Importance of Education and Hope in Schizophrenia Community Programs

There is a huge gap in how people with schizophrenia are expected to recover and then integrate back into society. Many of us are in active treatment and managing symptoms. Now what? How do we function in life? How do we fit into society? We all want friends, to have a purpose, to belong.

These desires fall under community involvement. Integration into the community is recognized as an important component of recovery for those with severe mental illness. It is also one of our biggest challenges.

Hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard explore different programs all over the world that work to assist people with schizophrenia to integrate into their local communities.

Faydra Aldridge, CEO of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society and host of their podcast, “Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined,” joins and shares the programs and goals of the BCSS.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Our guest, Faydra Aldridge’s career has spanned over twenty years in the fields of communications, stakeholder relations, and project management in both the private and public sectors. Before joining the BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) as the Chief Executive Officer in 2019, Faydra held a leadership role with one of the largest health research institutes in Canada where she oversaw the Stakeholder Relations portfolio. She has experience as a CBC Morning Show Producer and has held executive positions with national and international community health organizations. Faydra draws on this experience in her role as a host of the BCSS podcast “Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined.” She is honored to work with such a dedicated team devoted to increasing awareness about serious mental illness and supporting families across BC.

About the “Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined" Podcast:

Navigating and understanding serious mental illnesses can be complex — both for individuals living with the illness as well as their loved ones and community. Hearing firsthand stories can bring comfort in knowing we aren’t alone. 

“Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined” is a resource to help expand your understanding of the many dimensions of mental illness — and you can go listen to the latest season right now! 

This show covers it all. It dives deep into the 'big questions' that families can face during different stages of the mental illness journey, from recognizing initial symptoms to the pursuit of a diagnosis and the search for effective treatment. It shares personal stories from individuals living ‘close’ to schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses, as well as insights from experienced researchers and medical professionals across the globe.

Recent episodes explore topics like social media's influence on mental illness stigma, first-episode psychosis intervention, using virtual reality to treat psychosis, the untold challenges of mental illness care, and tons more!

Learn more about serious mental illness - check out “Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined,” an original podcast from the BC Schizophrenia Society, available on your favorite podcast app.

Our host, Rachel Star Withers, creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage and let others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has written Lil Broken Star: Understanding Schizophrenia for Kids and a tool for schizophrenics, To See in the Dark: Hallucination and Delusion Journal. Fun Fact: She has wrestled alligators.

To learn more about Rachel, please visit her website, RachelStarLive.com.

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