk and a podcast. It's very important and needed as well. And, of course, I have to echo Chris' comments too earlier, when he was introduced, that it is for me truly honoring to be sharing this mic with both Chris and Katrina here today. JO  38:33 So let's start with the story of how you landed on the study, diagnosis, and treatment of schizophrenia as your psychiatric specialty. PHIL  38:43 Great question. I think I have to sort of back up a little bit with respect to that in my journey. I obviously entered into medical school, and interestingly, psychiatry was the furthest from my mind when I was in medical school. I entered medical school because I wanted to be a sports medicine physician, and all my electives were in sports medicine. But then as I did my psychiatry rotation, it sort of tweaked on me that I actually truly liked talking with the patients, seeing some improvement, seeing the resiliency that's there, as well as the struggles and challenges and what I could do to help with that. I subsequently did my rotating internship and then actually still wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. So, I worked for one year as a family physician at the Nova Scotia Hospital, which is our provincial psychiatric hospital. And there I was responsible for the medical care of an entire unit, but as well as looking after the psychiatric needs of half of a unit as well. And interestingly my title, because I had those dual roles, the official title was whole person physician, which today still makes me smile because I realize and reflect on it, that's still my approach to the work that I do as a whole person physician. That sort of cemented for me my desire to do psychiatry. And then it was during my psychiatry residency, my specialty training, and my rotations through interactions with individuals who were living with psychosis or schizophrenia spectrum disorder, that I realized that it was something that definitely interests me, again for the same reasons, sort of appreciating what the brain can do in this development of these delusions and hallucinations. But as well as working with the individuals to, and understanding them and how these delusions, hallucinations affect them, and how it affects the family and seeing, ok what is the possibilities here? How can we work this through and get somebody back on their feet? And in some ways, the term you sometimes hear is a good fit. And that I really saw this as an area, for me, it's something that definitely interested me. I was fortunate in my last year of my specialty training to spend a fair bit of it down in Iowa, working with then the leading researcher in schizophrenia research, Dr. Nancy Andresen. And then that also cemented for me that I should be doing research in this area as well, because at that point, and still, you know, there's a lot of research that still needs to be done in many facets of schizophrenia, from understanding the illness, to treatments, and many other areas as well. And then that's what led me to my career. So, I've always been what we call a clinical researcher. So I'm a clinician, I do see patients, but I'm a researcher as well, within this area. JO  41:30 Great story and thank you for all the great work you're doing. So, when you listen to both Kat and Chris' stories, what about those stories tweaked your medical mind and touched your human heart? PHIL  41:46 Well, I like to say it touched my heart first versus my medical mind. But these are extraordinary journeys. And people that I talked to have these extraordinary journeys. And I think some of what I heard in both Chris and Kat, and that sort of leads me to the area that I work in with respect to early intervention services, is really the work that we need to do to understand this illness, so that we can identify illness early, and that we can treat early as well. Our main goal really is to optimize an individual's outcomes. If we only are able in those situations to truly identify early, treat early, and have some of the resources that we have now would have been nice to have in the 80s, and in the early 90s as well too. But yes, amazing journeys that we're able to talk about today. JO  42:36 Like to get down to a few nuts and bolts with regard to the illness. First, can you give us the Coles Notes history of schizophrenia's diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis? So really, then versus now. PHIL  42:51 I'll try not to go into a full lecture on this. And also, I like the term Coles Notes. Some of, perhaps our younger listeners, may not know what Coles Notes are, but I'm fully aware of what the Coles Notes are going to university. I think, you know, with most things with physical health, mental health, we know these illnesses have been around for quite some time. I guess most people point to the evolution of, or the start of, more modern psychiatry, the modern sort of idea of schizophrenia and psychosis really started at the beginning of the 20th century. The name that you will hear a fair bit is around at that time is Emil Kraepelin, who was a German psychiatrist. And he is really credited with truly writing about, and studying, and trying to understand what we know today as schizophrenia, and truly from a clinical perspective. And he was an individual who was able to understand or appreciate the difference between what we call today a primary psychotic disorder, and a mood disorder. And being able to write about that it's one particular symptom that is a diagnostic, but oftentimes, it's a pattern of symptoms that we have to look at. So, he coined the term dementia praecox, actually, as what we know today is schizophrenia. But then, over the years, that diagnosis has changed. Another name you'll hear is a Eugen Bleuler, who a little bit later on, sort of broadened the concept of schizophrenia. But I mentioned his name because he was actually the individual that coined the term schizophrenia, that kind of splitting of the psychic processes like emotional and intellectual. So he coined that term, but from a diagnostic standpoint, it really wasn't until perhaps the 50s when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM, came into being, and that really allowed the field of psychiatry to have a unified way of diagnosing schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like illnesses. And really that encapsulates criteria where if an individual presents in Canada, and an individual presents and another part of the world, if they use the DSM, then they would come up with a very similar diagnosis. And this was important, of course, within mental health because then and even today, we don't have one particular blood test that could make a diagnosis that you would get with some of our other medical illnesses as well. So, we are having to rely on a number of other different symptoms and factors to look at to diagnose. So that's how the diagnosis has moved on. And the DSM has gone through a number of different revisions. We're currently on the DSM-5 as well. But the ideas and the concepts are there to have that unified approach for diagnosis of the various illnesses. That's around diagnosis. Of course, treatment has changed over the years as well. And I always say, how surgery was done in 1910, 1920 is different from how it is done today. And we have seen that evolution in time. But just to point out that from the medication standpoint, which really was a game changer for schizophrenia and psychosis, that chlorpromazine was the first medication, and that really wasn't developed and available until the 1950s. But that was a medication that wasn't developed primarily for schizophrenia, or psychosis. It was actually developed as an adjunct medication for surgery. But the various properties and how patients were talking about how the meds sort of affected them, they decided to use it within and trial it within psychiatric and particularly psychosis population. And actually, if you read up a bit about chlorpromazine, you see sometimes the comparisons are made to antibiotics and infections and that. When chlorpromazine is used it wasn't more of sedative, but actually helped with delusions, and hallucinations. That's where we started seeing people actually being able to leave hospital. And of course, since then, that was a proposal first medication, we better understand how it works now, and as a result, sort of more targeted approach to medication development. That's the medication side of it. But of course, and something that Chris alluded to, as well, it's more than just medication too. And you see that development over the years of other types of therapies, for example, of psychotherapies. We have to have a few tools in our tool chest with respect to that interesting development. JO  47:05 We'll dig deeper into those treatment strategies in Part 2 of this podcast. But first, can you tell us about the similarities and differences between psychosis and schizophrenia? PHIL  47:17 When I do some public speaking on this, sometimes I start with a bit of an apology, because I tend to use those terms interchangeably sometimes. And I think that's more of a reflection of the work that I do within early intervention services. And oftentimes a diagnosis is not clear. And as a result, that we tend to use the word psychosis a fair bit. A psychosis itself is not a diagnosis, it's more of a set of symptoms. And schizophrenia, for example, is a diagnosis, schizoaffective disorders is the diagnosis, delusional disorder is a diagnosis. While schizophrenia is considered a psychosis, psychosis is more of a kind of a broader term and concept. JO  47:56 What happens to people during psychosis? PHIL  47:59 Well, it's very individual. There's not one particular sort of set of symptoms that can happen. But from a psychosis point of view, we often talk about grouping of symptoms. So, people can have what we call positive symptoms, which are not necessarily good symptoms. It's just that they're there, and they shouldn't be there. Those are the things like delusions, hallucinations, thought disorder. Then there's the negative symptoms as well, and those are experience or cognitions that should be there but are not. And that could be things along the lines of what we call alogia, sort of difficulty thinking, amotivation, difficulties in even just energy levels as well. A psychosis is also comprised of cognitive symptoms as well as mood symptoms too. But it's very variable for how people experience their symptoms. JO  48:45 We may not know what causes schizophrenia, but we know it has distinct stages. Can you tell us more about that? PHIL  48:53 Now that's a great question. I would say yes, we know, we defined schizophrenia now as having stages and we should be careful using the word distinct, because sometimes it's very difficult to know start and ends of particular stages within this. The different stages that you'll tend to hear first is really around, we talk about prodromal stages. Prodromal basically means by definition, one of the symptoms that are there prior to what we call frank psychotic disorders, before somebody could actually meet criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia. And that prodromal phase, again, can last a very short time for some people and very long for other people as well. And oftentimes there are unfortunately kind of what we call nonspecific symptoms, but as well can be psychotic-like symptoms but don't meet the criteria for delusions or hallucinations. Again, early intervention services are focused on trying to identify really what those prodromal symptoms could be, but they're recognized as something that's different from what that individual use would be. And then we do move into the next phase, which is called early phase psychosis or first episode psychosis. And really, that's the first three to five years of illness in a very critical and important time, in order for us to address the illness and again maximize outcomes. After we go through the early phase of psychosis, and there's different terminologies after that. Sometimes what you hear is either residual, or chronic. I don't particularly like the word chronic, because it has a negative connotation to it, but all really, truly what it implies is that it is somebody living with illness at that point in time. You can get into some of the more finer details of each of those, but those are more the high-level view of the various stages. JO  50:29 What conditions can occur alongside schizophrenia? PHIL  50:33 Having schizophrenia is not exclusionary for any other kind of illness. For example, for mental illness, people can have schizophrenia, but as well can also have a mood disorder, anxiety. Chris mentioned substance use as well, addictions. So, these are definitely possible and think that we from a treatment team has to be able to identify and treat if needed, as well. Oftentimes, we also have to make sure that some of those symptoms are not as a result of schizophrenia as well. Because sometimes we have to be careful making sure that we treat the schizophrenia as best we can to ensure that those other symptoms aren't there. JO  51:11 So do you have to treat each condition separately then? PHIL  51:15 You tend to yes. We want to make sure that our treatment of schizophrenia is optimized. I guess a good example of that would be if someone is having paranoid ideation, like feeling like somebody's out to get them, out to harm them in some way. Well, you expect them to be anxious. But that doesn't mean you have an anxiety disorder that's separate. So, you need to make sure that that is treated, those symptoms, and just see where the anxiety lies after that. But once the psychosis is treated, I mean, if you do have those residuals, anxiety symptoms or mood symptoms, then yes, they do need to be treated separately as well. JO  51:48 What are other potential health complications associated with schizophrenia, and how do they affect longevity? PHIL  51:56 Great question. Again, there are a number of other different health and we here we're talking about more medical health complications or comorbidities, that can happen with schizophrenia. And there's a number of factors that are associated with that too. And here, we kind of think more along the lines of cardiovascular health, for example, your cholesterol and lipids, about obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, glucose intolerance as a result of that as well. And monitoring thyroid conditions too. And it's multifactorial, sometimes that could be a result of medications, particularly for the older medications in existence. But other times it could be as a result of the illness itself. And perhaps some of the behaviors around the illness. And unfortunately, some of the situations too, and Katrina alluded to that as well, which having an illness sometimes leads people to find themselves in, such as in homeless conditions or situations where they're not able to, for example, have the healthy meals, activity, and exercise that they need to maintain cardiovascular health. These are the things that are monitored within the treatment teams. JO  53:00 Thanks Phil, such important information. Taking a moment here to acknowledge our major HEADS UP sponsor, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC. SPARC is a trailblazer in Applied Social Research, social policy analysis, and community approaches to social justice. Thank you so much for your generous support. Let's bring Kat and Chris back into the conversation. And we'll start by having you all bust the most common myths associated with schizophrenia. Myth number one, people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities. PHIL  53:45 Well, that is indeed a myth. And I think it derives from the term schizophrenia as well, which people have misinterpreted as split or multiple personalities. But no, definitely, schizophrenia is not associated with multiple personalities. JO  54:00 Myth number two, people with schizophrenia always hear voices. Kat, what's your experience with that? KATRINA  54:08 That that's not true. It's actually a situation where not everybody who has mental illness hears voices and not everyone who hears voices has mental illness, there is a difference. PHIL  54:20 I would agree with that Kat as well. So from an individual perspective, some people can have those auditory hallucinations, those hearing the voices. And then they go away. They can be episodic, but definitely not, an always kind of condition or state. KATRINA  54:36 Yeah, I never actually heard voices. Lately, I hear music once in a while, but that's about it. JO  54:42 Myth number three, people with schizophrenia are more violent or dangerous than other people, Chris. CHRIS  54:49 Well, this is the most dominant, common, pervasive, and enduring myth around schizophrenia that the public in their opinion, they associate schizophrenia and bias together. And why is that? Well, the portrayal of people with psychosis and schizophrenia, if you look at media reporting, it historically has been very negative, focusing on violence and unfortunate criminal activity instead of addressing the complexity of schizophrenia, and high suicide rates, and media not telling us very much about the illness in general. Also, Hollywood movies, sitcoms, and even children's cartoons, how they have historically and currently do portray people in a negative way who have a mental illness, especially schizophrenia or psychosis. The reality is that people with schizophrenia are more likely to harm themselves than others. When you look at the studies, approximately 97% of people with psychosis or schizophrenia are not violent. But for those people who are violent, and there is indeed a subgroup of people who will engage with the criminal justice system and act out a violent behavior, you have to look at the factors, all the factors that are involved in that happening. And even with a major Health Canada study, some years ago, talked about the multiple factors that are involved in a person engaging in violence, who has psychosis or schizophrenia. And those factors are the following: they're not receiving effective treatment, they have a previous history of violence or a volatile behavior, they're engaging in misuse of alcohol or other street drugs, they are experiencing paranoid hallucinations and delusions, which triggers fear in the individual. It's not a simple answer, it's a complex answer, and we need to understand those multiple factors, that it's just not just the illness that's involved, when people act out and violence. JO  56:43 Myth, people with schizophrenia require long-term hospitalization, Phil. PHIL  56:49 That definitely is a myth. And I think one thing, though, we need to state out right, though, is that sometimes hospitalization is needed for various reasons. But again, it's a very individual thing. And I have people with lived experience in my practice, who have never been hospitalized, but they do have a diagnosis of schizophrenia. And I have other people that I see who, unfortunately, have had multiple admissions for various reasons. It's not an absolute, you don't require long-term hospitalization with schizophrenia. JO  57:18 People with schizophrenia can't or won't work. Kat, you're living proof that this isn't true. KATRINA  57:25 Yes, I love my job. And I love being the proof of that not being true. PHIL  57:29 Yeah, that's great said Katrina. And from an outcomes perspective, and we're focused on getting people back to school, back to work, and people do want to get back to school and back to work. That really is the goal. JO  57:42 People with schizophrenia are more likely to end up in jail, Chris. CHRIS  57:47 Well, unfortunately, 3% of inmates in prisons are estimated to have schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, like bipolar disorder. Approximately 16% of prison inmates have major depression. But really much of this is a result of failed mental health policy. And what I mean by that is the institutionalization that occurred in the 60s and 70s, the outdated treatment laws, demanding a person become violent before the intervention. All of that has driven those who are in need of care into to the criminal justice and corrections system. So, we call that the criminalization of the mentally ill. And what they really need is to be in the public health care system where they can get help as opposed to being in a prison. That is certainly a social justice issue, for those of us who advocate for those who are living with schizophrenia and their family members. JO  58:42 Another myth, schizophrenia is caused by bad parenting. Who wants to tackle that one? KATRINA  58:49 I'll stand up for my mom. She was a good mom. My parents were excellent parents. It was other environmental triggers later in life of the traumas. And my mother had schizophrenia and schizoaffective by her final diagnosis point. PHIL  59:07 Some of it comes back from some terminology, I think, which unfortunately, in this early early 20th century. I mean a term sometimes you hear more in history than anything else is a schizophrenogenic mother. But definitely we know that it's nothing to do with bad parenting. JO  59:24 Chris, do you have a comment there, given that your mother suffered with mental health challenges, and many of your family members did as well? So, do you think that's genetics talking or the nature of your environment? CHRIS  59:38 Well certainly mothers, I think especially feel a huge amount of guilt and shame. What is it that I did that caused my child to be born with schizophrenia? But no one is born with schizophrenia. It's something that you develop later on in life. And we know that it's not completely genetic, and that's been a great revolution of understanding since the time my brother was diagnosed with psychosis in the 60s. Today, our understanding is that gene expression, how genes express themselves, it's very much influenced by environmental factors such as trauma. That can be in utero as well as a young child or in adolescence in terms of bullying. But even to this day, I think it's just one of those things, I don't want to call it natural, maybe that's the word natural, but mothers will especially feel guilt ridden. What did I do during the pregnancy? Or what did our home life have to do with it? Let me say that, if you're in an unhealthy family dynamic, that's not going to be good for anything you experience in life in terms of your health care, whether it's physical or mental. So, addressing the family environment and the home is important in terms of its own mental health and resiliency, and wellness. But to say that a parent caused the schizophrenia is not based on any kind of fact, or scientific fact. JO  1:01:11 Another common myth that people with schizophrenia will never recover, provides a perfect segueway into my next few questions, about the much-needed growing focus on recovery. In this case recovery, meaning people receive timely diagnoses, early intervention, and bio-psycho-social-vocational treatment strategies. A mouthful, I know, but we'll break it down for you after we first talk about recovery philosophy. Phil, how would you describe recovery philosophy from a psychiatric perspective? And how will that philosophy change to reflect emerging research? PHIL  1:01:54 Recovery philosophy has been evolving over time. And as much as we understand and appreciate the illness of the individual, we evolve within the recovery philosophy. I've been working in early intervention services for quite a few years, and most of the services, our clinic here has been around for 25 years. And that is definitely part of the philosophy. So not necessarily new, but at the same time it's new enough, where we still need to be able to talk about it. And really, the recovery philosophy is that appreciation that people with lived experience with psychosis, schizophrenia, can recover. And that's where we can look at then the definition of what, really what recovery is being a symptomatic recovery as well as functional recovery. And that sense of psychological well being, of course, as well. But a recovery philosophy is just more a construct in which we work within the medical system, that everybody has the potential to recover, how ever you define that. JO  1:02:58 Chris, what does recovery philosophy mean to you as an advocate and recovery practitioner? CHRIS  1:03:05 Well, we need to understand that recovery is not about a cure. And another thing is that illnesses don't recover, people do. And recovery as a concept, as a philosophy, and as a movement as it is today, has strong roots in the advocacy efforts of people with lived experience. So, we learn about the experience of recovery from the people themselves, who see it as a journey. They see it as a process, and indeed it is that. And even the Mental Health Commission of Canada, in 2006, in their landmark report and later other documents, said that recovery should be placed at the center of mental health reform. Historically, the mental health system has been about symptom reduction. And that's fair, and that's understandable. But really, the goal of our mental health system should be that of quality of life, or life satisfaction. So, recovery is made possible by our providing safe places for people to be themselves. It's built on hope. It comes from a strength perspective as opposed to a deficit perspective. It's about shared decision making. That should be our goal. The goal of mental health services should be that of promoting quality of life and promoting recovery oriented mental health services. And we still have a long ways to go in that. Recovery as a term is probably in all mental health documents and policies today. But it really hasn't filtered down into actual practice like it ought to

A veteran of Alberta politics, Stockwell Day stormed onto the political scene when he won the leadership of the Canadian Alliance. What followed were political gaffes, notable press conferences and a bit of controversy but Day would become a major force in Canadian politics for 11 years Support: www.patreon.com/canadaehx Donate: www.canadaehx.com E-mail: craig@canadaehx.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigbaird Instagram: @Bairdo37 YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/canadianhistoryehx

Amanda DiFalco, Deputy Director/Veteran Strategy Lead, Built for Zero Canada, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness

On today's show, we discuss mounting pressure for the feds to step up amid over representation of homeless veterans with Amanda DiFalco, the deputy director/veteran strategy lead with Built for Zero Canada and Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. We talk lowering and raising of the flags and the questions it poses about residential schools and what we remember with Trevor Norris, an associate professor in the department of educational studies at Brock University. Plus, Ellisa Monk, the regional director for Hays Specialist Recruitment discusses why people are ghosting their employers. 

Description: Separatism is rising in the West. Federal leaders wield fear to win power. Division and dirty politics are only getting worse. And all indications are that this election could intensify distress and disunity. Preston Manning, founder of the populist Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, joins Anthony to discuss the threat to Canada if politicians continue to perpetuate the problems that are fracturing the nation. And he explains how populism, done right, could actually be a force for good in Canadian politics. (Recorded August 3, 2021). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fierce episode, Amie and Sara discuss poverty and homelessness with Dr. Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician who is passionate about health equity and social justice. Home care assumes you have a home, but what if you don't? We take a dive into palliative care for the homeless, the housing first approach, and trauma-informed care. We need equity, not equality! We look at some tangible steps anyone can take to be a social change agent.    Resources: www.homelesshub.ca  Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness https://healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca/ https://www.cathycrowe.ca/

Millennials are NOT okay. We're hurting, struggling, and lonely. Carol (@caroleugenepark) sat down with Rumneek (@rumneeek) to talk about our not so great ✨mental health✨.Thank you so much to our guests:  Bryn de Chastelain (@BryndeC), a student leader and chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (@CASAACAE); Grace Dupasquier (@GraceDupasquier), director of advocacy for Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (@CASAACAE); and Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee, director and founder of Silm Centre for Mental Health. Psst! We also have a daily newsletter, which you can sign up for at www.decomplicated.com!Follow us on Twitter (@decomplicatedca) & Instagram (@decomplicatednews).

In this episode, we're learning how to find our voice.Celina Caesar-Chavannes is an equity and inclusion advocate and leadership consultant, and a former Member of Parliament who served as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and to the Minister of International Development. During her term as an MP, Celina advocated for people suffering from mental illness and was awarded the Champion of Mental Health Parliamentarian in May 2017 by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.She was also named one of the Most Influential People of African Descent, Global 100 Under 40, Politics & Governance and Black Parliamentarian of the Year in 2017, and featured in the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine entitled, “What would you stand up for?"Before entering politics, she was a successful entrepreneur, launching and growing an award-winning research management consulting firm with a particular focus on neurological conditions. Celina highlights when she realized she needed to take a stand against the Prime Minister and how she advocated for herself, how we can all create our own history and explains why analyzing our failures can be far more meaningful and insightful compared to our successes.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcelinacc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpcelina/Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamcelinaccWebsite: https://www.celinacc.caBuy Can You Hear Me Now: https://adifferentbooklist.com/?q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword&qse=rC8Hn_GwKfRknZtDJhFGAg

Lou Meggiato is a registered aromatherapist with the Canadian Alliance of Aromatherapy and the BCAOA.  She has been on an extensive journey of sharing holistic wellness for over 15 years. Lou is an E-RYT yoga teacher and trainer, and she has also trained in bodywork, reflexology and reiki. Lou is a woman of passion, and her passion lies in supporting other women on their journey to self worth, self love and having a self care practice. She's even authored a book called Dare to Sparkle, 30 days of self care bravery and runs women's retreats when we aren't in the midst of a pandemic!In this episode of the show, Lou and I chat about all things essential oils: the myths, the truths, the question of quality, how to use them and which blends to use for which imbalances.If you're a holistic wellness nerd like I am, you won't want to miss this episode!To join the Plant Based Solution FB Group click here: www.calendly.com/roslyn-kentTo learn more about the Plant Powered Gut Academy click here: http://the-plant-powered-gut-academy.teachable.com/p/ppgTo get in touch with Lou you can find her here:http://mandalaessentials.com/www.facebook.com/mandalaessentialswww.instagram.com/mandalaessentials

Sienna is joined by Kaia Sophia who reads from a mini-essay she wrote in which she muses on escorting and life. Kaia is based out of Ottawa, ON.“It's not about empowerment and loving the work. Though many of us do love this job, not everyone does. Supporting sex workers and decriminalization is about safety, dignity, and respecting the right to make choices about our own lives even when our options are limited. Not everyone loves their jobs, but it costs money to live in this world. Sex workers deserve the right to choose their preferred form of labour and work safely.”  -KaiaKaia's Website: https://www.thekaiasophia.com/Kaia's Twitter: @TheKaiaSophiaOn Astrologyhttps://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/astrology/eight-things-skeptics-of-astrology-dont-get.aspxhttps://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/https://www.astro.com/cgi/ade.cgi?ract=xx68747470733a2f2f7777772e617374726f2e636f6d2f6367692f63686172742e6367693f72733d3326627479703d77326777&lang=e&rs=3&btyp=w2gwOn Tarothttps://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/extrasensory-perceptions/tarot-card.htmOn Intersectional Feminismhttps://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/emiliearies/2017/08/30/the-imperative-of-intersectional-feminism/amp/On Legislation of Sex Workhttps://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-sex-work-open-societyCriticism of United Nations Stance on Prostitutionhttps://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/21/united-nations-prostitution-sex-traffickingAmnesty Resourceshttps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/05/amnesty-international-publishes-policy-and-research-on-protection-of-sex-workers-rights/https://www.amnesty.ca/sites/amnesty/files/External%20FAQ%20SWP%20AICSES%20May%202016.pdfhttps://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol30/4062/2016/en/London, Ontario Court Case to Challenge Canada's Prostitution Lawshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-ontario-bill-c-36-prostitution-laws-1.4520736Post SESTA/FOSTAhttps://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ad0d7d0e4b0edca2cb964d9?ncid=canada_dauCriticisms Of Anti-Trafficking Orgshttps://truthout.org/articles/special-report-money-and-lies-in-anti-human-trafficking-ngos/Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reformhttps://sexworklawreform.com

Join Alaska World Affairs Council for an in-depth discussion from Brigadier General on the US-Canadian military alliance, as well as military operations in Alaska.