Conference:
Plenary Programme
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This program meets the accreditation
criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been
accredited for up to 16.0 Mainpro-M1 credits.
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Learning objectives for all conference sessions may be reached here.
Friday, September 28
Keynote Address:
Lighting the Path: Hope in Action
Radha Shankar, MB, BS and Gladys Okoth
The last decade has seen modest, but significant changes in the manner
in which professionals and the mental health system perceive and deal
with family caregivers. While both the official mental health policy,
and trends in clinical practice still emphasize that the locus of care
for people with major mental illness will continue to be with family,
there is increasing realization by clinicians, that it is both necessary
and ethical to offer support, illness-related education and guidance to
family caregivers. Simultaneously, family caregivers are being viewed
as stakeholders in policy matters, and having a role that goes beyond
being mere providers of care.
These changes have been brought about not only because of reports in professional
literature, consensus statements, and expert guidelines, but also because
of the impact of the global family movement.
On the 25th anniversary of the founding of WFSAD, every participant in
the global family movement must feel gratified that their efforts have
impacted, not only the lives of their own loved ones, but also lives of
patients and family in distant parts of the globe. Indeed, the Global
Family Movement is a unique example of an international collective effort
to change the lives of people who are often the most marginalized. The
success of this movement goes beyond the confines of mental illness and
health, and is a reflection not only of the universality of distress,
but the rewards of courage, hard work and sustained commitment. This presentation
will use the Indian and African stories to review the progress made by
the world family movement; it's strengths and challenges as well as the
important role family associations play in linking families and mental
health professionals across the world.
Helping Your Loved One Get the Most Out of Life:
Recovery from Schizophrenia and the Role of Families
Kim T. Mueser, PhD
Families are on the frontline of helping people cope with and recover from schizophrenia. The concept of recovery has been given new meaning in recent years with a focus on helping people with an illness move forward in their lives, including engaging in meaningful activities and becoming integrated members of one’s community. Although advances in the treatment for schizophrenia continue to mount, the role of families in supporting a loved one's progress toward recovery is more important than ever. Dr. Mueser will describe a framework for families, based on his recent book, The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia: Helping Your Loved One Get the Most out of Life. Specific principles of family support will be described, illustrated with examples, including: 1) understanding schizophrenia and the nature of recovery, 2) assessing your relative’s needs and identifying community resources, 3) understanding your and other family members’ reactions to your loved one’s illness, 4) preventing relapses, 5) creating a supportive environment, 6) coping with symptoms, and 7) improving quality of life.
Mental Health Court:
Diversion Intervention — Simulated Session
Justice Edward F. Ormston and his team
Justice Edward Ormston and his team will create a simulated session of Mental Health Court. Frustrated by the number of mentally ill people that were arrested and kept in jail, or imprisoned too long before trial, Justice Ormston organized meetings with those who worked within the Ontario Provincial Court system. A special courtroom was designated as the mental health court, with a dedicated staff trained in the most empathetic and humane ways to deal with mentally ill people who crossed the line of the law. Psychiatrists agreed to attend court every day and social work agencies agreed to work on site at the court. It was the birth of Canada’s first mental health court. “Close the book and open the heart” became the motto. This collaborative court in Ontario became the model for many others throughout the country. Mental health court diversion intervention is an example of action and advocacy for the very human social problems that can be addressed in the administration of justice for those suffering from severe mental illness.
Saturday, September 29
Bill Jefferies Memorial Lecture:
Schizophrenia —No Longer An Enigma
Robin M. Murray, MD, DSc, FRCPsych, FMedSci
In recent years, Dr. Murray and his colleagues have identified a number of genes that increase the risk of schizophrenia. Several environmental factors have been established as also increasing the risk; they include pre and perinatal difficulties, migration, being brought up in a city and the abuse of drugs. Researchers have learned that all these risk factors operate by causing dysregulation of dopamine and that this underlies the symptoms of schizophrenia. Functional imaging has also increased understanding of what is going on in the brain when sufferers are having symptoms such as hearing voices. Professor Robin Murray will share his expertise and put more pieces together for delegates.
Science Panel — Changing Minds
Moderator & Panelist:
Rémi Quirion, PhD FRSC, CQ
Panelists:
James L. Kennedy, MD,FRCP (C).
Robin M. Murray, MD, DSc, FRCPsych, FMedSci
John Roder, MD
Robert B. Zipursky, MD, FRCP (C)
A highlight of the plenary programme is our panel of experts who will bring delegates up-to-date on the latest scientific research. The panel will respond to questions, engage in active discussion with delegates and offer an opportunity to learn how scientific research is changing minds in schizophrenia and related disorders.
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Rémi Quirion, a noted expert in the development of neurosciences and clinical research in Neurology and Psychiatry, as well as social and evaluation aspects of research in mental health and addiction.
Dr. Quirion will be joined by Dr. James L. Kennedy, an eminent specialist in the quest to find genes involved in the cause of mental illness and the application of molecular genetic technology to the study of schizophrenia and related disorders; Dr. Robin M. Murray, one of the most cited experts on schizophrenia and an ambassador for psychiatric research excellence who has changed the way we think about major mental illnesses; and Dr. Robert B. Zipursky, whose research is focused on the study of first episode schizophrenia and on the application of PET and MRI to schizophrenia research. Dr. John Roder will discuss the implications of his recent genetic discoveries in schizophrenia.
Sunday, September 30
The Needs of Families in Early Intervention Services
Dr. Grainne Fadden
Early intervention services focus primarily on adolescents and young adults. This is the age group where major mental illnesses like schizophrenia occur and where young people are mostly still living with their families; yet the specific needs of these families has not been a major focus of research effort or clinical service delivery in mental health.
The presentation will give a brief overview of what we have already learnt from research findings about the issues faced by families in the early stages of the development of mental illness. It will briefly describe what some mental health services have implemented by way of information, training and support for family carers, and conclude with suggestions for overcoming the barriers that prevent the provision of these services.
Recovery: More Than Symptom Reduction
Chris Summerville, DMin, CPRP
Everybody seems to be using the same “word book” in talking about recovery. But not all are using the same dictionary in defining recovery. This plenary presentation will look at the Recovery Model: its history, what it is and what it is not, principles of recovery and how they fit with the medical model and why mental health services and systems should be transformed to reflect “the light” of recovery. The underlying question for this presentation will be: “Can people with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia recover?” Delegates will gain or increase their understanding and appreciation for the Recovery Model, have an opportunity to develop a working definition of recovery and will be provided with resources to continue their study of recovery as a philosophy, process and practice.