The first regional orientation session for mental health and addiction (MHA) staff – called Heart & Soul – took place on April 14^th to welcome new hires to the team and discuss topics that impact practice.

The heart and soul of MHA services is embedded in recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care, promoting the involvement of family, carers and support networks.

The interactive discussion between staff, family and consumers – rather than  simply listening in their seats at VGH’s Paeztold Auditorium – was likely why feedback from the session included comments like, “an orientation like this was something I longed for when I started”, “I feel inspired” and let’s “continue the momentum.”

A highlight of the session was a video titled “Heart & Soul”, where MHA teams, families and consumers shared what recovery means to them. It was produced by Mitch Budreski, who volunteered his time after learning about it from an education committee member representing families and consumers.

“To interview staff, leaders and consumers with VCH was an unbelievable opportunity,” says Mitch. “Being able to frame recovery from personal experience, as well as through the eyes of a technician, benefitted the quality of the video while teaching me a lot about a subject we could all understand better.”

Other topics discussed during the day included:

• Trauma-oriented care – recognizing the prevalence of trauma in people with mental illness or substance use issues and taking it into consideration for all aspects of their care. Some of the most traumatic events for both men and women include physical assault, sexual abuse or childhood neglect.
• Recovery-oriented care – “It’s about empowering clients to take charge of their lives and doing with the client, not to the client,” says Sue Garries, the coordinator for staff education and development in mental health and addiction, who helped organize the session.
• The importance of including family as partners in the circle of care through the Family Involvement Policy.
• Family members and a person with lived experience shared their own personal stories. “That really hit home for people,” says Sue.

The Heart & Soul day is part of a larger education plan, where new hires will attend this session within their first two months on the job and participate in other core competency sessions within three months. The presentations, curriculum and video will be packaged into a toolkit for educators to give staff across the region the opportunity to participate in a standardized orientation to MHA services.

Special thanks go to Stephen Epp, regional practice coordinator for occupational therapy, Mary Marlow, professional practice lead for addiction, Sue Garries, and Mitch Budreski for bringing the day and video to reality.

Celebrate Mental Health Week: May 5-11

Read more about the great work of our teams across VCH as we celebrate Mental Health Week:

• Nobody is beyond hope – For Jane and Sam, Assertive Community Treatment teams, known as ACT, continue to make a difference in their lives on the Downtown Eastside.
• Breaking the cycle – A VCH researcher looks at how depression and chronic pain affect each other.
• Walk a Mile event – The Walk-a Mile for Mental Health event began 25 years ago at Riverview Hospital, and last year it was hosted for the first time at the new VGH Willow Pavilion site.