Seneca College - RED 2016 - 14

PRO
FILES

At least 500,000 employed
Canadians are unable to work
due to mental health problems
each week. The economic cost
of mental illness is estimated at
$51 billion annually.

"Street Nurse" Cathy Crowe
provided the afternoon
keynote address at the inaugural RBC Mental Health
Symposium at Seneca.

Seneca and RBC host
York Region's first-ever
mental health symposium

SENECA AND ROYAL BANK OF CANADA teamed
up to present the inaugural RBC Mental
Health Symposium, hosted at King Campus
in May.
The unique gathering was the first of
its kind in York Region. Nearly 300 participants met to discuss best practices and
research on emerging trends in mental
health care and the emotional well-being
of children and adults.
The event, themed "trauma and practice
across the life span," included panel discussions, networking opportunities and art
displays focusing on the issues of trauma
resistance and resilience, as well as traumainformed practice and compassion fatigue.

RED

2016

The symposium also featured an introductory keynote address from The Honourable Michael Wilson, a longtime mental
health advocate and Chair of the Mental
Health Commission of Canada. Michael
has worked tirelessly in the political and
advocacy arenas to help reduce the stigma
that often prevents people with mental
illness from seeking treatment.
Cathy Crowe, a respected author, filmmaker and professor, was the other keynote
presenter. Cathy, who refers to herself as
a "street nurse," rose to public prominence
through her work with Toronto streetinvolved individuals in the early 1990s and
continues to advocate for homeless populations. She shared her insights on the linkages between mental health challenges and
a lack of safe and affordable housing in
centres across Canada.
Fizza Jaffari, a recent graduate of
Seneca's Mental Health Intervention (MHI)
graduate certificate program, said the
symposium presented an unprecedented
learning and networking experience.
"This symposium has given Seneca
students the opportunity to participate in

important mental health conversations,"
says Fizza. "It's been wonderful to meet
some of this country's most influential
advocates and professionals in the mental
health care community."
This biannual symposium is the result
of a $150,000 commitment from RBC over
the next five years. RBC has also donated
$150,000 for mental health community
outreach, including a capstone research
project for Seneca's MHI students.
The event concluded with the presentation of the RBC Community Partners
Award, which was given to Blue Door
Shelters. Since 1982, Blue Door has
provided safe, supportive shelter space
and services, at no cost, for people in
York Region who are homeless or at risk
of becoming homeless.

Learn more about Seneca's Mental Health
Intervention graduate certificate program:
senecacollege.ca/fulltime/MHI.html

PHOTO: RICARDO BERNARDINO

RBC Mental Health Symposium

http://www.senecacollege.ca/fulltime/MHI.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College - RED 2016