The Sashbear Foundation 2021 Fall Newsletter

Fall 2021

In this Issue:

• 2021 ISSPD Family Day—An online event Oct 12&13
  
  
• Orange Shirt Day is September 30
  Truth and Reconciliation Week—An online event Sep 27 to Oct 1
  
  
• Truth and Reconciliation—Open Hands (Part 3): Reaching Out Through Relationships
  
  
• World Suicide Prevention Day
  
  
• Research Study Recruitment

Sashbear Hosts Family Day at the 2021 ISSPD Conference

Oct 12 & 13, 9am-2pm Eastern Time

A great opportunity for family members, individuals with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, and community group members to learn from and be inspired by the work being done internationally in the field of personality disorders.

This year's ISSPD (International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders) Family Day will showcase the work of many organizations from around the world involved in raising awareness, influencing research, and providing services and support for those with personality disorders and their friends and relatives. This is in keeping with the expansion of ISSPD's lived experience and family focus.

Opening remarks by ISSPD President, Carla Sharp, Ph.D.—Professor, University of Houston, Director of the Developmental Psychopathology Lab

If you have any questions, email communications@sashbear.org.

Orange Shirt Day is September 30

What can you do?

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WEEK is a 5-day national event that will continue the conversations from Every Child Matters. Important conversations including the truths of the Indigenous treaties, First Nation, Métis and Inuit land claims, and the residential schools system. This online event will provide historical workshops, exclusive video content, and activities for students — all supported by artistic and cultural performances by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists.

Truth and Reconciliation
—Open Hands (Part 3)

Reaching Out Through Relationships

by Terry Crosby, Sashbear Board Director of Indigenous Relations

As an organization and board members of The Sashbear Foundation, we have committed ourselves to being active participants in the process of Truth and Reconciliation for the Indigenous peoples of Canada. I want to invite our readers to join us in this journey of understanding the past wrongs, looking to the future with hope and contributing to the healing of relationships.

The word Eyēʔ Sqȃ’lewen – pronounced Eye. Sh-KWAW-leh-win in the west coast Hul’q’umin’um’ language refers to having a 'good heart, good mind, and good feelings.' This notion has essential meaning for Indigenous people of the west coast when they meet together, in groups, longhouses, and as a community. This reflects an inherent understanding of listening and learning.

Do this mindful exercise: take a minute and look at your hands. Put your palms down, now clench your hands into fists. Pause for a moment to take in what you are feeling and experiencing. Now open your hands and turn your palms up. Keep them open. Look at the posture of your hands. What is the difference between the two postures?

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World Suicide Prevention Day

September 12 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The Sashbear Foundation continues to make waves for mental health and suicide prevention. 

Sashbear would also like to send love to all the affected families and caregivers, and to all the Family Connections™ leaders around the world.

Research Study Recruitment

Family members in the Sashbear community may be interested in participating in one of these studies. We are pleased to let you know about important research being done to improve understanding and services for families. Please contact the researchers directly using the email addresses provided on the flyers below.

The DPL Moms Study at the University of Houston aims to better understand the lived experience of mothers and their mental health. It is conducted completely online. They are recruiting English-speaking mothers over 18, who have at least one child under the age of 18. They are particularly interested to include mothers with BPD in the study. Click here for more details.

Email DPLmomstudy@gmail.com to find out more or to participate.

“United we stand, divided we falter: Advancing a family-centred agenda for research on caregiving.” If you live in Ontario, this research study is seeking families to interview about their experiences of caregiving/care receiving, how they are affected by mental health concerns/a diagnosis and learn more about their experiences trying to access resources. See the flyer for eligibility criteria.

Email  alexa.kirkland@mail.utoronto.ca  for more information or to participate.

Would you prefer to receive this newsletter in French?

We are expanding our French-language programs. If you speak French, email communications@sashbear.org so we can add you to the French email list.

Help Sashbear make waves

“It's a lifeline for the drowning—
giving you tools and hope to manage.”

We are sincerely grateful for your donations—for helping us make waves for mental health.

The objective of The Sashbear Foundation is to lead a mental health reform by promoting awareness for the need of early prevention, recognition, timely intervention and access to affordable treatment of individuals with emotional dysregulation. The Foundation offers Family Connections™, an evidence-based group program that provides education, skills training, and support for people who are in a relationship with someone who has emotion dysregulation or related problems. Family Connections™ groups meet weekly over twelve weeks, or two intensive weekends, and are offered throughout several Canadian provinces, in English and in French.

Yours in skills and hope,

The Team at The Sashbear Foundation