Join our panelists for a virtual discussion on
Enhancing Lifeline Connections in the National Capital Region
Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 7-8:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time)

Advance Registration: Advance Registration is required using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jI_nGBPNSC6o15GuRznXlA

Description

Our panelists will discuss the needs, resources, clinical practices, research, and new initiatives for individuals and families affected by Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and emotion dysregulation. They will also explore how the Ottawa Network for BPD (ON-BPD) and other stakeholders can more effectively reach and support members of different community groups living with mental illness such as BPD.

In particular, the discussion will provide insights into the coordination of mental health support within Eastern Ontario, and what benefits and opportunities this coordination offers. We will hear about recent developments regarding dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and related considerations for adolescents and those suffering from PTSD as well as the latest medical findings and promising research projects. The audience will also get a preview of the new mental health and substance use crisis response model that has been developed for the City of Ottawa.

***Access to this virtual event is free of charge and open to all***

About the panelists

Balwinderjit Singh will share his family experience with emotion dysregulation and his involvement with ON-BPD. He is an active member of the Ottawa and Sikh communities, involved with several other organizations, including the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Foundation. In 2017 he was presented with Nepean’s Canada 150th Anniversary Medal for his outstanding contributions to the community. An engineer with an MBA and a Bachelor of Laws, he has over 30 years of experience in the aerospace and telecommunications industry.

Michelle Miller manages the Access Mental Health & Addictions (AccessMHA) Program for Eastern Ontario, supporting staff across a number of healthcare organizations. A behaviour therapist, she also practiced in the Forensics Program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre as well as with the Regional Dual Diagnosis Consultation Team.

A registered clinical and forensic psychologist in the province of Ontario, Dr. Melissa Bolton is the Clinical Lead for AccessMHA (East Region). She is also a clinical consultant at the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program. She has a PhD in Applied Psychology and Human Development from the University of Toronto, and holds adjunct teaching and supervision positions within doctoral and undergraduate programs across Canada.

Dr. Deanna Mercer, MD FRCPC, completed psychiatry residency at McMaster University in 1996. Early in her career she developed a passion for helping people with BPD and for 23 years has provided dialectical behaviour therapy to people with BPD in rural and urban centers. She is an assistant professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa, and has delivered more than 250 presentations on BPD and its treatment locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.

A nurse with extensive experience in different clinical mental health roles in France, Québec, and Ontario, Vincent Martin-Schreiber is working on a PhD in Nursing at the University of Ottawa focusing on the factors at play in the diagnosis (or non-diagnosis) of BPD with a critical realist perspective. They have a Master of Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, U.K. and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Sorbonne University in France.

Dr. Sahada Alolo is co-Director of the Ottawa Guiding Council for Mental Health and Addictions Secretariat. She also chairs or serves on several boards of directors, and has spent her career working with organizations striving to create meaningful connections between diverse communities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, a Master of Arts degree in Human Service specializing in Non-Profit Management, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Creighton University, U.S.A.

Liz Wigfull is co-director of the Ottawa Guiding Council for Mental Health and Addictions Secretariat. After ten years leading knowledge mobilization projects and the development of training courses at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, she undertook in March 2022 to explore how Ottawa could better respond to mental health and substance use crises. She has a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution. A person with lived experience of mental illness, she is a passionate advocate for mental health and peer support.

The Ottawa Network for Borderline Personality Disorder, a registered charity for family members and caregivers, acknowledges with gratitude the support of the Ottawa Community Foundation and the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund in making this Public Lecture possible.