Useful online resources!

In this day and age we can easily Google any random question and be instantly provided with many answers. Although, how often are we sure that these answers are even accurate? With the internet, and I am not an online expert, I try to use a few websites that I generally trust more than others. I thought I'd share some of these useful online resources and speak a bit more about them. I'll only highlight a few here, but if you're looking for more, please scroll over to my resources page.

1. This first I'd like to highlight is Family Smart. They are a non-profit organization that provides beneficial support to families through a variety of approaches. They offer family peer support, which is especially helpful after a child discharges from the hospital with a mental health concern. They also offer educational workshops on a variety of topics. They host events, called 'In the Know,' and have a substantial collection of resources and videos. Personally I've attended a few of their 'In the Know' webinar events and have always learned some new helpful tips! https://familysmart.ca/

2. The next is another resource for families and it's a website run by BC Children's Hospital called Kelty Mental Health. When I worked in-patient as a child and youth counsellor at an Island Health facility with children and youth, we often used this website to share information about diagnoses and medication. They provide many different resources such as education about various mental health diagnoses, medication types and they also have an excellent podcast called 'Where You Are.' Like Family Smart, they too offer events and webinars. https://keltymentalhealth.ca/

3. The third website I'd like to share is for Island Sexual Health. They are a non-profit organization that provides services to those in the Greater Victoria area, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Their vision is for people to have access to holistic and comprehensive sexual and primary health care. They provide a variety of services, such as sexual health services, gender affirming care and primary care. Under their education tab, they have information for how to speak with your child about sexual health that is approachable and knowledgeable. If you're unsure about something in this realm, I'd suggest exploring their website and accessing this valuable service! https://www.islandsexualhealth.org/

These are just three that I'm highlighting today, but I hope these are helpful! And if you have questions about this or other resources, please reach out.

Danielle van Schaik