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Alone and Afraid: Lessons learned from the ordeal of a child with special needs and his family
The ordeal of one boy and his family shows that British Columbia’s system of services to support children with complex needs must be overhauled, says an investigative report by the Representative for Children and Youth. The report details the events that led to the...
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Cold Specks details her battle with schizophrenia and hospitalization
“Schizophrenia, anorexia, crippling depression, suicide attempts. There’s a lot to write about.” She says it with a chuckle, but Ladan Hussein — the Toronto singer/songwriter better known by her stage name, Cold Specks — spent a good year in hell to earn that laugh....
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Alfred Andrew’s road to recovery
After almost 40 years of substance use and rounds of homelessness and living on the street, Alfred Andrew is now sober and working to help others who are struggling as he once did. Alfred lives in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He now works in...
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Out of the box: Acquired brain injury and mental health
After a brain injury, it can be very difficult to navigate and cope with complex issues of life. It doesn’t make things easier that acquired brain injury, mental health, and related issues such as substance use and addiction are usually treated by different systems of...
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Opioids and Oatmeal
Amanda Jones is a creative writing student at Vancouver Island University. She’s been writing and speaking about her sister Amy’s descent into mental illness and addiction and Amy’s virtual disappearance into Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. We first spoke...
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