Osi-Can Manitoba

05/31/2022

Need something fun to do this Sunday??

Find all about Symatree Farm’s first annual ‘FUNd Raiding for Mental Health’ on June 5.

05/19/2022

Begins Tonight! Register to get the course link!!

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Mental Health First Responders and Military Personnel . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

05/05/2022

Want to help your kids in dealing with their experiences with our trauma but in a fun, age appropriate way? HERE IS THE ANSWER!! I have been impressed with this program, how available it is to all through the virtual platform, and know one of the social workers involved as our professional paths just keep crossing!

Remember, if you don't use the resources, they stop being funded so please take a look and see if this would be a good fit for your kids.

CAMP VIRTUAL ABOUT WARRIOR KIDS There is increased awareness of the secondary impact trauma has on children, especially those with a parent diagnosed with Operational Stress Injuries (such as PTSD) from service related experiences. While several treatment programs have been designed for caregivers,....

05/01/2022

Today to all the First Responders....Thank You. Thank you for everything you do, the events you miss with your families, the holidays spent at work, and the things you see and those images you can't get rid of. Thank you.

04/29/2022

PTSD is not spoken of enough and is a tough thing to deal with. My good friend lost her husband who was an officer today... unexpectedly. Which inspired me to put this message out there. And it may be wierd to put this on a business page, but I believe the message needs to be heard. Our first responders and related personnel deal with such a high volume of unimaginable sights and situations. Then, once they clock out, they are expected to go home and live a normal life. Most people may see one or two gory situations in their lifetime, where as these people see it 1000 times before they retire. Trying to rest at night after working normal job is hard enough, I couldn't imagine trying to sleep after seeing child abuse victims or murdered, burned, dead, abused people. Or even seeing abusers released because someone was afraid to press charges and you can't do anything about it. It has to tear you up inside.

Some may say they signed up for it. Yes. They did. But they are also human. Humans have breaking points. They need support. They need kindness around them. Someone must do the job. And quite frankly our local first responders so an incredible job, from the 911 operators to the responders that show up.

Cleaning up this hotel 7 years ago was challenging and when I took over, the nonsense, violence, drugs that ran this place, our first responders were here so often. It's so very nice to see that now they only have to come for breakfast and lunch.

But when they used to come for real calls, and I've witnessed well over 100 of them, I have to say, from fire to paramedics to police, they've been handled with compassion and understanding. Nothing like the garbage you see on TV. I'm sure there may be a bad apple here and there, but to be fair we all work with one or two in our work places.

Here's the message. Be kind. Nobody wins with hate. Open the door for communication. Tell your loved ones they can talk to you, and really talk to you. If you can tell something's up with your loved one, ask them. Don't be too proud or embarrassed. It could honestly save a life.

As a last note, I know therapy can be tough, hard to approach, expensive and wait times are outrageous. Sometimes we feel like we can't talk to our loved ones or even work partners. Sometimes its easier to vent to a complete stranger in the same field. If our first responders need a space to meet and casually help each other out, chat, offload some weight of their chest, discuss coping mechanisms, whatever... I'd be willing to give up my private dining room on a periodic basis for this purpose, at no cost. If someone would like to lead this group, I'd be open to discussing it. Obviously this would be a dry gathering, and I'm not looking to get paid on this, rather I'm offering this as a service to our first responders community. You know how to get in touch. Don't be shy. The door is open and this could save a life. This is not a professional mental health outreach by any means. But sometimes a friendly casual gathering can make all the difference in the world to someone.

Thank you for what you do.

04/12/2022

Hello Friends!

Symatree Farm is beyond excited to be hosting the first annual "FUNd Raising for Mental Health" on June 5th, 2022 from 1:30 - 8:00 pm. (Note: Was previously scheduled for May 1st but the weather encouraged us to reconsider!)

1 in 4 Manitobans live with mental health struggles... those One-in-Fours are our children, our friends, our parents and neighbours... they are us!

How powerful is it to know that you can make a difference in improving the lives of those you care about!

How powerful is it for all of us, to support the outstanding work done by two wonderful organizations!

This will be a fun day of
- inspiring speakers,
- cool activities designed to foster well-being,
- toe-tapping, feel-good entertainment by local artists, and, of course,
- plenty of opportunities to engage with the horses of Symatree

The gates open at 1:30 pm with non-stop activities until 8:00.

BYO Picnic and blanket and stay for the day, or purchase an Evening of Entertainment ticket for you and a special someone!

There are many opportunities for you to raise funds and feel good about it, knowing that 100% of the net proceeds are going to The Andrew Dunn Foundation and OSI-CAN (Manitoba).

So many ways for you to help...
- Purchase tickets and join us on May 1st
- If distance or other commitments keep you from attending, you can buy a $5 Support ticket... or many!
- Register for the Pony Walk(athon)
- Give it your best shot in the Silent Auction
- Visit our Snack Shop where you'll find a variety of treats to tame your hunger and quench your thirst

Bring your family - Grab your friends… and spend a delightful afternoon in the country and in the company of awesome people and critters.

To optimize both fun and safety for all attendees, we have limited the number of tickets, so get yours now at the Symatree Farm FB event page.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1134511374069928/

We're excited to meet you!

04/12/2022

Come join us for some sunshine, ponies, and raising money for a couple great causes!

Hey Friends! Now's your chance to register in the pony-accompanied walk! For the benefit of wonderful organizations, Andrew Dunn Foundation and OSI-Can Manitoba.

12:30 pm Pony Walk Registration https://symatreefarm.dojiggy.io/1230pm

5:15 pm Pony Walk Registration
https://symatreefarm.dojiggy.io/515pm

04/12/2022

Tomorrow!!! Just before the snow flies on the prairies...again...Winnipeg South Meets for the 1st time!!!! For more info on this peer group: www.osicsnmb.ca

03/23/2022

We are so happy to announce the opening of three more OSI-CAN Manitoba groups this April! In addition to two addition Peer Support Groups, we also have our first Family and Friends Support Group! For more information on times and locations, please see our website at

OSI-CAN is an OSI / PTSD / PTSI Peer Support Initiative. OSI-CAN offers Peer Support Groups, Family Support Groups, assistance with service dog acquisition, and referrals to horse support equine therapy programs

03/21/2022

Families need the support too. When you are a person with PTSD you need a community of people to talk to that get it. And so do the people closest to you. OSI-CAN is dedicated to helping you get the help you need, and the support your family needs. Reach out, and encourage them to reach out.

03/19/2022

OSI-CAN Manitoba is looking for volunteers!

We currently have openings for peer group facilitators and a family and friend support group facilitator. We will train you, support you, and give you what you need in order to give back to our community. The Requirements: You are or were a part of our professional demographic (see www.osicanmb.ca) with lived experience of occupational stress injury. For the family & friends group it would be experience in supporting a loved one through an OSI. Please contact me for more information!

OSI-CAN is an OSI / PTSD / PTSI Peer Support Initiative. OSI-CAN offers Peer Support Groups, Family Support Groups, assistance with service dog acquisition, and referrals to horse support equine therapy programs