Join us for a presentation that is focused around the various complex factors that influence mental health. Two films – Racing Thoughts and The Interventionists – will be shown to provide insight into the world of mental health and mental illnesses through powerful personal narratives and real-life situations. A representative from the Canadian Mental Health Association, Lesa Irish, will be available to speak to the issues surrounding mental health and answer any questions that will arise.

Although Lesa Irish is trained in addictions, her work has involved residential treatment for high risk adolescents, Acquired Brain Injury, mental health, corrections facilities, drug and alcohol stabilization. The last six years with Canadian Mental Health Association comes with a diverse portfolio, including outreach,  support co ordination/case management, Mobile Crisis Team and an agency trainer for Non Violent Crisis Intervention. She has been a harm reduction practitioner for many years, and a contributor to the Waterloo Region Harm Reduction Network, coordinating the KW Drug User’s Group.

Racing Thoughts (Canada, 2010, 73 min)
Despite an alarming statistical portrait, the mental health of Canadian children and teens remains a taboo topic. Yet depression, bipolar disorders, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other mental illnesses affect large numbers of young people. For fear of being labelled, judged or discriminated against – and in spite of their suffering – people living with these illnesses, and their immediate family members, often choose silence. But David, Blanche Véronique, Brandon, Erynn and their loved ones have chosen to open up about their stories. Their voices are complemented by that of director Louiselle Noël, who was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder at age 40; she powerfully evokes the initial symptoms, which emerged in her childhood. This courageous documentary sensitively demythologizes mental illness in children and teenagers.

The Interventionists (Canada, 2006, 31 min)
Ellen is a mental health nurse and Brandon is a police officer. Together, they ride the streets of the city in an unmarked police car, responding to 911 calls involving what are officially called “emotionally disturbed persons” (EDP). These situations can be highly charged and unpredictable but, in most cases, the team is able to peel away the labels and de-escalate the situation by providing referrals, services and resources within the community, avoiding hospitalization and jail.