Acorn Family Place

A place for families.

Uncategorized ·

August 2019

August in the Playroom

This August the Playroom will undergo several changes. The Playroom Director, Nadine Mackenzie will be leaving for a while as she prepares to go on Maternity Leave. She will return September 2020, however rest assured she and her new baby will come and visit during that time. In the meanwhile, Christine McIntyre has been hired to take over the role as Interim Director. Please welcome her as she begins this role at Wolseley Family Place.

The Playroom is also preparing for the upcoming move to our new location at 222 Furby St. The staff is busy cleaning, organizing, and purging. We welcome your input and suggestions as we prepare for our new space.

Change can be difficult. To help minimize the stress that these changes may have on the children, the staff will, as always, continue to provide a safe and fun place for children to play and learn. Bev, the Playroom supervisor, along with Darla, Surriya and Olivia will continue to be available to support the children and their families during this time.

 

Music Circle

On Mondays at 11:30 a music therapist joins us and she leads parents and children in a ½ hour of singing and stories. Children learn songs, do a little dancing and make a lot of wonderful noise. August 12th and 19th.

 

Cooking Class

Join us as we discover ways of being healthy together! Each session includes fun games, activities, and an opportunity to cook and enjoy wholesome food together. Kids are welcome to participate! August dates are the 12th and 19th from 1:30-3:30.

Sign-up sheet available at 1:00 in the drop-in

 

Mental Health First Aid Canada (MHFA)

What is a mood disorder?

At some point, everyone experiences losses, setbacks or tragedies that will lead to a normal experience of grief and sadness. People with mood disorders experience moods outside the normal range that are longer in duration with more severe symptoms.  There is no fixed time line for people to grieve.  People will move through the process of grieving with different severity of symptoms and rate.  People with mood disorders may experience distress and feel that their mood and emotions are not under their control. They suffer significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, educational or other important areas of functioning.  Extreme moods can have devastating consequences for the person, their family and society.  These consequences for the person may include financial, legal, marital, relation, employment and spiritual losses, as well as despair that could result in suicide or death.

  • Why is it important for one to know MHFA and its benefits?
  • It teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
  • MHFA is a good tool to helps promote awareness and break down stereotypes of Mental Health. It can decrease social distance from people with mental health problems.
  • Increased confidence in providing help to others.
  • Members of the general public often do not know who to respond, MHFA helps someone who is experiencing a crisis. 5 Basic Actions of MHFA for Mood Problems: (ALGEE) 
  1. Assess- the risks of suicide and/ or other harm. Assess the best way to help the situation.
  2. Listen- with no judgements. Always speak freely and in their comfortable language.
  3. Give- reassurance & information. Give hope and being optimistic
  4. Encourage- the person to get appropriate professional help.
  5. Encourage- other supports. Have them reach out for support of those who are reliable and comfortable for the person in need.
  6. References:

Mental Health First Aid Canada (MHFA)

What is a mood disorder?

At some point, everyone experiences losses, setbacks or tragedies that will lead to a normal experience of grief and sadness. People with mood disorders experience moods outside the normal range that are longer in duration with more severe symptoms.  There is no fixed time line for people to grieve.  People will move through the process of grieving with different severity of symptoms and rate.  People with mood disorders may experience distress and feel that their mood and emotions are not under their control. They suffer significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, educational or other important areas of functioning.  Extreme moods can have devastating consequences for the person, their family and society.  These consequences for the person may include financial, legal, marital, relation, employment and spiritual losses, as well as despair that could result in suicide or death.

  • Why is it important for one to know MHFA and its benefits?
  • It teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
  • MHFA is a good tool to helps promote awareness and break down stereotypes of Mental Health. It can decrease social distance from people with mental health problems.
  • Increased confidence in providing help to others.
  • Members of the general public often do not know who to respond, MHFA helps someone who is experiencing a crisis. 5 Basic Actions of MHFA for Mood Problems: (ALGEE) 
  1. Assess- the risks of suicide and/ or other harm. Assess the best way to help the situation.
  2. Listen- with no judgements. Always speak freely and in their comfortable language.
  3. Give- reassurance & information. Give hope and being optimistic
  4. Encourage- the person to get appropriate professional help.
  5. Encourage- other supports. Have them reach out for support of those who are reliable and comfortable for the person in need.
  6. References:
  • https://www.mhfa.ca/
  • Government of Canada. (2006). The human face of mental health and mental illness in Canada. Ottawa (ON): Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada., pp63-4.Government of Canada. (2006). The human face of mental health and mental illness in Canada. Ottawa (ON): Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada., pp63-4.