Gifts of hope  |  Ontario Volunteer Service Awards  | Expert Education Series  |  Save the date for the ISSPD 2023  |  Member Spotlight  |  Research Studies Recruitment  |  Thank you GivingTuesday Supporters

December 2022

Give gifts of hope – make a difference

This holiday season, give families the gift of hope.

Making a tribute/gift donation to The Sashbear Foundation can be a great way to show family, friends, co-workers and even clients that you’re thinking of them this holiday season, as well as sending a message that you’re mindful of the needs of others. 

When making a tribute/gift donation, you can request a digital card be sent to the honouree.

Every donation helps The Sashbear Foundation provide life-changing skills to families dealing with mental health challenges and in need of support and hope.

Your generosity will have a positive impact on families who need help supporting their loved ones with mental health challenges. Every gift matters. Please help us make a difference today.

Thank you for your support! 

To Heather Abdilla, Christiane Devaud, Carolyn Humphreys, Mike Menu, Jennifer Thomson, and Karen Waddell: Thank you so much for generously donating your time to The Sashbear Foundation over the past 5+ years. of family members as they gain skills and hope to regain balance in their lives and to support their loved ones. Through sharing your expertise and personal experience and speaking from the heart, you have inspired and helped so many. We’re very pleased the Ontario government is recognizing your exceptional commitment to volunteering and longstanding service to our community. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to each of you!

Wed., Dec. 14, 7:00 - 8:15 pm ET

DBT for the Holidays: How to Survive, Increase Joy, Connection, and Mindfulness

with Carmen Lalonde, PsyD, C.Psych

Since 2015, Sashbear has been involved in the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) biennial Congress. Sashbear has presented in the scientific Congress in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, and inaugurated and coordinated the ISSPD Family Day workshops in 2015, 2019 and 2021. Sashbear is once again involved in supporting ISSPD to coordinate a Lived Experience workshop day at the Congress in 2023.

The 2023 Congress will be held in Sydney, Australia, November 1-3 and registration is now open. Click here to learn more

At the ISSPD Congress in Vancouver, Sashbear promoted the idea of adding two lived experience representatives (representing people with personality disorders and representing family members) to the ISSPD Board. We are thrilled that ISSPD decided to create these two new positions beginning in 2022.

We are happy to announce that Sashbear Board Member Jill Townsend has been appointed to the Board of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD). Jill will serve as ISSPD's Lived Experience (Family Carer) Board Member, and will assist to develop a Lived Experience Experts sub-committee to advise the Board. This is a newly-created position, part of ISSPD's commitment to collaborate more closely with those with lived experience, both those with personality disorders and family members.

Jill is excited at the prospect of bringing the family voice to inform and contribute to ISSPD's good work: to stimulate and support scholarship, clinical experience, international collaboration and communication of research on all aspects of personality disorders, including diagnosis, course and treatment.

Together, we are stronger.

Recruitment for FNP Family Advisory Council (FAC)

For family members who have supported a young person access mental health or addiction services in the Greater Toronto Area (Family can be biological or not)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Deadline to apply is Dec 11, 2022.

Research study on Chinese Canadian families caring for a person with BPD

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Participants must be located in the Greater Toronto Area or southern Ontario. Participants may speak Cantonese, Mandarin or English.

DBT skills webapp study to reduce alcohol or substance use

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Participants may be located anywhere in Canada.

Paid Study for Couples with One Member who has Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

We are so thankful to you all for the overwhelming response to our GivingTuesday campaign. Your financial support and offers to volunteer will help us continue to make a difference in the coming year. Together, we will continue to provide skills and hope to family members, and to raise awareness about BPD and emotion dysregulation. We are inspired by your support, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.