The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in Thompson has a few new faces on its roster, including Mary Hall, the new community outreach worker; Tannis Morrisseau-Merasty, the self help program co-ordinator; and Amanda Fidler, who has accepted the position of education and training program co-ordinator.
Morrisseau-Merasty holds a Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal and Northern Studies as well as in Aboriginal Self Government. Fidler has a B.A. in psychology and has also completed the attachment disorder and trauma recognition workshop along with the behaviour intervention training, non-violent crisis intervention and a self help behaviour workshop.
Hall comes to the CMHA after working at Hope House and the Thompson Homeless Shelter. She says she decided to apply for the position of community outreach worker because she'd already forged a bond and built relationships with people at the homeless shelter, citing a passion for the homeless and a longing to make a difference in their lives.
The role of the community outreach co-ordinator is to conduct outreach services to homeless people in Thompson. The position was put in place to assist the homeless population in getting back into housing and connecting them to other community resources. Hall says this involves support for clients' families, natural supports and working with other agencies in the Burntwood region. She goes on to explain that the outreach will take place in various settings including the Thompson Clubhouse and Continental Mission. Hall says this is because people who are homeless are at a high risk for compromised mental health, mental illness, suicide and addictions. Hall says its very challenging finding housing for homeless people, citing the housing shortage in Thompson.
Hall also says that there is a stigma attached to homeless people and people who struggle with mental health issues, and she'd like to see this stop.
"We can battle stigma only when we have facts. We all have times when we feel depressed, get unreasonably angry or over-excited. We even have periods when we think that everything and everybody is out to get us and we can't cope," she explains. "For someone with a mental illness, these feelings become enveloping and overwhelming."
Hall says her biggest goal working with the CMHA is to ensure people have the right to live with respect and dignity in a society that provides equality and opportunity.
