by Vancouver staff

Attn: News/Business/Assignment/Health Editors:
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGISTS TRAVEL TO CHINA IN THE CONTINUING EFFORT TO AID RECOVERY FROM THE CHENGDU EARTHQUAKE OF 2008

True recovery from disaster takes more than just time.

For Immediate Release Vancouver, B.C. / October 16th, 2009 – At the invitation of the Chengdu Mental Health Center, The Fourth People’s Hospital, Dr. Jeanne LeBlanc, Chair of the British Columbia Psychological Association’s Disaster Response Network, will be returning to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China today to provide a second series of trainings. She will be accompanied by Dr. Nicole Aube, who has extensive international experience regarding the long-term consequences of trauma. Drs. LeBlanc and Aube will be providing intensive workshops to mental health and medical professionals from the Sichuan Province. Topics include the psychological aspects of ongoing recovery from the 2008 earthquake, with an emphasis upon post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and resiliency. Dr. LeBlanc will present training in respect to meeting the psychological needs of many of the 300,000 + individuals physically injured as a result of this disaster, methods for supporting their families, and strategies to assist with maximizing reintegration into their communities.

Dr Jeanne LeBlanc is returning a second time, as a continuation of her efforts to aid in the recovery from the Sichuan Province Earthquake which occurred on May 12th 2008. Official figures......Read More

by Vancouver staff

To the Editor,

I read with Interest the article entitled “British Columbians suffering depression need fair treatment: BCMA” which appeared on the front page of Thursday’s Vancouver Sun. While I essentially agree with the message: Mental Healthcare must be given equal weight in our Healthcare system as Physical Health is given. I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the paper released by the BCMA on Thursday lacks a collaborative vision of solving the problem that our system and indeed British Columbians now face.

Psychologists are also concerned with meeting the needs of people in a timely manner. As the Canadian Psychiatric Association itself points out: “Psychiatrists often work hand-in-hand with psychologists in the care of a patient.” So why are Psychologists left out of the recommendations for better access and fair treatment of patients with mental illness?

Although psychologists cannot at present prescribe, many are trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy which is regarded as very effective in the treatment of depression. Further, many Psychologists have advanced training in psychopharmacology and can work together with prescribing primary physicians to treat cases of mild to moderate severity depression. This will take the pressure off the wait lists for Psychiatrists who will then be freed to treat the more severe cases in a timely manner.

Psychologists have a major role to play in primary care mental health and are ready, willing and able to work in collaboration......Read More

by Vancouver staff

Attn: News/Business/Assignment/Health Editors:
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGISTS TRAVEL TO HAITI AND NELSON, BC IN THE EFFORTS TO AID RECOVERY FROM THE EARTHQUAKE AND TRAUMA

True recovery from disaster takes more than just time.

For Immediate Release Vancouver, B.C. / January 22, 2010 – While most British Columbians are reeling from the images and reports of the situation in Haiti, Dr. Jeanne LeBlanc, Chair of the British Columbia Psychological Association’s Disaster Response Network, has just returned home from a week in Port au Prince where she rushed in last week while others were striving to flee. Together with a team of trained and experienced professionals, she was on the island to offer Disaster Behavioral Health not only the Haitians themselves, but also to the first responders there struggling to deal with the disaster.

While Dr LeBlanc was in Haiti using her all her skills to aid in suicide prevention, soothing those in pain, and dealing with the ubiquitous grieving, trauma and loss, other members of the BC Psychological Association’s Disaster Response Network were on their way to help those in Nelson, BC. The seventeen students and teachers who were rescued from Haiti, have experienced and been witness to the disaster, their families and community have to deal with the shock and fear that their loved ones were in danger Registered Psychologists are there to help. Dr LeBlanc has noted: “The psychological footprint of the earthquake is profound. Not only......Read More