Kaleidoscope Archives ~ The Kaleidoscope

We are temporarily cancelling our Thursday group until we have facilitators whose schedule works with that time slot. That should be soon (a couple of weeks), and we’ll post here again to let you know when we are starting up again.

In the meantime, you are welcome to attend group on Tuesdays 5-6pm or Wednesdays 12-1pm.

Thanks for your patience while we adjust to the new semester.

-The Kaleidoscope team

News

Connectivity Writing Group

July 12, 2013July 12, 2013 nicole

Dear Kaleidoscope members,

A new group is starting up on campus this fall. Here it is:

You are invited to join Connectivity: Using Writing Practice to Explore Mental Illness.This is not a therapy group, but it is a supportive environment where like minded people can explore the use of writing as a tool in their recovery and also as a bridge to reduce the stigma of mental illness.The group is facilitated by Rebecca Shaw, an M.Ed. student of Adult Education, and a writer living with bipolar II disorder.

Dates: Thursdays starting September 19
Time: 4:30 pm – 6 pm
Location: Koerner Library Room 167
Website: http://connectivitygroup.wordpress.com/

Registration is required to ensure we will have the right amount of space.

The Kaleidoscope will continue to have multiple weekly support group meetings as well.

General Information

Film library

May 19, 2013 nicole

Did you know Kaleidoscope has a film library? Check out the titles and ask a facilitator at group if you are interested in borrowing a DVD!

News

Opportunity for those to share their experiences with mental illness

May 8, 2013May 8, 2013 victor

To our support group members: A letter from the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Student’s and Interns, they are looking for anyone who is willing to share their experiences with mental illness. If you are interested in an opportunity to influence the future of how healthcare professionals view, understand, and care for people with mental illness, read below for details!

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I am contacting you as the Panel Discussion Coordinator for the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns’s (CAPSI’s) national Professional Development Week conference This conference brings together hundreds of students from all the pharmacy schools across Canada, and will be hosted in Vancouver January 8-11, 2014. As part of this year’s panel discussions at the conference, we are putting together a mental health panel, where past and current individuals experiencing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, etc. will be given the opportunity to lead an interactive discussion that focuses on their experience with the healthcare system (eg. what worked well and what did not), and how they hope healthcare professionals can interact with or support those with mental health issues in the future.

Because Kaleidoscope brings together a community of such individuals who may be interested in contributing, I am looking for 1-2 individuals who:

-have experienced or are currently experiencing one or more mental illness(es)

-would like to speak about their mental health condition and their experience with the healthcare system in front of a large audience

-are comfortable with communicating with up to 3 other panelists/speakers in the period leading up to, and during the actual presentation

-are comfortable answering questions from the audience of future healthcare professionals

-are interested in teaching/guiding healthcare professionals on how to improve mental healthcare in the future

By participating in this initiative, members would have the opportunity to make a real difference in how healthcare professionals interact with those with mental health conditions in the future, and would be able to share their experiences with a broad audience who are dedicated to providing the best possible care in the future.

I would like to invite interested Kaleidoscope members to email me at panel.pdw2014@gmail.com with their:
– name
– nature of their mental illness (what was the illness, how long did/have they experienced it for, a brief summary of their interactions with healthcare professionals eg. pharmacists, physicians, social workers, psychiatrists, etc., if applicable)
– experience and/or comfort level with public speaking
– and any additional questions they may have for me
Any information shared with me will remain between myself and my committee leader, Anita, and will not be shared with anyone else until the potential speaker has decided to commit to presenting at the conference.

I would like to thank you for your time and consideration, and invite you to contact me should you have any further questions.

Best regards,
Alice Hou

Panel Discussion Coordinator

CAPSI Professional Development Week 2014

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News

Kaleidoscope will continue to meet regularly throughout the rest of April

April 9, 2013 andrea

To support you through exams, Kaleidoscope will continue to meet at the regular times* straight through til the end of April! Stay tuned to hear our schedule for May.

*Tuesdays: 5-6pm | Wednesdays-&-Thursdays: 12-1pm in the small meeting room in the Centre for Student Involvement (CSI) in Brock Hall

News

Kaleidoscope has another weekly meeting time: Thursdays from 12-1pm

February 21, 2013 andrea

This is great news! To accommodate more people’s schedules, Kaleidoscope has added another weekly meeting: Thursdays, from 12-1pm in the same location (the small meeting room in the CSI). First meeting is next Thursday, the 28th!

News

Kaleidoscope will still be meeting during Reading Week at the regular times! (Tuesday 5-6pm and Wednesday 12-1pm)

February 18, 2013 andrea

Hope you’re all enjoying the start of Reading Break! For those of you on campus, Kaleidoscope meetings will still be happening this week at the regular times. Enjoy your time off class!