Peer Support is the Preventative and Effective Solution to Mental Health Issues
TORONTO, April 20, 2016 /CNW/ - Unlike physical injuries, mental health injuries usually have a long lead up period where help and intervention can occur to mitigate the impact of the illness. Peer Support is the "ounce of prevention" now being widely used by organizations to avoid the "pound of cure" that comes with a person being knocked out of work. In combination with traditional treatments it increases the probability of recovery.
The 2nd National Conference on Peer Support – the only conference of its kind – will see the gathering of Peer Supporters, industry vendors, human resource practitioners and thought leaders NCPS is being held in Toronto 27-29 April 2016, at the Toronto Downtown Marriot. The event has again sold out to capacity.
"While it remains important to offer Canadians the best possible clinical mental health care available, as I often say, people who suffer from mental health challenges need more than medical interventions to fully recover," says Stéphane Grenier, the President and Chair of Peer Support Accreditation and Certification Canada (PSACC), which hosts the event. "Research clearly shows that social support is a key factor for the recovery and in many cases the prevention of mental health problems. We now have a national blueprint to help develop an informed and caring community of Peer Supporters and this conference is one of its many moving parts".
Grenier is a leading voice on peer support, mental health and issues surrounding PTSD. As a retired Lieutenant-Colonel he is known for introducing peer support to the Canadian military as a result of his struggles with PTSD due to difficult deployments, which includes 9-months in Rwanda. Grenier was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Guelph for his body of work over the last 16 years.
The National Conference is hosted by PSACC, a non-profit that promotes the recognition, growth, and accessibility of peer support. Sun Life Financial is the conference's returning presenting sponsor. This is a biennial event with the first occurring in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2014.
The conference features 90 presenters, 48 informative sessions, and an address by the Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Mr. Michael Wilson. There are also three compelling keynote speakers:
- Pat Capponi – Order of Canada Recipient, Peer Support & Mental Health Advocate and author of Beyond the Crazy House;
- Dr. Ian Dawe, MHSc, MD, FRCP(C) – Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and Program Chief and Medical Director for Mental Health at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ont.; and
- Silken Laumann – Olympian, Inspirational Speaker and author of Unsinkable: A Memoir
Media interested in attending are invited to register for accreditation:
http://ncps-canada.com/media/
SOURCE Peer Support Accreditation and Certification Canada
Pre-event media requests are coordinated through: Jon O'Connor, PSACC Communications, [email protected], 1-905-924-1550
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