Our Projects
We have been fortunate to receive grants from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia to help us reach our goal of educating first-line responders, parents and caregivers as well as our communities and the general public about Eating Disorders. Here are some of our past and current projects.
1. “ED-ucation on Eating Disorders” Seminar: This was a free, 2 day seminar held at the Wolfville Lion’s Club on 21 & 22 April 2017. It featured internationally acclaimed author Tabitha Farrar, Internationally acclaimed Eating Disorder Psychologist, Dr. Sarah Ravine, local dietician Jane Webber and many other prominent guest speakers/experts. Day 1 was geared towards those supporting a loved one with an Eating Disorder, and Day 2 was meant for those struggling with or in recovery from and Eating Disorder.
2. “ED-ucating Health Professionals about Eating Disorders” folders: We created these folders so that medical professionals could have up-to-date information on Best Practices for accessing, diagnosing and treating Eating Disorders. To date, out of a registered 4800 psychiatrists in Canada, only slightly over a dozen of those are designated as Eating Disorder specialists. Additionally, we know that on average most medical residents will receive approx. 5hrs or less of ED specific training. Because we know that many physicians today are overwhelmed with addressing the backlogs that the pandemic created, it is understandable that many family practitioners do not have time to watch professional development webinars to learn about EDs. Eating Disorders remain the most lethal of any mental illness – which is why there is some urgency to provide materials that could be accessed immediately within Dr’s offices and work spaces, particularly in the more rural areas of the province where services and resources for EDs are less available . Materials in the folders were sourced from the Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, NEDIC, NEDA, EDSNA, the CWEDP Regional team and many other prominent and accredited Eating Disorder organizations. Recently these folders were mailed out to a variety of collaborative care clinics and family practice offices within the province. We are excited to hear some feedback!
3. “Eating Disorder Guidance for Educators” – this booklet was sourced entirely and with permission of internationally acclaimed Author Eva Musby. As Teachers, EA’s and other Educational specialists spend many hours directly with children, we felt it important that they be able to create policy within their schools so that they would be able to readily identify Eating Disorder behaviors, create school policy to support students struggling with Eating Disorders, feel supported in contacting and informing parents about Eating Disorder concerns regarding their students, educate other students on how to support their peers or siblings who may be struggling with Eating Disorders, adopt food neutral language and discourage students from thinking their self-worth is dependent on their body-size.
4. Sashbear – Family Connections Course: In conjunction with NEABPD, Sashbear facilitates the “Family Connections” courses here in Canada. Starting in Ontario they have since expanded their reach into Quebec, Alberta and B.C. Although originally designed for those supporting a loved one with Borderline Personality Disorder, it quickly came to light that these courses would be helpful to anyone supporting a loved one with Emotional Dysregulation. Emotional Dysregulation is a feature common to many different mental illnesses such as : Eating Disorders, Bi-polar, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Substance Abuse Disorders and many others. While we originally reached out to them because we felt that this course would be a useful resource for the parents and carers in our support group, we quickly realized that the Family Connections Course would be very valuable to many families in Nova Scotia. Sashbear agreed to partner with our group and come to Windsor, Nova Scotia in Nov/Dec 2018 for the first pilot course. Currently we are in consultation with them and hope that if we are successful in securing future grants with the Mental Health Foundation on Nova Scotia, we will be able to offset some of the costs for them to continue bringing the Family Connections courses into Nova Scotia. Given our current environment in provincial health care – we would like to make this course more of a regular offering particularly in more rural areas of Nova Scotia where access to services/resources for mental illnesses are lacking or difficult to access. What makes the Sashbear Family Connections course so unique is that it is a skills-based course that gives parents the tools to assist their ill loved one in the moment. It is built on DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) skills and principals. The concepts of DBT are to identify and change negative thinking patterns whilst pushing for positive behavioral change. The interesting thing about the Family Connections course is that although it is meant for parents and caregivers, some of the biggest impacts are seen on the ill loved one being supported in the home. By being grounded, the parent has the opportunity to change the dynamic by providing stability and consistency in the midst of challenging or escalated situations.
Checkout the Sashbear website under Family Connections and search Atlantic Canada for upcoming courses
5. “Annapolis Valley Families Caring for Loved Ones with an Eating Disorder,” Avedcaregiver.ca website:
This website was launched courtesy of a grant from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. It is our intention to keep it updated, current and relevant.
