In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the CRC and Crisis Stabilization Unit cared for about 13,800 people.

“The overriding issue is the level of staffing for clinicians, which is not anywhere near adequate to meet the growing demand for crisis services, nor is it safe for staff or individuals seeking help. More clinicians would mean a safer environment for everyone. A robust security presence and measures like locked doors will always be needed, but having adequate clinician staff would mean that more situations could be de-escalated without the need for enforcement.”

MAHCP is calling for immediate investment in the system to ensure care is available to those living with mental health and addiction issues, and that those who do this difficult work every day are supported. 

The post MAHCP President comments on critical incident at HSC’s Crisis Response Centre appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Have you heard of secondary trauma? What about vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue? These are mental health-related issues which can affect frontline workers in caregiving roles, such as paramedics and other first responders, nurses, social workers, and others whose professions involve expressions of empathy, concern for others’ well-being, and bearing witness to others’ traumatic events. The chronic stress of taking in others’ trauma can lead to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Common symptoms of secondary trauma include:

• nightmares about a patient’s story
• intrusive thoughts
• sleep problems
• avoiding clients or discouraging them to share trauma
• hypervigilance or hyperarousal
• anger
• anxiety
• apathy or depression
• physical exhaustion
• increased drinking, substance use, or eating to cope with stress
• increase in judgment or resentment toward clients or job

People with secondary trauma and in caregiving professions likely won’t be able to care for patients with the same degree of empathy, effectiveness or sound decision making.

It’s very important for health-care professionals to invest in their own well-being and to check in with each other for support and understanding. Here are some tips:

1) Get proper sleep, drink plenty of water and eat nutritious food (whenever possible, of course!): These three commitments can certainly be difficult for busy shift workers to uphold, but practicing healthy behaviours, whenever possible, can help prevent physical and mental fatigue. Good food gives you the nutrients and energy you need to be strong when exerting yourself, and water intake helps flush out the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ from your body. DYK that sleep deficiency is a MAJOR contributor to symptoms of poor health, from stomach issues to an inability to focus/concentrate and from an increased likelihood of obesity to a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression? REMEMBER: You cannot pour from an empty cup.

2) Find healthy outlets to help manage stress (such as yoga, walking, mindfulness, art, conversations with friends, time in nature, or whatever other healthy diversion serves you as a coping mechanism).

3) Build your mental resilience by learning about concerning signs and symptoms so you can watch out for them in yourself and others. Be selective about the volume and type of information you take in from various media sources. Develop strong bonds and social connections to prevent loneliness and feelings of isolation.

4) Check in on your mental health and stress levels with helpful tools and assessments: https://cmha.ca/find-info/mental-health/check-in-on-your-mental-health/

5) Never be afraid or reluctant to reach out for professional help and referrals. You may not have the tools you need to heal on your own, especially if you’re mentally and physically depleted. Access your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and connect with professional counselling services, or encourage a friend who appears to be struggling to connect with qualified support.

This week, and every week, be sure to practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself.

For more info about mental health, illness and recovery: https://cmha.ca/find-info/mental-illness/prevention/ OR view MAHCP’s list of resources.

The post Practicing Self-compassion: Mental Health Week 2024 appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Sharon Young, Registered Social Worker at Women’s Health Clinic, calls herself a “worker at heart,” and says that her career has been the result of opportunity, circumstance and getting behind causes that align with who she is at her core.

“I started out in health care 26 years ago as a volunteer at Women’s Health Clinic. I was at the University of Winnipeg doing an Honours degree in Sociology and I came across a clinic poster advertising for volunteers. Reproductive health really spoke to me, so I started out as a volunteer and worked my way through the organization. Community health is the space I landed and it definitely connects with who I am.”

Sharon is fascinated by the complexities of the human experience and says that her very nature put her on a social work trajectory. After applying for an employee position at the clinic’s front desk, she then trained and spent time as a medical assistant and eventually moved into the Mothers Program, now known as Families and Community Program.

“Eventually, I figured I may as well actually become a real social worker. Over all my years in community health, all the work I was doing was social work-related. I was an outreach worker and coordinated the Provincial Healthy Baby Community programs, developed and ran a mother mentoring program, and eventually led the Mothers Program team while also working at the Morgentaler Clinic on Corydon Avenue.”

Sharon graduated from the Faculty of Social Work in 2013 and proposed an official staff social worker role to the clinic’s then-Executive Director.

“There are now two of us doing triage, counselling intake assessment and brief treatment counselling. The clinic offers both brief, action-focused care, as well as a longer-term general counselling program for more complex needs.”

Services are available to all women and women-identifying persons from anywhere in the Winnipeg.

“Anyone in Winnipeg can call us; we are not catchment-based. Most of the clients we connect with initially contact us for similar, broad-based themes, and although the specifics may be different, the outcomes are the same. We can definitely see a trend: We are all doing more with less, and labour and resources are stretched thin. The expectations around work are very difficult for people to manage because there are individual people doing multiple roles. When you have this kind of role overlap, stress levels are going to be high.”

According to Sharon, whose advanced area of practice is in mental health, there are considerable wait list problems when it comes to accessing public system counselling. She has become a self-professed ‘master’ at assessing clients’ needs and private benefits programs, and identifying opportunities to get them the care they need, quickly.

“I have always had an ability to strike up meaningful conversations with people. I am a curious person and interested in learning about others’ experiences, so therapeutic alliances come naturally to me. I truly want people to get the help they need in a timely manner. I’m actually good at small talk and getting to know people; in this case, it’s a very helpful skill.”

When Sharon started at Women’s Health Clinic, it was a small organization with around 30 employees at one site. Today, this feminist, non-profit clinic has approximately 200 staff, a larger operating budget, and three sites including the abortion clinic, the main office at 419 Graham Avenue and Ode’imin (formerly the birth centre). Clinic services include a medical program, midwifery, abortion, pregnancy and birth control counselling, mental health counselling, a Provincial Eating Disorder and Recovery Program, training, support groups, community programming and more.

Sharon says that she enjoys her work very much and is grateful to be a repository for people’s stories and experiences. “I learn just as much from our clients as they learn from us.” But she also acknowledges that keeping perspective and balance is critical.

“I get up in the morning with purpose, and that purpose can be as simple and straightforward as eating a good breakfast or going for lunch with my mom. I find some degree of purpose in everything I do, but I am motivated and inspired by the people I love – my family and friends.”

The post Meet Sharon Young, RSW: Driven by purpose appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.