Come hear from a panel of experts on barriers and tools to access mental health resources and services in English in Quebec.

Mental health care in Quebec is difficult to access, especially for those who belong to low-income, indigenous, black, 2SLGTBQ+ and/or other marginalized groups. These services either have long waitlists or high fees. Additionally, there is little information, especially in English, on how to find other affordable services.

In honor of Mental Health Week, we are inviting professionals in the mental health community to join us for an inclusive and open discussion surrounding access to these services, barriers that exist, practical tips, and resources that support our community.

Join us:

 Tuesday, May 2, 2023

 6-7:30pm

 Online – ​​We will email you the meeting link one day before the event!

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 This event is free! You must reserve your spot on the following Eventbrite page where you can also give a donation https://www.eventbrite.com/…/mental-health-resources…

*We are proud to host free events for Mental Health Week to promote accessibility and remove financial barriers for attendees. If you would like to support our mission and enable us to organize more events all year long, as well as support our free active listening service, please consider making a donation: https://bit.ly/3UMhLny

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Meet your panelists and their areas of expertise :

Aishah Seivwright is the Co-Director of Black Mental Health Connections Montreal (BMHC MTL). She started volunteering with BMHC in 2018, and began Co-Directing alongside Kristen Young and Andrea Clark fall 2019. Since then Aishah has been creating and shaping programming, outreach, communications, policy and co-managing operations. Aishah’s proudest accomplishments at BMHC are leading the development of their internal Harm Reduction policy, their annual BMHCookout events, the “We Know What We Need” Docuseries, the Black Joy Sundays program and educational programming such as the BMHConversations.

About BMHC: An alliance of organizations and individuals focused on the mental health and well-being of the English-speaking Black community in Montreal. They help their community by developing and offering services that spark bottom-up social change. Their mission is to use their collective experiences to empower members of Black communities by breaking mental health barriers and promoting healing through culturally competent education and innovative community care. Though focused on the Black community, BMHC MTL works to be anti-oppressive in all ways and in solidarity with all marginalized communities.
To learn more, visit https://bmhcmtl.ca

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Patrick Merrigan is the Executive Director of Perspective Communautaire En Santé Mentale – Community Perspective In Mental Health (PCSM-CPMH). Patrick has been a psychosocial worker at PCSM since 2009 and the Executive Director since 2021. He has more than 35 years of experience working in the community with grass roots organizations, including 22 years in mental health. He worked as secretary-general for the French-speaking Canadian section of Franciscans International, an NGO at the United Nations. A graduate in communication and theatre, he has produced several series of radio programs on mental health and young adults on Radio Centre-Ville and Radio Ville-Marie. He is passionate about sports, he still works to this day with youth on community projects focused on physical activity and mental well-being. The quest for meaning and the dignity of each human being remain his passions.

About PCSM: An organization dedicated to helping people with mental health problems achieve their fullest potential while meeting the challenges of everyday living within their community. They offer support for adults with mental illness in the West Island of Montreal to better manage their daily lives.
To learn more, visit https://pcsm-cpmh.org/

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Emily Todorov is a psychology PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Montréal. She is currently working as a PhD candidate in the private mental health sector and works with an adult population presenting with various difficulties. Prior to this, she completed her internships in an external psychiatry clinic where she was exposed to the reality of the public mental health sector and its limitations.

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Shannon Stoddard is a Mental Health Support Worker at Mental Health Estrie (MHE). Shannon is a local woman with roots in the English-speaking community of the Eastern Townships. As a mother, daughter, sister and friend, she has always been ready to lend a helping hand, an open door or a listening ear. Shannon has worked as a fitness instructor for many years and has a strong focus on health and well-being. She returned to University to finish her degree in Applied Psychology, and has wanted to put her knowledge to use while passionately helping the English-speaking community with an additional focus on mental health and well-being.

About MHE: A non-profit, community organization committed to helping English-speaking families of Estrie and surrounding areas to manage the impact of mental illness. They provide support, information and education to family and friends, including individuals with a lived experience of mental illness.
To learn more, visit https://www.mentalhealthestrie.com/

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About Vent Over Tea:Vent Over Tea is a free active listening service in FR/EN based in Montréal that connects those who need to vent with an empathetic listener in a local café or virtually. To book a vent session or for more information, visit https://ventoverteastg.wpenginepowered.com/en/

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À propos de Vent Over Tea :Vent Over Tea offre un service d’écoute active gratuit, en personne et confidentiel à tous les membres de la communauté locale dans le but de promouvoir le bien-être mental. Pour réserver une séance d’écoute active ou pour plus d’informations sur nos services, visitez le https://ventoverteastg.wpenginepowered.com/fr/

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This initiative has been made possible by the support of CHSSN and through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada.