@OntarioShores own Dr. Karen De Freitas talks straight about #schizophrenia and the treatment of it on #MindVine. https://t.co/0cla6OoDXb
Hockey's Brian Burke will be 'Celebrating a Century of Care' at Ontario Shores
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) will turn 100 years old on Wednesday, October 23 and we are celebrating with a host of planned activities.
Over the last 12 months Ontario Shores has been in celebration mode thanks to the efforts of our Ambassadors of Hope, six individuals with a connection to mental health and our organization who have been attending events, conducting interviews and producing videos in recognition of this historical milestone.
Along the way we welcomed our 100th anniversary sign in the Main Lobby (Building 5, Level 2), participated in a mental health exhibition at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa and published a commemorative book, which will be available for purchase for $20. We also welcomed staff, families, patients, volunteers and the community to our Century of Care Fair, held last month on the grounds of Ontario Shores.
Serious About Schizophrenia - Treatment is More Than Medication
The primary goal of a Recreation Therapist working with a patient living with schizophrenia is to improve their quality of life by providing opportunities for meaningful engagement and activities. Meaningful leisure activities produce positive emotions, such as joy, contentment and interest, which have a direct relation to wellbeing.
Circumstances of hospitalization and the symptomology of schizophrenia often make it difficult to experience positive emotions or engage in meaningful activities. For example, the negative symptoms can cause individuals to seclude themselves or become isolated and they may require significant behavioural activation or motivational encouragement to perform daily tasks.
Serious About Schizophrenia - Recovery is Possible
Forensic psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry. It focuses on assessing and treating people with severe mental illness who have become involved with the criminal justice system. Psychiatrists in this field are trained to assess these people and to help them recover from their active symptoms and start on their recovery journey.
At Ontario Shores, the Forensic Assessment Unit (FAU) assesses individuals living with schizophrenia to determine their fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility. The role of the psychiatrist here is to meet with the person awaiting trial and gather as much information as possible regarding their history and current status. This information comes from the person as well as other collateral sources such as family members and other hospitals and clinicians to enable the psychiatrist to assess the individual as comprehensively as possible.
