Umbrella Society for Addictions & Mental Health

03/18/2026

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Ashley and Rebecca from Umbrella attended the "Dream it, be it "conference for young women.

This annual conference hosted by stshore brings career dreams to life with hands-on workshops and an inspiring walk of life showcase. Where young self-identifying women connect with real life role models, explore career paths and gain tools to overcome challenges to chase their unique individual goals with confidence.

This year Umbrella not only had a table for the walk of life showcase, but Rebecca also led a series of workshops surrounding navigating peer and social pressure of experimenting with substances . The workshops focused on the reality of being curious and wanting to experiment with drugs and alcohol as well as what it may be like to be in uncomfortable situations and feeling unsafe in certain environments. How to ask for help and how to say no with confidence. The workshops talked about real life scenarios and stressed the importance of having phone numbers of trusted individuals to call if they need immediate help ( exit plan) . The groups were enthusiastically engaged and the conversations that followed were so heartwarming and meaningful.

Thank you for having us ! We can't wait to come back next year !

03/12/2026

Lance and Josh represented Umbrella at Camosun College's Criminal Justice Fair. Students were engaged and curious--about what do we do, and the importance of a social justice perspective, and an informed approach to public interactions.
Thank you for having us!

*text: Camosun's overview of its Diploma program in Criminal Justice*

03/10/2026

After a great last cohort of Women's Group, on a beautiful sunny day, we're gearing up for the next!
A handful of spots are left for intakes this Saturday, March 14th. These chats will be one-on-one, with one of the three facilitators. Share however much or however little you feel comfortable with--we meet you where you're at.

(belated)

03/06/2026

"More than 16,000 people have died from toxic drugs since BC declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. A decade on, nearly five people a day are dying. The scale of loss is hard to comprehend. We know these people. They are our family, friends, partners, neighbours, and coworkers. Their lives are valued. They were, and continue to be, loved."

Naming A Crisis is a soon-to-be multimedia art installation commemorating those lost to toxic drug overdoses. With the combined efforts of , , , , , and , will run April 7-26, with an opening event on April 11.

visit namingacrisis.ca to fill out a participant form.

02/25/2026

Standing up over standing by.

02/21/2026

Facilitators have been scheduled. Dates in the calendar. Reach out if you have any questions!

02/19/2026

✨A major . On Tuesday, our RAAC wonder woman Louise celebrated her 10 years with Umbrella. She is wise, kind, and dedicated. Very grateful for this woman!

https://www.umbrellasociety.ca/staff-anniversaries-february-2026/

02/19/2026

Fresh new group on the Umbrella scene: YOGA, facilitated by the mighty Mikala.

An opportunity to honor your body and the history it carries. Exploring the benefits of movement and breath on your recovery journey.

Mikala is a certified yoga teacher with five years in recovery. With lived experience of trauma, grief, and addiction, she guides gentle, recovery-focused yoga that reconnects participants to their inner strength and wisdom.

Registration is open, simply contact the office.

02/13/2026

A mighty thank you to Elinor and NeurAlive Counselling & Neurofeedback for their donation of $1250!!

This private group counselling practise serves the mental health and wellness needs of children, youth, and families in Victoria’s downtown and Westshore communities.

We so appreciate not only your donation, but the work that you do!

Find them here👇🏻

https://neuralive.org/services/counselling

02/13/2026

02/12/2026

piggy-backing off of our school post, we'd like to extend the thank you to the Government of Canada, and the City of Victoria's Spark Program. Thank you for helping us make 👏🏻this 👏🏻happen 👏🏻!

02/06/2026