Spoken Word with Jeremy Loveday – November 25

Jeremy Loveday will be teaching a class on speaking from your heart and your truth. Jeremy is a spoken word poet; that happens to be a Victoria city councellor. He shares techniques on ways to speak up even when it is difficult! Come join in this safe supportive environment; you will be guided through exercises that will give you a chance to try spoken word.

Elected in 2014, Jeremy is passionate about making Victoria more affordable, sustainable, and vibrant. He is drawn to local politics because of the concrete nature of the decisions that need to be made and a deep love for the City of Victoria. So far, he has found each day as a Councilor challenging and rewarding. He is driven by the belief that Victoria can be one of the greatest small cities in the world and that our residents have the ideas, drive, crea-tivity, and passion to make it happen.

Jeremy is perhaps most well known for using his award winning spoken word poetry to speak out about important issues. In 2014, he made headlines around the world when one of his videos advocating against gender violence went viral online. He is the Founder and Director of Victorious Voices Youth Arts Festival and was the champion of the City of Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate Program; the first of its kind in Canada.

Jeremy is action oriented and leads collaboratively. You can often find him riding his bicycle, working with youth, or meeting with residents in local coffee shops. Jeremy grew up in James Bay, currently resides in Fernwood.

This event will take place from 10:30am – 12:00 noon at 125 Skinner Street.

Click here to Register

Cooking with the Salt Pepper Fox – Making Meals on a Budget for You and Your Friends – November 18

Wednesday, 18 November 2015 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (PST)

Come pick up some cooking tips from Liam the chef of Salt and Pepper Fox. Healthy meals are so important to our mental health and our lifestyle. It can be tricky to shop on a budget and create good nourishing meals for yourself and friends. Liam has brought together a simple menu that keeps costs low but has great nutritional value. We will have some fun cooking together and then follow it up with a meal together so we can have time to hang out together.
Liam the chef from Salt and Pepper Fox will be cooking roast chicken breast with pan fried potatoes, and green beans (or broccoli) and we will make a little sauce in the roasting pan. Mustard and onion pan sauce:)
Here is some information on Liam Quinn and Salt and Pepper Fox: He loves what he does!!!
SPFood
The Salt & Pepper Fox represents my passion for crafting local, memorable dishes for Victoria. With over 15 years experience, in some of the best kitchens in North America, I knew it was time to launch my own culinary business. My network of friends and colleagues who make a living providing fresh, local ingredients allow me to source the best from our community. Every lunch order is handmade and delivered to you.

ICMH Celebrates Successful Brent Seal Event

We are sending out our heartfelt thanks to our community partners, sponsors, and staff who helped organize and execute our Brent Seal speaking event on October 8, 2015. We would also like to send a special thank you to Alex Preston and Caity Gossland the Cyclistas who rode across Canada to raise awareness and funds for Mental Illness, and whose generous donation made it possible to put on this event.

More than 150 people attended the sold-out event, and we have received many wonderful comments and thank-you notes from attendees and others who are invested in mental illness awareness and recovery.

ICMH offering Communicating through Conflict

Do difficult conversations often end up as arguments?

Are you feeling powerless?

Do you have trouble getting your point across?

Would you like to improve your personal relationships?

Do you find it hard to obtain the services you need?

Is it challenging to deal with government representatives?

Would you like to learn options for dealing with everyday conflicts?

Does the art of assertiveness escape you?

This seven-session course is presented by Island Community Mental Health in partnership with Communica Dialogue and Resolution Services.

Sessions cover the following topics:

  1. Conflict basics: A general introduction to the topics covered in the workshop series. **Participation in this session is required to take the other 6 sessions in this workshop series. (November 24)
  2. Conflict styles: An introduction to the 5 major conflict styles (avoid, harmonize, compete, compromise and collaborate) and the role that each style plays in managing conflict and communication. (November 26)
  3. Active listening: Participants will explore active listening, practice effective listening skills and learn how to use these skills to improve their communication with others. (December 1)
  4. Assertiveness: Participants explore common behaviours, the value of neutral language and learn a specific model for effective assertion messages in a variety of situations. (December 3)
  5. Managing strong emotions: Learn how emotion can be both a cause and a consequence of conflict and explore strategies for managing strong emotions. (December 8)
  6. Power and culture: Participants will learn how power and culture influence communications and how to minimize the impact of cultural differences and power imbalances. (December 10)
  7. Bringing it all together: In the final session, participants combine and practice all the skills learned in the previous workshops. (December 15)

For more information or to register contact Dawn Twin at dawn.twin@icmha.ca or 250-389-1211.

WELLNESS IS FOCUS FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 30, 2015

WELLNESS IS FOCUS FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK

Victoria, B.C. – In recognition of national Mental Illness Awareness Week, Island Community Mental Health (ICMH) is bringing inspirational speaker Brent Seal to speak about his experience as a young adult diagnosed with a serious mental illness and his journey to recovery.

“To me, these days it’s about letting people know that mental illness is no longer a life sentence,” says Brent.

His inspirational story: From Mental Illness to Mental Wellness emphasizes the importance of wellness and adventure as key to helping young people dealing with mental illness to lead great lives. Brent will be speaking at the Young Auditorium at Camosun College’s Lansdowne Campus 3100 Foul Bay Rd on Thursday, October 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The event is free and tickets are available through Eventbrite: search Brent Seal.

“Reaching out through public education and awareness activities is a big part of the Young Adult Engagement Strategy we launched in April,” said ICMH Executive Director Kim Duffus.  “The message Brent brings speaks to the importance of support from professionals, family and friends in meeting the challenges of mental illness. This is what ICMH and our other community partners are all about.” This event is proudly supported by Camosun College and UVic Student Mental Health Initiative.

Mental Illness Awareness Week runs from October 4-10 and focuses attention on mental disorders: signs and symptoms, how to get help, stigma, hope and recovery, and the impact of mental illness on lives, families, workplaces and society.

“One-in-five Canadians experience a form of mental illness in their lives,” said ICMH Board President Darrion Campbell. “A recent survey of the community indicated that Victorians believe mental illness is the third most important issue affecting the health of the community.” Campbell says that ICMH operates on the principle that each person who experiences mental illness has the capacity to move forward, to learn and to grow.

“I hope Victorians will take the opportunity to join us for this exciting event and that they will do more to learn about the importance that community plays in supporting individuals with mental illness and the many services and resources available,” said Duffus.

To find out more information about this upcoming event and about ICMH and its programs and services visit: www.icmha.ca

 

ICMH provides psychosocial rehabilitation and housing services to more than 1,000 adults in Greater Victoria each year and has been a core support for those dealing with serious mental illness for 60 years. 

 

For further information contact:
Kim Duffus

Executive Director

Tel: 250 389-1211

kim.duffus@icmha.ca