Mental Health & Wellness Resources

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Stress Strategies:  A free online tool by the Psychology Foundation of Canada that gives practical ways to cope with stress.

BC Lawyer Assistance Program: Stress Management 

7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety from Jelana Kecmanovic, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Georgetown University

The Ontario Bar Association has a host of  wellness resources, including a 30-day fitness challenge, quick tips, and a CPD series.

SADNESS VS. DEPRESSION - a video

ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE - a video

Learn how you can create your own happiness

Want more resources?  

Click here

Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who think they have a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.  

American Bar Association: Alcohol Use Disorders - signs & symptoms.

ABA Podcast: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness in the Legal Profession.

Mindfulness Without Borders (MWB) is a leading provider of best practices and evidenced-based programs on secular mindfulness and social-emotional intelligence to youth, educators, health and corporate professionals in communities around the world.  MWB offers in-person and on-line workshops, produce a fantastic blog, and have lots of resources on their website.

MUSE, a Personal Meditation Assistant from Toronto's Interaxon, is wearable tech at its best!   It's a headband that, when paired with their app, gives you feedback about your meditation in real time by translating your brain signals into the sounds of weather.

Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of your life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental. Reaching a balance is a learning process. At times, you may tip the balance too much in one direction and have to find your footing again. Your personal balance will be unique, and your challenge will be to stay mentally healthy by keeping that balance. 

Information and suggestions from the Canadian Mental Health Association to help you keep your balance. 

HelpGuide is a nonprofit mental health and wellness website. Their mission is to provide empowering, evidence-based information that you can use to help yourself and your loved ones. 

It's 100% ad-free and not for profit.

The Provincial HSJCC is looking for members to join a community of practice focused on addressing release from custody issues across Ontario.
 

Regional and Local HSJCCs have repeatedly reported that clients are being released from custody without appropriate discharge planning, connections to housing or community supports. These issues have been further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the Provincial HSJCC has committed to identifying ways the HSJCC Network can coordinate efforts of our members across Ontario.
 

The P-HSJCC Release from Custody Community of Practice will be made up of members from across the HSJCC Network who work in the housing, health and justice sectors that support and coordinate efforts for those being released from correctional institutions. Members will raise issues and brainstorm solutions at a Local, Regional, and Provincial level. This may include connecting clients to housing, finding transportation to home communities and sharing creative practices across the province.
 

The Community of Practice will meet on a regular basis via teleconference or a virtual platform. Additional issues may be discussed between members by email or through the use of online forums. Members from Local, Regional and Provincial HSJCCs, as well as our partner stakeholders, are welcome to join. For more information, please contact Christine Conrad at cconrad@ontario.cmha.ca 

The HSJCCs were established in response to a recognized need to coordinate resources and services, and plan more effectively for people who are in conflict with the law. Priority consideration is for people with a serious mental illness, developmental disability, acquired brain injury, drug and alcohol addiction, and/or fetal alcohol syndrome. 

The committees were generated as a cooperative effort between the Ministries of the Attorney General, Children, Community and Social Services, Health and the Solicitor General.

The two primary areas of emphasis for the committees are:

1. To provide a planning table to bring together service providers to find solutions to the problem of the criminalization of people with the defined unique needs, and;
2. To develop a model of shared responsibility and accountability in dealing with this group of individuals at points of intersection with the justice system.

Work planning and reporting helps HSJCCs from across the province plan their activities for the year. Reporting ensures there is accountability across the network and is a great way to highlight the accomplishments of the HSJCC Network.

Regional and Local HSJCCs develop their work plan based on a standardized reporting template.  

The HSJCCs provide reports on the following:

Mental Health Courts in Ontario;

Older Adults and the Justice System;

Housing & Justice Reform; and

Police-Hospital Transitions Frameworks

Regional committees were established to coordinate communication and service integration planning between health, criminal justice, and developmental service organizations within specific regions. Local committees provide input to these regional groups. The Provincial Committee, consisting of regional chairs and Ministry representatives, has been developed as a provincial planning body. 

The Provincial HSJCC is committed to identifying provincial service and policy issues across Ontario, making recommendations to address such issues and identifying system solutions to appropriate government and other provincial bodies. As such, the Provincial HSJCC often participates in consultations and prepares submissions to help address issues and advance improvements to the human services and justice coordination efforts of the HSJCCs and the Government of Ontario.

 In December 2020, the HSJCC published a new report by Ontario’s leading experts on housing, justice, and mental health and addictions that outlines how existing supportive housing could more effectively meet the needs of justice-involved individuals and reduce strain on the health and justice systems.  Read that here!  

The HSJCC  has also made recent submissions regarding issues exacerbated during COVID-19 which you can find on their COVID-19 updates page. 

The Provincial HSJCC is looking for members to join a standing committee focused on addressing Anti-Racism across the HSJCC Network. Following high profile incidents of anti-racism both provincially and internationally, as well as feedback received from our Regional HSJCCs, the Provincial HSJCC has committed to identifying ways the HSJCC Network can be a leader in addressing Anti-Racism.
 

The P-HSJCC Anti-Racism Committee will be made up of members from across the HSJCC Network who will provide invaluable input and guidance in the development of a network wide strategy that will represent the interests of Local and Regional HSJCCs at the provincial level.
 

Committee members will:

• Provide advice and oversight to the Provincial HSJCC on all anti-racism practices, processes and cultural diversity throughout the network.
• Act as Anti-Racism Champions,      representing Local and Regional HSJCCs, and partner organizations to help identify systemic issues that will meet the interests of the full HSJCC membership.

The Anti-Racism Committee will meet on a regular basis via teleconference or virtual platform. Additional consultations may be done with members by email. Members from Local, Regional and Provincial HSJCCs, as well as our partner stakeholders, are welcome to join. For more information, please contact Andrew Fairbairn at afairbairn@ontario.cmha.ca