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    Home > What We Do > Caregiving
    Caregiving

    Caregiving

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    Overview|Resources

    What is the issue?

    Caregivers are vital partners in the recovery journeys of loved ones who are living with mental health problems and illnesses. To ensure them a good quality of life, caregivers provide emotional, social, and material support, which includes navigating and advocating for services. Yet, still too often, the caregiver’s role, voice, and well-being are overlooked.

    This lack of interest has significant consequences, especially for the caregivers themselves: nearly 50 per cent see their role as having a negative affect on their own mental health.

    Engaging caregivers and supporting their needs would bring many direct and indirect benefits:

    • improved health for clients and their families
    • less reliance on health services
    • more meaningful partnerships in our systems of care
    • better system responsiveness to family and community needs
    • greater caregiver confidence and competence

    What are we doing?

    Since 2008, we have worked with caregiver supporters on providing advocates, policy makers, and providers with resources and tools to better engage caregivers and meet their needs:

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    Promising Practices Guide: Engaging Caregivers in Mental Health and Addiction Services in Canada

    • Created to inspire mental health and addiction service organizations and provide them with good practices in engaging caregivers
    • Includes examples of good family engagement in care, programs, and policies
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    National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Service System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses

    A roadmap with 41 recommendations to guide system planners, policy makers, and service providers in planning and implementing mental health care services that take caregivers’ needs and perspectives into account.

    • Full report
    • Summary report
    • Taking the Caregiver Guidelines Off the Shelf: Mobilization Toolkit
    • FAQ
    • Backgrounder
    • Brochure
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    2010 spring roundtable meeting reports

    • Family Involvement and Support
    • Francophone Mental Health

    The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) created a number of resources to support caregivers of people living with a mental health problem or illness. They are designed to support the mental health and wellness of the caregiver as well as improve the care of their loved one. Click on the links below for more information.

    Resources

    pdf
    National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Service System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses
    1.49 MB
    pdf
    National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Service System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses - Summary
    451.81 kB
    pdf
    Frequently Asked Questions - National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Services System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses
    653.04 kB
    pdf
    Backgrounder - National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Services System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses
    545.72 kB
    pdf
    Brochure - National Caregiving Support Guidelines
    450.04 kB
    pdf
    2010 Spring Roundtable Meeting - Family Involvement and Support
    591.67 kB
    pdf
    2010 Spring Roundtable Meeting - Francophone Mental Health
    773.94 kB

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