Schizophrenia Societies worldwide join together to raise awareness of this condition

Schizophrenia is a brain-based disease that affects 1% of Canadians. At the BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS), we support family members who have a loved one living with schizophrenia or any other serious mental illness. One of our primary goals is to bust the stigma around mental illness through education, challenge myths, remove fears and encourage people to use terms that is less stigmatizing and more reflective that schizophrenia is an illness.

Situated in the Interior Health region, the BCSS Team remains in high spirits and continues to actively deliver programs despite the pandemic. Over this past year, we offered three online education courses in Kamloops and Nelson and Kids & Teens in Control programs virtually.

The BCSS Interior Team also continues to provide support to family members through Zoom events, Family Support Groups, phone calls and socially-distanced one-on-one meetings.

For World Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day In 2021, the regional educators in the Interior Region – from the Cariboo through the Thompson-Okanagan to the Kootenays – are banding together to offer a free one-hour Zoom education session followed by Q & A. We will talk about the role of BCSS, discuss schizophrenia and psychosis, and introduce you to the team working in the Interior Health Region. Join this free event.

Additionally, BCSS’ provincial office is offering a free province-wide evening session entitled “Schizophrenia Revealed: The Untold Stories.” Register at www.bcss.org/szrevealed

We invite anyone interested in learning more – from family members to professionals to students – to join us. We’re also encouraging people to wear purple to show their support for people who are living with this challenging condition.

British Columbia Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 by families and friends of people with schizophrenia. Since then, BCSS has grown into a province-wide family support system. BCSS is dedicated to supporting families and helping families support each other, educating the public, raising funds for research and advocating for better services for people with schizophrenia and other serious and persistent mental illness. Currently, BCSS has staff based in various communities across the province, from Haida Gwaii and Terrace to Cranbrook and Fort St. John.

For more information, visit www.bcss.org.

British Columbia Schizophrenia Society

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