MDAO Forum

Support for People with Mood Disorders => General Discussion => Topic started by: paul on October 18, 2014, 12:20:13 am

Title: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: paul on October 18, 2014, 12:20:13 am
As the title states why are the facilitators not getting paid ? The walk in groups are the ONLY real help that is available and these people are not being compensated ? WHY ????

Again the walk in groups are the ONLY real help that is available and the facilitators are the ones that help in the healing process. The walk in groups are vital to my sanity.


So, many government grants and so much money is being wasted / misused. There HAS to be a better way to coordinate how money is being used and spent.


That money is for ME and others like myself.



I have found that most are in the game only for the money and not for the help and care that is so greatly needed.

The programs that are available are so limited and you have to WAIT. I need help NOW not tomorrow or in a few months.

It is EASIER to kill your self then to get help. Or you can get LOCKED up in a hospital like a criminal when all you really wanted was a little help !!!
Title: Re: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: NeitherHereNorThere on October 18, 2014, 08:16:54 am
Good morning paul.

I hear you!  I just watched a program about the large sums of money going into building and renovating jails.  I was also present during a seminar (at a Women's Shelter) in which the speaker advised the audience of the dire need for assistance in the mental health sector.  The speaker stressed that for people with Bipolar and PTSD, the lack of support is life threatening and effects "everyone."  She encouraged people to further their education, focusing in these areas.

Unfortunately, I do not hear that the government is willing to provide the necessary funding required.  Right now, most of our support comes from the genuine kindness and concern of people that donate their time.  I too am extremely frustrated with this as not just for myself, but I have young family members that are struggling and I'm afraid of what their future looks like.  We do not live in times when we can live on love so these wonderful people need to get paid.

From my research, it would take me 5 years to achieve the education required to support myself financially and assist people with Bipolar and PTSD.  I wish I could do more but I can't find an opportunity that pays my bills and allows me to assist full time.

Frustrating!
Title: Re: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: paulm on October 19, 2014, 02:16:02 am
Hello Everyone. I take it that you mean facilitators of Peer support groups. Some do get paid, some do it on a volunteer basis. I've been to both types of groups and my own findings were that the volunteer run groups were better for me, than the ones were the facilitator gets paid. All of the below are generalities and there always exceptions and they are only my own opinions.

 One of the reasons why I prefer an all volunteer ran group is because the facilitator can make friends with who ever they wish. In groups where there is a paid facilitator, that person usually works for an organization that has a non frat rule(not always).

 I also find the volunteer ran groups are more likely to be ran more loosely and can have a wider range of topics on any given night.  Whereas the groups with a paid facilitator usually follow stricter guidelines.

 I have attended a lot of groups over the years and I find the ones with the least funding often have the facilitators who have had a really serious mental illness and recovered to the extent that they can now facilitate a group and are great facilitators. A lot of the paid facilitators, that duty is often included as part of their full time profession and some have never missed a days work due to a mental illness or at least not in years.

 In regards to money being available, some groups around Ontario are part of big organizations with million $ budgets, some have budgets in the 2-3000 $ range and some have a zero budget, usually because the people who run the group don't want to get involved with fund raising.

 There are gov't grants, foundations and charities that will fund at least part of a peer support group's expenses, but it's usually a lot of work.

 Don't get me wrong, I too get frustrated with the amount of money that the gov't wastes on non productive measures such as: pay a doctor for years and the patient never gets well(not the patients fault), revolving door policies at some hospitals, where people with a mental illness often receive little treatment and are pushed out the door too soon and some very large charities that do rec a lot of money and do very little(in my opinion) for the average person with a mental illness.

 In regards to training, there is a fair amount of informal training that can be accessed free. Little of it is on demand, but courses like A.S.I.T. (Applied Suicide Intervention Training), W.R.A.P.(Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and others can be accessed if one keeps a look out and signs up for mailing lists.

 Crest BD often has a mthly webinar for people with bipolar, http://www.crestbd.ca/,

 The Krasman centre offers a variety of courses around central Ontario , http://krasmancentre.com/ ,

 The MDAO( who run this forum) offer support to people who run a peer support group or want to start one. That support comes in free training and free brochures. The MDAO also has a speaker series that is quite good and has various experts talk about mental illness. They go to towns around the province as well as in Toronto.. They also offer an on line aid to our own wellness recovery plans.
https://mooddisorders.ca/blog/mdao/introducing-mental-health-map-my-action-plan Their Laughing Like Crazy program is an excellent program too.

The MMHC(Mental Heallth Commission of Cda) offer webinars on a variety of mental health subjects. http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/

 MoodGym is an free on line course to learn cognitive behavioural skills. https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome .

 I find that the more that I access ailing lists and/or look at the websites of places like the MDAO, Crest BD, MMHC, MDSC and the Krasman centre, the more I find opportunities about how to live with my illness and how to get better. Take Care. paul m

 

 
Title: Re: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: NeitherHereNorThere on October 19, 2014, 09:02:35 am
Thank you paulm.

You make excellent points.  Proof of our need for people like you; you have provided contact information for agencies that I've never heard of.  And I've been receiving counselling (from workers/agencies paid full time) and questioning them as to what I can do besides swallowing meds.

You made my day!  I'm going to check out the information in the links that you provided.

Thank you!
Title: Re: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: paulm on October 20, 2014, 12:20:10 am
Hello NeitherHereNorThere and thx for the thx.  I don't know how easy it is for you to get to Yonge and Eglinton or if you even live in T.O. I think that you mentioned it once, but I can't remember.

 The MDAO is having an information session on G.A.M. (Gaining Autonomy with my Medication) on Oct 23 from 1.30-2.30. For those that are interested the MDAO will then run a group on Thursdays, Oct 30th to Dec 18th, from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

 This group takes a quality of life approach to psychiatric medication that gets away from the tired a
arguments of whether medications are “good” or “bad”, and focuses on what’s best for YOU. More info at
 https://mooddisorders.ca/event/toronto-recovery-group-registration-required-gaining-autonomy-with-my-medication-gam-informa-1  You have to pre register for the info session.

 As far as I know it's being offered for free and will be offered in 2015 in other locations around Ontario (hopefully) . I've seen the preview of this course and it looks pretty good.  Unfortunately the distance is too far for me to go at this point.

 I mentioned WRAP before as being a fairly good course. The MDAO is offering a free WRAP facilitator course (normally it's at least a $1300 course).  Once completed and qualified the individual can then go out and offer WRAP training to others.  One must have already completed the WRAP initial level course.  Again it's in T.O. only, but next year they may offer it at a couple of centres outside of T.O.

  https://mooddisorders.ca/event/wrap-facilitator-training-at-mdao 

  Usually WRAP facilitators get some sort of Honourium/pay when they start to go out into the field and deliver the basic WRAP course(plus expenses) . I don't know yet what the MDAO has planned.

 Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: why are the facilitators not getting paid ?
Post by: NeitherHereNorThere on October 20, 2014, 07:41:42 am
Good morning,

Thank you for the added info!  I looked into the WRAP Facilitator Training and unfortunately the first pre-requisite is the completion of the first WRAP course.  Although I don't have this certificate, it is exciting to know that it's available and that there really are attempts being made to help those of us suffering.

Have a super day all!