Episode 15 RTNT LIVE on CJRU: Mental Health and Family

Radio Totally Normal Toronto

Radio Totally Normal Toronto, or RTNT for short, is a voice for community mental health; produced by the members and staff of Progress Place, a mental wellness clubhouse in downtown Toronto. This wonderful Wednesday, February 13th, 2019, we had Ovita, a member of RTNT, hosting the show with Toby helping with tech!

Today we have two interviews lined up for our listeners. They surround topics of Mental Health and Family. Family and a healthy social environment are crucial to anyone’s recovery and maintenance of a First up we spend time with Hilary Brown, a former foreign and war correspondent for CBC News. After that interview we’ll be hearing from Ryan Tucker, the Executive Director of F.A.M.E. for Families.

Family Day is not a national statutory holiday, it is only observed in New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and in British Columbia. Two other provinces have holidays in February: In PEI Islander Day is celebrated on the 3rd Monday in February and in Manitoba the 3rd Monday in February is the Louis Riel Day holiday.

Family Day was originally created to give people time to spend with their families but it also provides a day off between New Year's Day and Good Friday as they are approximately three months apart.

Here is a short list as to why family and supportive circles are important to any individual living with a mental illness:
- Act as informal case managers, encouraging and supporting treatment; identifying and - securing housing; and arranging for income assistance
- Provide information on the context of a loved one’s life, to assist professionals in understanding them as a whole person

Studies have shown that family involvement in these roles results in significant benefits in:
- Decreased rates of hospitalization and relapse
- Enhanced adherence to treatment choices
- Decreased involvement with the criminal justice system
- Increased rates of recovery
- Savings to the mental health and addiction systems

This episode originally aired on February 13th, 2019 on CJRU 1280 AM and www.cjru.ca. Radio Totally Normal Toronto is produced by the members and staff of Progress Place Clubhouse.
RTNT: www.radiototallynormaltoronto.org
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/radiototallynormaltoronto
For more information about Progress Place please visit: www.progressplace.org