Pathways Serious Mental Illness Society
Caregiver Support, Mental Health - Adult, and Mental Health - Child & Youth
Provided by Pathways Serious Mental Illness Society
Provides free support services to families of those with mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorders, and borderline personality disorder, including suicide intervention.
Services are offered on a drop-in basis and include:
Education:
NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course: An 8-week Family-to-Family Education Course three times a year, which provides information on symptoms, medication, crisis management, and self-care. This course is strictly for families, significant others, and friends of a loved one with a serious mental illness, including anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, concurrent disorders, and schizophrenia. Registration is required.
Education:
NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course: An 8-week Family-to-Family Education Course three times a year, which provides information on symptoms, medication, crisis management, and self-care. This course is strictly for families, significant others, and friends of a loved one with a serious mental illness, including anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, concurrent disorders, and schizophrenia. Registration is required.
Skills Building Workshops Series: Provides interactive, skills-based workshops designed to support individuals in building knowledge and practical strategies to better support themselves, their family, and loved ones living with mental illness. These short workshops do not require a long-term commitment and are facilitated by volunteers with lived experience supporting someone with a mental illness.
Workshops are intended for family members, significant others, and friends of individuals living with mental illness. Participants are expected to have their cameras on during sessions to help foster a respectful and supportive environment for sharing experiences.
Support Groups:
One-On-One Support: Provides one-on-one peer support delivered by trained Family Peer Support Volunteers. This service draws on shared lived experience of supporting a loved one with a serious mental illness, along with practical knowledge and strategies gained through that experience. Support is available to family members, significant others, and friends of individuals living with mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, concurrent disorders, and schizophrenia.
The program offers guidance and information on topics including accessing treatment, supporting a loved one in crisis, navigating the BC mental health system, effective communication, understanding mental illness, setting boundaries, and developing coping strategies to provide ongoing support.
Weekly Support Groups: Provides facilitated online support groups for family members, significant others, and friends of individuals living with a serious mental illness, with or without a formal diagnosis. Groups offer a safe space for participants to share experiences, discuss challenges, and receive emotional support, information, and assistance with navigating services. With guidance from trained Family Peer Support Volunteers, participants can learn and share coping strategies while offering and receiving encouragement, reassurance, and peer support.
Support groups are available to those supporting individuals with conditions such as anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, concurrent disorders, and schizophrenia. To register, please click here.
Help with Legal Issues Related to Mental Illness: Provides information and support for family members navigating legal issues related to a loved one’s mental illness. Please note that Pathways does not provide legal advice or legal representation. Family members may attend support groups to connect with others who have experienced similar situations, including those involving the criminal justice system. Support services are available to family members regardless of whether their loved one has been charged.
Advocacy: Provides advocacy services to support awareness, diagnosis, and access to mental health care in British Columbia.
604-926-0856
Public email: info@pathwayssmi.org
Website: https://pathwayssmi.org/
#101, 315 1st Street West, North Vancouver, British Columbia, V7M 1B5
Cost: No cost
Referral options:
- Self-referral
Availability
Service area: Province-wide + show cities
Service Types Provided
Mental Health - Adult
Mental Health - Child & Youth
Ways to Access
- Provided 1:1 in-person
- Provided online: email / video / on-line
The listing of this service in Pathways is not a recommendation or endorsement by Pathways.