It was just over a week ago when we all took our mobiles phones to text, tweet and phone our friends and family in the name of mental health. Read more »

It’s that time of the year again!  Even though we appreciate the hard work that Child and Youth Workers (CYWs) and Child and Youth Counsellors (CYCs) do regularly, we can now share that appreciation throughout the province with the 2012 Krista Sepp Memorial Award. Read more »

I tweeted about this the other day. Hockey superstars Henrik and Daniel Sedin advertised it last weekend at the NHL all-star game. The Vancouver Canucks sponsor it. Read more »

Whether you’ve been on YouTube or not, I’m sure you’ve heard about what it’s used for. It’s a video sharing website where users can upload, share and view videos from all over the world from all kinds of people on a vast variety of topics. Searching mental health, depression or autism will generate hundreds of results. Some of my favourite results are the videos uploaded by youth sharing their experiences with mental health. Read more »

Sometimes it’s statistics used in a television commercial, or a passionate radio voice saying something that really tugs on your heart strings. It’s the gut-wrenching images on your cigarette pack. These kinds of tactics are often used to shock people into changing their habits or recognizing an issue. Recently the shock factor has been implemented in the state of Georgia to raise awareness for childhood obesity. But has it been taken too far? Read more »

Kids spend the majority of their time at school. Whether it is elementary school, high school or any level of post-secondary, the awareness of, and availability of, mental health support systems is far too hidden. Read more »

First off I would like to start by wishing everybody a Happy New Year. It’s 2012 and I’m sure there is a lot in store for all of us. But, there is one thing we can count on; the way we communicate online is only going to become more and more popular and that is why I have finally decided to join the Twitterverse. Read more »

Jack Windeler was 18-years-old and completing his first year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. He started to miss classes and stopped handing in assignments. He was spending more time in his dorm room with the door closed and started to withdraw from his friends. To Jack’s University friends, these signs didn’t strike them as odd at first  but looking back now, the warning signs were all there. Read more »

With so many youth turning to Facebook before, after and sometimes even during school, it’s no surprise that social media websites are often the first to find out about a youth’s suicidal thoughts or plans. Read more »

I’ve talked about bullying in a number of my blog posts.  Whether it’s online bullying, a shove in the hallway, or relentless taunting in the classroom, bullying is rampant in our schools. It’s interesting to see that our government is now introducing some measures for schools to tackle the problem. Read more »