CMHA Halton Region Branch

30/07/2025

"You wouldn't run your car on empty and expect it to perform well. Yet we do this to ourselves constantly." 🚗⛽

Self-care isn't self-indulgent—it's essential. When life gets overwhelming, caring for ourselves is often the first thing we abandon. But here's the truth: it's proactive, deliberate, and absolutely critical to our wellbeing.

The science backs it up: regular self-care ✨
→ Improves mental health
→ Enhances self-esteem
→ Increases optimism
→ Reduces anxiety & depression symptoms
→ Builds resilience
Your self-care might be a morning walk 🚶‍♀️, meditation 🧘‍♂️, or setting screen time boundaries 📱. The key is finding what genuinely nourishes YOU.

If you're not taking care of yourself, who will? 💙

29/07/2025

Supporting a loved one with mental health or addiction challenges? You don't have to navigate this journey alone. 💙

Our Halton Family Matters Program offers a personalized blend of support designed specifically for caregivers like you:

✨ 6-week virtual skill-building workshops
✨ Personal wellness plan development
✨ 1:1 peer support and system navigation
✨ Monthly peer support groups

Because when you're caring for someone else, caring for yourself isn't selfish—it's essential.

📅 Next workshop series: Tuesdays, August 26 - September 30 🕕 6:30 to 8:00 PM (virtual)

Ready to get the support you deserve? Visit our website for more details.

28/07/2025

Whether you're in Burlington, Oakville, Milton, or Halton Hills - accessible mental health services are within your reach.

Don't let distance, transportation, or other barriers keep you from the support you deserve.

📍 Find your nearest location 📞 Connect with our team 💬 Learn about our accessible services

Because everyone in our community deserves mental health support that works for their life.

Link in bio to explore our accessible services 💙

24/07/2025

Mental health isn't a destination—it's a journey. 🗺️

And every journey needs different kinds of support:
- Crisis intervention when you're in immediate need
- Counselling for deeper healing
- Peer support for ongoing connection
- Community resources for long-term wellness

We're here for all of it. All of you. Always.

It doesn't matter where you are or what the need is. We're here. 🤝

24/07/2025

Part of unmasking mental health is dispelling the myth that self-care is self-indulgence. Self-care is proactive and deliberate and it’s critical to our mental and physical wellbeing. We should all practice self-care in some form every day from ensuring we get a good night’s rest to getting help when we need it.

On International Self-care Day we encourage you to practice some self-care. Use our permission slip as a mental commitment to honoring that practice. Check out the link in our bio.

22/07/2025

And every journey needs different kinds of support:

Crisis intervention when you're in immediate need
Counselling for deeper healing
Peer support for ongoing connection
Community resources for long-term wellness

We're here for all of it. All of you. Always.

It doesn't matter where you are or what the need is. We're here. 🤝

17/07/2025

"We all need to feel like we belong and that others care about our well-being." 💙

Connection isn't just nice to have in mental health recovery—it's essential.

When mental health services are close to home, in familiar places where you already live and connect, healing happens differently.

At CMHA Halton, we bring support directly to your community because we know attachment begins with accessibility. ✨

16/07/2025

When we embed mental health services within the communities where people live, work, and connect daily, something powerful happens: therapeutic relationships can actually form.

In Halton region, accessibility isn't just about removing barriers—it's about creating the foundation for attachment and healing. Our community-based approach recognizes that:

🏠 Services close to home build trust faster

🤝 Peer connections reduce isolation and increase hope

📱 Mobile crisis response maintains relationships during vulnerable moments

🌟 Familiar environments support sustainable recovery

As CMHA research shows, "we all need to feel like we belong and that others care about our well-being." This isn't just good practice—it's evidence-based mental health care.

15/07/2025

On July 26, join us for the 9th annual Tee Off for Mental Health Tom Pakulat Memorial Golf Tournament—an event that beautifully demonstrates how community comes together to support mental health.

Tom Pakulat was a caring, hardworking son, husband, and friend who worked tirelessly to ensure those around him never felt the loneliness he experienced. Though we lost Tom to su***de at age 29, his legacy lives on through his wife Marybeth Pakulat-Bilger and this incredible community initiative.

Since 2018, this tournament has:
🎯 Raised almost $100,000 for CMHA Halton and the Halton Su***de Prevention Coalition
🎯 Eliminated stigma through open conversation
🎯 Provided vital support to individuals and families impacted by su***de

Marybeth's advocacy work extends far beyond this tournament—she shares her journey year-round to support caregivers and families navigating loss.

Whether you golf, donate, sponsor, or provide raffle prizes, you're helping give voices to those who have suffered in silence and providing tangible support to our community.

Register now: http://www.teeoff4mh.com

***dePrevention

Tee Off for Mental Health in support of Canadian Mental Health Association

14/07/2025

The foundation of mental health recovery isn't just clinical—it's deeply human.

Research continues to validate what community mental health providers have long understood: meaningful connections and secure attachments are essential therapeutic tools, not just nice-to-haves.

At CMHA Halton, we see this principle in action daily. When services are delivered close to home—in Oakville, Burlington, Milton, and Halton Hills—we remove the barriers that prevent therapeutic relationships from forming.

Our peer support programs demonstrate how shared lived experience creates authentic connections, while our mobile COAST team brings intervention directly to familiar community settings. Because attachment cannot develop when services are inaccessible.

The evidence is clear: social support networks significantly reduce stress levels and improve outcomes. But more than that, when people feel they belong and that others care about their well-being, healing accelerates.

Community mental health isn't just about treating symptoms—it's about fostering the human connections that make sustainable recovery possible.

11/07/2025

🚨 Could you recognize the signs of a mental health crisis? Would you know how to help?

CMHA Halton's Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses give you the confidence and skills to support someone experiencing mental health challenges - just like physical first aid, but for mental well-being! 🧠💙

Choose your course: 🖥️ Standard Virtual - General mental health support (8 hours total) 👥 Supporting Youth Virtual - Specialized for ages 12-24 (10 hours total)

What you'll learn: ✅ Recognize early warning signs ✅ Start supportive conversations ✅ Connect people to professional help ✅ Assist during crisis situations ✅ Practice self-care techniques

Whether you're a parent, teacher, manager, or community member - these skills can make a real difference in someone's life.

To register click the link in our bio!

10/07/2025

💡 Did you know Canada spends only 6.3% of healthcare budgets on mental health?

Compare that to France (15%) and Germany (11%) - we're falling behind when mental health should be central to healthcare, not an afterthought.

The reality: 2.5 million Canadians can't get the mental health care they need. That's like the entire populations of Manitoba and Saskatchewan combined.

The solution: Integrated community mental health that connects seamlessly with primary care, hospitals, and social supports.

At CMHA Halton, we see this integration in action every day - addressing housing, employment, and social connections alongside clinical treatment. When mental health is properly woven into healthcare, it prevents crises, reduces emergency visits, and builds long-term wellness.

Mental health isn't separate from healthcare. It's the foundation.