The focus of the symposium is to gain insight in the creation of a Pan-Canada database of family advisors/Family Advisory Committees, including one-off voices not just Family Advisory Committees. Based on a hub and spoke model.
Builds on Frayme’s role in knowledge mobilization, connections, & focus on Family Engagement:
- Provide a space to share information between FACs/family advisors.
- Be a national source of a broad spectrum of family voices for projects, research and surveys.
- Be a space to share pan-Canada best practices re: Family Engagement and FACs.
- Be a space to provide, share, promote training and learning opportunities re: Family Engagement and FACs.
Data for and about Family Advisory Committees and family advisors, including areas of focus, creates a national connections map of all the Family Advisory Committees, helps smaller organizations & grassroots to gain access to larger sources of data.
Presenters and slide deck
Katherine Morin
Katherine (she/ her) is a Frayme Family Advisory member contributing her lived experience as a caregiver and sibling. Katherine’s passion for these efforts stems from navigating the gaps in our health care system while standing alongside a sibling. Katherine will not give up her advocacy efforts until the day all members of our community can access mental health services that are FREE, not bound by time and provided by professionals whom are working as a collective team. When not working, she is mostly likely to be found cooking up storm in the kitchen or snuggling with her black lab named Jojo.
Yalinee
Yalinee Barendra (she/her) is a mental health advocate. She is a member of the Frayme Family Advisory Committee. She has lived experience both as a youth and family caregiver in the mental health and substance use system. She has advised for projects for organizations such as CAMH. She believes in the power of small changes to make an impact in systematic change.
Sheryl Mitchell
Sheryl has worked at hospitals and health service organizations developing and managing health information and communication programs for consumers. She currently spends her time advocating for improved mental health services for families and their loved ones. You can find her answering the information line and facilitating family support groups at Hope+Me: Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, and lending her voice to the family advisory committees of organizations such as Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, Ontario Caregiver Organization and the Reach Out Response Network.
Family groups or individuals interested in being part of the project of creating a national family engagement network, or wanting to be included in the data-base can email Kristy Allen at Kristy.Allen@theroyal.ca
Key Learnings
- Understanding the definition of family and the family engagement standards.
- Understanding what is missing from family engagement.
- Benefits of a national network of family engagement.