issue 13 / volume 41

news // 5

Mental health services program launched at Douglas

» Program seeks to educate mental health service workers

Angela Espinoza

: with serious mental illness,”
: said Higenbottam, “but they
: also have the tremendous

: although this employment
; program could bea one-time
: opportunity for students,

News Faltor : benefit that if you get people its success could result in
4, ' @theotherpress.ca : with serious mental illness ; permanent or recurrent
: into jobs, they tend todo : funding.
n November 13, Douglas : much better in terms of their: “Douglas has become a
College began offering community functioning. : bit of a centre of excellence for

online study material to educate

students studying to work in
the mental health field. The
study material consists of six
“webinars, which students can
access throughout BC.

“It’s a program which is
really aimed at people who
are already out working in
the community in what we
call sheltered employment
programs,” said Douglas’
psychosocial rehabilitation
coordinator John Higenbottam.
“(Sheltered employment

services to people with serious
mental illness.”

Higenbottam stated
that the program is similar
to a program for psychology
students at Douglas known as
BC Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Advanced Practice. “Much like

programs] provide employment : the advanced practice program,
: this program is really intended
: to provide practitioners with

: up-to-date knowledge and help
: them provide the best possible

: services to the client.”

The employment program

is being recognized as a pilot
: project, launched with a

“These programs have

, : the benefit of really making
: it possible for people with

: serious mental illness to live
: ina community successfully
: without going in and out of
: hospitals.” :
: The content of the webinars :
| : “documents the effectiveness of :
: these supportive employment

: programs,’ presenting students

a : with the skills and information

 

: grant of $75,000 for funding.

: Douglas was one of 20 BC post-
: secondary schools to receive

: the money as part of the Skills

: for Jobs Blueprint’s initiative

: to educate students with

: disabilities in specific areas.

“The program’s main

: they’ll need in “working with
: people in the community

: who've got serious mental

: illness.”

“Many of the people who

: are viewing the webinars

: are actual practitioners,

: people out there who've been
: doing this for years and are

: already experienced,” said

: : . : Higenbottam.
: purpose is to get jobs for people :

Higenbottam added that

psychosocial rehabilitation, and
: this supportive employment

: program is a good example of

: a psychosocial rehabilitation

: program,” said Higenbottam.

: The psychosocial rehabilitation
: program at Douglas College

was created by Higenbottam
to address the social needs of

those suffering from mental

: illness, which can be taken in
: psychology students’ third or
: fourth years.

“One of the advantages is

when [students] get out with

: those skills, they're going to

: get jobs. All the people that

: we've been graduating from the
: program are doing quite well

: and getting jobs in their mental
: health settings. If people are

: interested in working in the

: mental health field, this is a

: good entry point.”

 

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