By Loretta Bailey with contributions from Adonis Huggins – FOCUS As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to plague almost every single country in the world, the issue of domestic violence is becoming a cause for concern among global leaders including in Canada. According to reports, domestic abuse cases are on the rise [...]
On January 12, Canada celebrated National Youth Day (separate from International Youth Day which falls on August 12), as we go into the 11th month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Toronto will be in the midst of a lockdown that began on November 23 and has been extended as an emergency. Meanwhile, around North America, [...]
This winter, families in St. James Town may be wondering what the festive season will look like. Without the usual winter activities - the Calcavade of Lights, Toronto Christmas Market, Nathan Phillips Square Fair, theatres and pantomimes - parents and guardians are under more pressure to bring the magic home. It isn't all downsides [...]
Just remember in the winter, Far beneath the bitter snows, Lies the seed that with the sun’s love, In the spring becomes the rose." — Bette Midler, “The Rose” lyrics Winter is not everyone’s favourite season. With the shortened daylight hours, colder temperatures, and lots of snow, it’s hard to embrace the season [...]
In a time that now seems like a distant memory, a slight cough or loss of smell was not a cause for much concern. Now, having any mild symptoms of illness can cause panic, stress and anxiety, not only for fear of personal health but for fear of spreading illness to others. Testing for [...]
This month, Lisa Kowalchuk spoke to us about her recent research project in St. James Town. Lisa is a sociology professor at the University of Guelph. This is what she had to say: At the beginning of October, I launched a study entitled “Extracting lessons from coping with COVID-19 in St. James Town”, and I’m grateful [...]
Through the hustle and bustle of our daily lives we often forget to take time to reflect on the people and moments that we are grateful for. Practicing gratitude regularly can help us be more aware of the good that is in our lives and can help foster positive emotions. This doesn’t only include [...]
As we face the 9th month of living with the coronavirus and its multiple disruptions of people’s lives, livelihoods, and wellbeing, we are mindful of the fact that this past October 10 was World Mental Health Day. We turned to Susan Davis, Executive Director of the Gerstein Crisis Centre for a better understanding of how [...]
Tamara Este, Program Supervisor, Prevention and Early Intervention Services, SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health talks to us about children's mental health, back to school challenges and tips for parents to support and care for their children. Can you summarize the SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health perspective regarding return to school? It is important that children [...]
Nalini Pandalangat, Director of Newcomer Health & Specialty Services, Sherbourne Health, is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, and has extensive experience leading projects and programs in the community health, hospital and international development sectors. Her PhD was on cultural influences on help-seeking, treatment and support for mental health problems in the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Her research and program interests are focused on immigrant mental health, gender and health, cultural competence, health care access and health equity. Currently she is part of a core team working on the development and dissemination of a refugee mental health framework.
