Wood's Homes Blog

In July 2018, Wood’s Homes Street Services moved into their new location at our Inglewood Campus, bringing programs that used to operate in different locations together to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ now known as the EXIT Youth Hub. Here, street-involved youth are provided access to basic needs, as well as mental health counselling, employment and housing supports, medical attention and connections all sorts of resources that can assist them in their drive for a brighter future.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to re-shape how we go about our lives, we at Wood’s Homes are doing everything we can for those in our care. Our trained mental health counsellors remain available through our crisis line, text, eTherapy and LiveChat services. Our addictions counsellor is available by phone for those who now have limited face-to-face supports. Our school support counsellors have been re-deployed to programs caring for clients throughout the day as our learning centres are closed.

Creating a new normal is exactly how parents respond to the unique parenting needs of children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, our FASD Support Program team sent the following message to all families currently in the program...

Knowing how to speak to a child about real-world problems at the best of times can be tricky – and when it feels to like nothing is normal and you’re having a hard time managing your own anxiety, it can be even harder. Here are some guidelines for what you’re aiming for when you’re talking to your child about the coronavirus (COVID-19). You might have to change exactly what to say depending on their age, but your goals should stay the same.

As a working professional and parent returning from a trip abroad, it is abundantly clear that the social landscape of the country I left a week ago, looks markedly different from the one I arrived home to 24 hours ago. Like countless other Canadians I am currently self-quarantined and trying to manage my work and family obligations, especially now that my two sons have been ordered to remain home from their schools as well.

There’s a box in a corner of the school’s front office that contains stuffed animals. They were brought in last September, one by one over a period of time, by a struggling young student at Wood’s Homes William Taylor Learning Centre. Stuffed toys don’t usually show up in Grades 7-12, but for this student they meant comfort and security. They were something to cling to in times of loneliness, upset and unfamiliarity: An attachment to something . . .  anything.

We are proud to share a note received from a mother expressing her gratitude to staff at our Emergency Room Outreach (ERO) program for the care provided to her daughter.

Staff at ERO supported the family throughout treatment while educating them on how to best be there for their child during her journey. The mother expressed how she hopes her message will help other parents and families as they navigate the mental health challenges faced by their children.

This message the first of a series we will be running on our blog – stay tuned for more.

‘Monsters’ are real for most of the families and youth in our care. Their monsters are with them in the night – and sometimes, even in the day – hiding in the shadows, under their beds and in their dreams.

The youth and families who access our programs are all looking for something similar – safety from their monsters. It’s a simple feeling that many families struggle to achieve, sometimes for generations. Through the addictions program, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with many youth and families who are unsure about what they’re actually seeking from me. In the end, it almost always comes down to safety – more specifically, safety while using (harm reduction), safety in conversations and safety in sobriety.

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day – an annual campaign by Bell Canada to engage Canadians in the conversation around mental health.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges for anyone suffering from mental illness is stigma, and the negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative behaviour (discrimination) attached to it.

We thought we’d offer up something a little different on our blog this week. It’s a subject matter that everyone has had a challenge with now and then. Email communication! We all send and receive emails, and yet how often do we stop and think about best practice? This, especially in a social service setting that demands confidentiality.