Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)® for Families
The purpose of the WRAP for Families program is to provide strength-based support for family members of people with mood disorders. Covering the same material as the regular WRAP program but within a different context, the program will help family members to develop and practice self-care strategies, learn the key concepts of mental health recovery, and be introduced to the concept of peer support. Family members will learn to exemplify recovery principles and in turn be of greater support to individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
The Family Matters Open Family Forum
The Family Matters Open Family Forum will provide an opportunity for those who are supporting someone with a mental health issue to access and share information, give and receive peer support, and find out more about our Family Matters Peer Support and Recovery Program and other resources in Toronto.
Through guest speakers, psychoeducational presentations, and group discussions, the Open Family Forum aims to provide practical and emotional support to those who are supporting someone with a mental health issue. Each week will have a topic that will be introduced but the format will be flexible to address the concerns of those attending the group, and time will always be dedicated for questions and group discussion. Attending the Open Family Forum will facilitate the opportunity for family members to connect with other supporters and consult with Family Matters team members.
The Open Family Forum will be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the MDAO from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
The Open Family Forum is an open group that does not require registration or prior participation at the MDAO or the Family Matters Program, but an RSVP to Samantha by email at samanthaf@mooddisorders.ca or by phone at 416-486-8046 ext. 222 is requested.
Please check out our Facebook page facebook.com/MDAOFamilyMatters or our website www.mooddisorders.ca to find out about the next Open Family Forum and session topic.
Dealing with Family
Dealing with Family is a peer recovery program designed to help individuals with mood disorders and related issues to be able to talk with their family members about their mental health issues. Rather than a presentation or a course that is taught, this program is a facilitated conversation; it's a forum for participants to consider ideas and perspectives and to see how they may be useful in their lives.
In this intensive, four session program, participants will explore such issues as:
- Building and maintaining relationships
- How we talk about mental health issues
- Self-stigma and shame
- The role of listening in communication
- Assertiveness and self-advocacy
- Setting and upholding boundaries
In additional to conceptual material covered, participants will be encouraged to engage in experiential learning through active group participation and selfreflective exercises throughout the program. Dealing with Family is a registered program occurring over four weeks, meeting once a week at a set time for a length of 2.5 – 3 hours each session.
Families Matter Peer Support & Recovery Group
This group is designed for those family members who have been through individual counselling sessions with our social workers and are looking to strengthen their support network. The 10 week group has a psycho-educational component to strengthen our understanding of mood disorders, a self-awareness component to help us better understand our role within these familial relationships, and a strong selfcare and peer support component to help us develop the lasting support needed for family recovery.
