Evaluation of an occupation-based, mental-health program: Meeting being, belonging and becoming needs.

Introduction: Being, belonging and becoming are important theoretical constructs for occupational scientists and therapists, and for members of Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA), located in northern Ontario, Canada. Collaborative research with service users guided the development of NISA and its evaluation tool: the 3B~S Scale. The aim of this paper is to share the results of the 2018 program evaluation.

Authentic peer support work: challenges and opportunities for an evolving occupation.

Background: The peer support worker (PSW) belongs to the fastest growing occupation in the mental health sector, yet it is often under-valued and poorly understood. Despite an emerging evidence base, and strong support from mental health service users, the PSW remains on the periphery of mainstream services in northeastern Ontario.

Aims: To examine the role of the PSW, along with the challenges and benefits, and to understand why the PSW is not more integrated within mainstream services.

Employment services for persons with serious mental illness in northeastern Ontario: the case for partnerships.

Objective: To better understand why employment success is low, a case study was conducted to examine the influence of place on access to employment for persons with serious mental illness (SMI) residing in two northeastern Ontario communities (Rebeiro, in progress).

Methods: Community-based participatory research methods were used to engage persons who experience SMI, decision-makers and providers in the research. Forty-six interviews were conducted, complemented by primary and secondary quantitative data sources.

"I'm still swimming".

Treatment of bipolar affective disorder is often difficult and lengthy. Enabling participation in a return to work process is equally daunting, primarily due to the dramatic and oftentimes sudden shifts in mood and thought. The following case study attempts to illustrate the complicated process of return to [and stay at] work for an individual who has mixed bipolar affective disorder.

Reflections on ... the recovery paradigm: should occupational therapists be interested?

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND The mental health literature attests to a paradigm shift from an emphasis on treatment towards a focus on fostering recovery. This paradigm emphasizes many constructs familiar to occupational therapists, including quality of life, empowerment, hope, meaningful activities and work. Occupational therapists are not only familiar with these terms, but have addressed recovery-related constructs in both research and practice.