Me and My Doc Talks – VCH Speaker Series – Session 3
“Trust, Faith and Continuity of Care”
“The Me and My Doc Talks series promotes best practice within mental health and substance use, along with a look at how stigma in the medical system can affect clients,” explains Erika Weikle, Case Manager, HOPE Team (Health Outreach Peer Empowerment who started the series. Weikle was previously a Peer Coordinator with the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. “Speaking from experience, I know that how patients and clients are treated by medical health professionals plays a big part in their healing journey.”
Jody ter Weeme
Jody ter Weeme echoes those thoughts. Suffering from mental health issues since childhood, it was a long road to getting the help she needed. “I didn’t have a connection with my mental health team and I felt isolated and alone,” says Jody. “I’ve had ECT (Electric Convulsion Therapy) and have felt the stigma around that by many professionals.”
Long story short – she met Dr. Joseph Tham when she was in between hospital stints and community care. She had no one supporting her other than her GP. He heard about it and offered to take her as a patient. Five years later, he is still a major supporter in her care. “I still have health issues,” says Jody, “but I’m able to engage in society in a way that wasn’t possible before.”
Me and My Doc Talks
Session Three: “Trust, Faith and Continuity of Care”
Facilitated by Andy Day
Hosted by the H.O.P.E Team (Health Outreach Peer Empowerment)
Featuring Jody ter Weeme and Dr. Joseph Tham
Paetzold Auditorium, VGH
January 18th, 2018 12 noon – 1 pm
Refreshments Provided
Please RSVP to Erika.Weikle@vch.ca
Me and My Doc Talks is a speaker series created to present best practices of forward-thinking mental health professionals. We’ll explore what they are doing right to help their clients get well, maintain their health, and not just survive but thrive.