From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 12:45:59 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 11:52:30 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fetal alcohol spending repaid with savings Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005114544.058fbc08@ncf.ca> Fetal alcohol spending repaid with savings David Gerry. Times - Colonist. Victoria, B.C.: Sep 29, 2009. pg. A.11 Re: "B.C. scraps health pregnancy project," Sept. 19 In March 2008 the B.C. government released an ambitious, comprehensive 10-year plan on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The sixth objective included training service providers and health educators; now this funding has been cut. A conservative estimate is that one baby a week with FASD is born on Vancouver Island. And researchers have found that it costs taxpayers at least $1 million in added lifetime costs for anyone born with FASD. Cutting education programs to health care providers will cost us far more than it will ever save. When first elected, this government recognized the added cost to the health-care system of smoking and sued the tobacco companies for compensation. However, as the exclusive distributor of alcohol in the province, the government cannot sue themselves for the costs associated with alcohol sales. The 2009 financial statements of the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch report $891 million of net profit, all of which goes to general revenues. Just one or two per cent of this windfall could expand the training on FASD for all front-line workers, reduce the huge provincial backlog for spaces in the existing FASD pediatric diagnostic clinics, provide badly needed respite for families and establish adult FASD diagnostic and assessment clinics. We would like to see the province follow Alberta's lead and make a serious commitment to implementing all six objectives of their 10-year FASD plan. David Gerry Former executive director FASD Community Circle-Victoria Credit: David Gerry; Times Colonist -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/23a0aa9a/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 20:38:39 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 19:40:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Getting the order to help more kids Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005193830.03427dd8@ncf.ca> "...The camp attracts youth with anxiety disorders, ADHA, fetal alcohol spectrum..." "...doing simple tasks like brushing their teeth ? a challenge for some kids with fetal alcohol spectrum..." http://www.cochranetimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1717038 Cochrane Times Alberta Community Getting the order to help more kids Posted By Sara Francis Posted 14 hours ago [as of August 27, 2009] Canoeing, horseback riding, sleeping in a tepee ? these are all activities 13-year-old Roman has experienced for the first time at Our Lady Queen of Peace Ranch. ?It?s a lot of fun and a place you?d want to spend your summer. It?s a lot better than at home,? said Roman, a veteran camper whose come back seven times. The fun Roman has had at camp is priceless in more ways than one. For the past 20 years Maureen and Patrick Doherty have operated this camp free of charge for the financially, mentally, physically and emotionally disadvantaged. Earlier this summer the couple was awarded the Order of Canada for co-founding Our Lady Queen of Peace Foundation, which provides funding and support for those in need throughout Alberta and in several developing countries. ?They were shocked. They weren?t looking for this. They are very private people. They don?t do this for the glory of it,? said their daughter Siobhan Doherty. She said her parents are private people who do not wish to comment, but as Doherty pointed out the success of the camp speaks for them. Tucked away in the Bragg Creek foothills, this 100-hectare campsite sees 25,000 visitors annually. It has come a long way since the early days when the camp only housed two cabins and an outhouse. Now dozens of tepees, scattered throughout the property, sleep up to 200 campers. ?This is my parents, they are the roots holding this. Both him and my mom have realized their dream,? said Doherty, sitting inside WIGI Hall, a large round-shaped gathering space. WIGI stands for Walton International Group Inc., a Calgary-based international real estate investment group Mr. Doherty founded in 1982. The OLQP Foundation is primarily funded by the success of Walton International. ?My parents have been very fortunate and they want to give back,? said Doherty. However, Mr. Doherty came from humble beginnings. After he lost his father at a young age he attended Camp Kalamazoo, a cost-free camp for at-risk youth. He said it was the most wonderful ranch experience and one day he would like to do something similar, said Doherty. While the camps are non-denominational, the couple is personally motivated by their Catholic faith. The couple renamed the Nokakoi Ranch Foundation a few years ago to Our Lady Queen of Peace as a tribute to the Virgin Mary and Medjugorje, a popular pilgrimage site in Bosnia-Herzegovnia that the couple has visited. The foundation distributes thousands of rosaries internationally. In Mexico, its built an orphanage, human rights centre, community centre, water station, seminary, among many other projects its funded in Tanzania, India, Bosnia-Herzegovnia as well as locally ? St. Mary?s College, the Mustard Seed and Calgary Drop-in Centre. This summer the OLQP Foundation opened it?s second summer camp in Edmonton. The eventual goal is to fit the camps with dormitories so they can extend the camp season beyond April to October to all year round. In order to qualify for OLQP Camp kids need to be in financial need and referred through qualifying agencies like Cochrane FCSS. The camp attracts youth with anxiety disorders, ADHA, fetal alcohol spectrum, so all the programs are designed to cater to their needs and revolve around 13 target outcomes including a sense of belonging, self-acceptance, tolerance and diversity and emotional intelligence. ?We truly believe that one week can make a difference in these kids' lives,? said Nicole Anderson who has worked as director of programming for the past 10 years. ?Roman?s mom says when he goes home after the summer he has more self-esteem, he?s not as angry, he feels he can succeed,? she said. Roman?s future goal is to become an OLQP camp counselor like 19-year-old Tyler Kent of Calgary, one of the 40 counselors between the age of 17 and 25. He was a camper for two years before working as a counselor for the past four years. ?For me this place has changed who I am. When I first came I was an angry person. This camp allowed me a week to escape,? said Kent. However, he was so homesick his first year as a camper he wanted to escape back home. ?He worried his grandma would die,? said Anderson. ?A lot of our kids go through that separation anxiety because of the trauma in their life.? Each child struggles differently, so to create a positive atmosphere, Anderson uses a virtue program to encourage good behaviour. For example, kids can earn keepsake beads by doing simple tasks like brushing their teeth ? a challenge for some kids with fetal alcohol spectrum, said Anderson. Beside the summer camp programs OLQP Camp also throws an annual Christmas party inviting 1,000 needy kids and their families. Youth are invited to chose a gift up to a $50 value, which Santa Claus hands out at the party. There is free food and clothes for the whole family too. ?The eventual dream of my dad is to have a ranch like setting in every state we own land ? Ontario, Arizona, Georgia and Texas,? said Doherty. ?They would like this to go on in perpetuity and we all working towards getting to that point.? Article ID# 1717038 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/aa45ed36/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 20:50:02 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 19:53:21 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Winnipeg lawyer says client accused of arson needs supervision, not jail Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005194952.035a8ec8@ncf.ca> "...diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome and the mental capacity of a seven-year-old child...." Winnipeg lawyer says client accused of arson needs supervision, not jail The Canadian Press. Toronto: Aug 27, 2009. WINNIPEG _ The lawyer for a mentally challenged client put into a specialized supervision program 15 years ago believes it's what should also be done for his current client, who was charged last week with arson. Lawyer Martin Glazer says his 18-year-old client, who is accused of setting more than 20 fires in Winnipeg over the last six months, has the mental capacity of a nine-year-old. Glazer says it was a similar situation one of his clients faced during several court hearings in the 1990s. That man - who had been accused several times of arson but never convicted - was born in 1967 and diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome and the mental capacity of a seven-year-old child. Glazer argues jail is not the solution for people with mental disabilities. He says government-funded community supervision is more effective. ``Jail simply puts off the inevitable,'' Glazer says. ``They will then be released without a safety net. Community supervision is the best protection for society.'' Glazer's earlier client was arrested and charged several times with offences, but after a bail hearing in 1994, a program of 24-hour care was set up for him and paid by the provincial government. At the time when releasing him on bail into the program against the wishes of the Crown, provincial court Judge Frank Allen said it was worth trying, calling it a tragic case. ``I can well understand the Crown's concern for the safety of the public... I think it's in the best interests of society to let him out to his sister and let him get help. That will protect the public.'' That man is still in the program. In the latest arsons, two of the blazes damaged equipment used by the Assiniboine Park Steam Train. Its storage shed was set ablaze in February and the water tower was lost to another fire in June. Police have estimated the damage to the train equipment and from other blazes is about $280,000. (Winnipeg Free Press) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/70cd21ce/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 20:51:01 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 19:53:34 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Drunk mums give birth; babies seized from unfit parents: Australia Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005195031.0346fd58@ncf.ca> "...warning the next stolen generation would be children with fetal alcohol syndrome ? children who have been "pickled" in the womb...." "...Under current Australian guidelines, pregnant women are advised not to have more than seven standard drinks a week and no more than two standard drinks within two hours...." http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25987785-421,00.html news.com.au National News Drunk mums give birth; babies seized from unfit parents By Renee Viellaris The Courier-Mail August 27, 2009 12:01am [Photo of pregnant woman] Queensland's Child Safety Department has removed 250 children from their mothers within 90 days of their birth / File * Some women drunk during childbirth * Babies being removed from unfit parents * Children developing fetal alcohol syndrome QUEENSLAND mothers are giving birth while drunk as new figures show babies are being seized from unfit parents almost every week. In the past five years, the Child Safety Department has stepped in to remove 250 children from their mothers within 90 days of their birth, The Courier-Mail reports. Veteran north Queensland neonatologist John Whitehall yesterday called for a dramatic alcohol education campaign, warning the next stolen generation would be children with fetal alcohol syndrome ? children who have been "pickled" in the womb. "Some women (in north Queensland) were drunk at delivery. It's not many, but it is certainly not unknown," Dr Whitehall said. "This is really difficult. Some things get passed off as normal." Under current Australian guidelines, pregnant women are advised not to have more than seven standard drinks a week and no more than two standard drinks within two hours. A spokeswoman said Queensland Health did not keep a record of women who were drunk at delivery, but figures obtained by The Courier-Mail show about 50 newborns are taken from their mothers each year because of alcohol or drug abuse and concerns over domestic violence. Removal occurs in about 10 per cent of cases brought to the attention of Child Services by hospital staff. A department spokesman said the number of notifications had remained stable. "Our own research shows that alcohol and drug abuse is common in families where children have been abused or neglected," he said. About 28 per cent of mothers who had their babies removed within 90 days of birth were indigenous, although the department said there was an even spread of notifications throughout the state after population trends were considered. Dr Whitehall was Townsville Hospital's director of neonatology for 14 years. He will soon become the foundation professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Western Sydney. Dr Whitehall said children with fetal alcohol syndrome had serious learning and behavioural difficulties. But he argued against removing more children from their parents, saying it would be better to invest in better education campaigns, raising the price of alcohol and cigarettes and enforcing penalties when minors have been sold legal drugs. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/11185af3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 20:52:04 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 20:52:08 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Raising awareness about FASD: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005195156.035a8c38@ncf.ca> "...Reach Delta Connex will be launching a Facebook site Sept. 9?the 10th annual International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day? to support FASD awareness and education...." http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/southdeltaleader/community/55467182.html South Delta Leader Delta, British Columbia Raising awareness about FASD Published: August 27, 2009 4:00 PM Camille Netherton Reach columnist Millions of parents are raising children who have been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term referring to a brain based physical disability which occurs when a fetus is exposed to alcohol. Many different diagnoses fall into under the umbrella of FASD. A diagnosis of full-scale Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is quite rare. More often people are diagnosed with A.R.N.D. or Alcohol Related Neurodevelopment Disorder. This occurs at a rate of one in every 100 live births, a rate greater than Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and Cerebral Palsy combined. Do you know a woman of childbearing age? Then you know someone at risk for having a child affected with FASD. Many think it won?t happen to them, but with as many as 60 per cent of all pregnancies unplanned it is a true possibility. Some health professionals still say it?s okay to have an occasional glass of wine. But speak to anyone raising a child with FASD and they?ll beg you not to take the risk. Any alcohol can be harmful during pregnancy. Alcohol in the womb of a developing fetus can permanently damage the brain, central nervous system, organs and the very cells of that fetus. For women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant there are resources and organizations that can provide education and support on leading a healthy pre-natal lifestyle. Families raising children with FASD or related disorders can also get support. In Delta, Reach Child and Youth Development Society offers the provincially-funded Delta Connex program, which provides support to families who have children birth through 19 with a diagnosis of FASD or related conditions. The program addresses issues associated with the diagnosis and builds on family?s strengths, and also provides workshops on a variety of related topics. Reach Delta Connex will be launching a Facebook site Sept. 9?the 10th annual International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day? to support FASD awareness and education. n Camille Netherton is a Manager of the Delta Connex Program at Reach Child and Youth Development Society. Reach provides programs for children from birth to 19 and their families, and this year is celebrating 50 years of service. For more information call 604-946-6622, e-mail info@reachdevelopment.org or visit www.reachdevelopment.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/449ce9e2/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 21:41:26 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 20:52:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090905094922.0200a1c0@ncf.ca> http://www.leducrep.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1728496 Leduc Representative Leduc, Alberta Living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Posted By Alexandra Pope Posted 1 month ago [as of Oct. 5, 2009] Her troubles began when she started school. Impulsive, agitated, unable to sit still, she often had to be disciplined. The school provided her with extra support, but between struggling to learn the material and enduring taunts and exclusion from her classmates, by the time she reached her teens, she had little interest in school. Now 21, she is struggling to manage the basic responsibilities of adult life, such as holding down employment and paying her bills on time. She risks losing her two children if she can?t provide them with a stable home. She often feels alone, a victim of a world she doesn?t understand. She isn?t anyone specific, but her story could belong to any of the estimated 23,000 Albertans living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the term used to describe a wide range of disabilities caused by pre-natal exposure to alcohol. Although the symptoms and implications of FASD vary widely from person to person, 80 per cent of patients will require ongoing support throughout their life ? that?s where the Bridges FASD Mentor Program comes in. Bridges is a new program for women 18 and older living with FASD in Leduc County and other area municipalities, including the City of Leduc and the Town of Beaumont. This program is offered by Leduc County?s department of Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) in partnership with the Alberta FASD Cross-Ministry committee (FASD-CMC) and the Edmonton and Area Fetal Alcohol Network (EFAN). It?s one of several programs across the province that are part of a 10-year government plan to increase services and support for people living with FASD and prevent future births of children with FASD. Laurel Fitzsimonds, co-ordinator of the Bridges program, said the primary goal of the program is to create a circle of support around each woman to help her maintain a safe and stable lifestyle. ?Our basic philosophy is that the person with FASD is the victim in all of this, and there should be no shame or blame placed on them,? she said. ?We want to support them to achieve whatever potential they can reach and reduce any further disabilities from emerging.? FASD presents differently in every client, depending on when and how often their mother drank during her pregnancy. Alcohol inhibits and alters the development of brain structures and cells, and since a fetus? brain develops throughout every stage of pregnancy, it doesn?t matter when the woman drinks ? it could still have a negative effect, Fitzsimonds said. There is no safe amount of alcohol when pregnant and it is recommended that women stop consuming alcohol if they are considering pregnancy. Pre-natal exposure to alcohol creates the potential for a wide range of disabilities, including poor memory, attention deficits, impulsive behaviour and poor cause-and-effect reasoning. This creates challenges for the individual throughout their life, Fitzsimonds said. As children, they may have difficulty understanding the nuances of conversation and socializing and have a hard time making friends. They may struggle with schoolwork and act out in class. Some may drop out of school altogether. Later in life, poor cause-and-effect thinking can mean the person isn?t able to make the connection between paying the rent on time and having a place to live. They may forget important appointments, have difficulty managing their money, get in trouble with the law or turn to drugs and alcohol. They may go on to have children who are affected by FASD. While FASD is not hereditary, they may also drink during their pregnancies as their mothers did. ?Ultimately, they may not be able to create their own solution to get back to stability and a safe lifestyle,? Fitzsimonds said. Although similar cognitive and behavioural issues can occur in children who weren?t exposed to alcohol in the womb, a group of factors coupled with the knowledge that the mother drank during pregnancy may lead to a diagnose FASD, Fitzsimonds said. Women do not need to have been diagnosed with FASD in order to enter the Bridges Program. As long as they show strong indicators of FASD, a Bridges mentor can perform an intake assessment to determine if the program is right for them. Once a woman is accepted to the program, she works one-on-one with a mentor, whose role is to act as a sort of ?external brain,? helping the client manage responsibilities and make good decisions. ?Most adults with FASD have few people left in the world who support them unconditionally, and that is the promise we make to (the clients) ? to support them unconditionally,? Fitzsimonds said. Meghan Fitch, a mentor with the Bridges Program, said that support can mean anything from taking the client to medical appointments to helping them fill out job applications, advocating for them in the community, and helping them with parenting and family planning. All of those areas present challenges for both the mentor and the client, but Fitch said the biggest challenge is simply gaining the client?s trust. ?Many of these women have been burned throughout their life,? she said. ?It takes time.? Fitch tries to spend social time with the clients to build that relationship and said in the process, she has broken down many of her own preconceived notions about FASD. ?I think when you?re doing basic research, you almost get a picture in your mind of what it?s going to look like, (but) every woman is different, every one of them has a story,? she said. ?There are lots of challenges, but they?re working so hard. They?re survivors.? If you are a woman 18 or older and believe you might be struggling with FASD, or if someone you know fits these criteria, call Fitzsimonds at 780-955-6423 to find out more about the Bridges Program. For more information on FASD and other programs available throughout Alberta, visit www.fasd-cmc.alberta.ca. Article ID# 1728496 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/0d19874c/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 21:47:25 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 20:52:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Uganda Health News: No alcohol while Pregnant Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090905094951.0200a1c0@ncf.ca> http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=No+alcohol+while+Pregnant&ID=11784 UGPulse.com a UgaTechUSA web site Uganda Health News: No alcohol while Pregnant First published: 20090904 6:03:43 AM EST Expectant mothers have been called upon to avoid consuming alcohol as this habit might lead to serious health problems for the unborn baby. Dr. Haruna Mwanjje, a gynecologist at Mulago Hospital says drinking alcohol during pregnancy can hurt the baby's growth. He says babies born of women who take alcohol during pregnancy may have physical and behavioral problems that can last for the rest of his life. Dr. Mwanje says while no evidence exists to determine with certainty exactly how much alcohol ingestion will produce birth defects, there is ample evidence that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not good for the baby at all. He says many such babies are born with a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which needs medical and psychological support to heal. Dr. Mwanjje says women can prevent FAS and other problems related to alcohol use by not drinking when they are pregnant or when they might get pregnant. Doctors have long indicated that alcohol easily passes through the placental barrier and the foetus is not equipped to eliminate alcohol unlike the mother's body. Dr. Mwanje says as a result, the foetus tends to receive a high concentration of alcohol, which lingers longer than it would in the mother's body (blood system). Dr. Mwanjje warns that mothers who drink during the first trimester (the first three months of pregnancy) have children with the most severe problems because that is when the brain is developing. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/9955797b/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:14:01 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 21:16:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FAS Awareness Day Sept. 9, Minnesota Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090910103506.03eaf750@ncf.ca> http://www.winonapost.com/stock/functions/VDG_Pub/detail.php?choice=32644&home_page=1&archives= Winona Post, MN FAS Awareness Day Sept. 9 (09/09/2009) By Cynthya Porter We live in a culture where expectant mothers may think a glass of wine won't hurt anything. It sounds harmless. After all a glass of wine doesn't make most people even tipsy, but it is not quite that simple, says Fetal Alcohol Syndrome expert Linda Soderstrom. "When mom is getting a little happy, baby is completely annihilated," Soderstrom said. The reason: Alcohol passes directly to the developing fetus, but an unborn baby is not physically developed enough to process alcohol the way a mother can. Unborn babies have very little tolerance for alcohol, and its presence interferes with their ability to get enough oxygen and nourishment in the womb. With September 9 recognized as National Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day, national experts on the topic agree that there is no known safe amount of alcohol that one can drink during pregnancy. Yet we live in a culture where the surgeon general didn't even place a warning on alcohol for pregnant women until 1981, a culture where women once upon a time were given whiskey in the labor room and champagne after delivery. Today public debate remains fierce and divided on whether moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a harmless pastime or Russian Roulette. But Soderstrom, a licensed practical nurse, is an expert on the topic because she has spent 22 years dealing with the consequences of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), and in her mind no one should ever take the chance. It was by chance that Soderstrom fell into becoming a foster mother in Hennepin County. Through her work as a visiting dance and movement instructor to day care operations, she began doing respite care for families with special needs children. To provide respite care, one needed a full foster care license, a license that caused her name to pop up on a county resource list when children needed help. Single and without children of her own, Soderstrom found herself drawn to providing care for the fragile children placed in the care of the county. In all she housed 30 children, but a particularly special one stayed longer than the rest. Soderstrom was called to the pediatric intensive care unit at Hennepen County Medical Center to screen a baby for placement with her. When she walked in, a nurse was holding an impossibly small bundle that was Jesse, a FAS baby taken from his mother because he was failing to thrive. At a year old he weighed just 12 pounds, he couldn't sit up or even hold his head up, and he clearly wasn't wired the way a healthy baby ordinarily would be. Soderstrom watched while the nurse struggled for 45 minutes just to feed Jesse a small bowl of food. "He was so mis-wired he would push the food away," she said. He was so tiny that all his frail arms could support was a two ounce bottle, but as he laid there trying to manage a drink from it, something clicked inside Soderstrom. "There is nothing more precious than that," she said. "He was mine from the minute I saw him." Soderstrom knew it would be a life of challenge, but she took Jesse home the next day to foster and adopted him not long after. Raising children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not a small task, as just understanding the complex array of effects it has on them can be daunting. The biggest blessing, she said, was knowing from birth that Jesse's mother had drunk significantly when she was pregnant with him. To diagnose FAS at birth opens intervention doors that Soderstrom believes can make all the difference in the world for a child. Infancy stimulation provided by a specialist helped Jesse learn appropriate responses, taught him how to laugh, to use his arms, to engage with another human being. For FAS babies, such tasks are much more difficult than a healthy baby who develops just from interacting with his parents, Soderstrom said, and a child risks falling far behind his peers if intervention is not brought in early. Under the care of Soderstrom and a therapist, Jesse was walking by the time he was two and had doubled his weight. Both were enormous feats for the tiny baby, but nothing compared to the steps Jesse would take in the years to come. Today he is 23 and thanks to Home and Community Options lives semi-independently in his own apartment. When he was 18, Soderstrom said, she proudly helped him navigate the process of becoming his own guardian. He has a job washing dishes, pays his bills, takes care of his business and shares a good laugh with his mom now and then. He is a proud man who works hard and has done the best he can at life. But it wasn't easy. He knows there is something different about him, and that it was from a "big people" problem, nothing he did, Soderstrom said. And he knows that it is because he got help all along the way that he is able to be the man he is now. Soderstrom suspects more children diagnosed with an array of cognitive disabilities could actually be diagnosed as having a mild case of FAS instead. It is not something to be ashamed of, Soderstrom said, and a child can benefit greatly from a correct diagnosis to problems and early intervention of them. Soderstrom speaks whenever she is invited about FAS and the complex array of facts that surround it, knowing that even educating one future expectant mother or getting one child the additional help they need will change someone's life immeasurably. As for her son, she knows it has been a hard road, but she wouldn't have traded a day of it. "People say to me, 'Oh, he's so lucky to have you,'" Soderstrom said. "And I say no, no, no. I'm lucky to have him. Without him I wouldn't even be a mother. The hard part of my job just started, I have to learn to let go." For more information of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, visit the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov, or contact Soderstrom by e-mail at linda.soderstrom@webmail.southeastmn.edu. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/23e3bfd4/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 21:32:10 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 21:22:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] First Nations health issues could use a financial jackpot Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005203120.0365d410@ncf.ca> "..a chain of serious health risks strangling First Nations people -- a chain that links HIV to drug injection to drug and alcohol dependency to fetal alcohol syndrome...." "...a First Nations Health and Addictions Trust dedicated to the research, prevention and elimination of HIV, FAS and, of course, drug, alcohol and gaming addictions..." First Nations health issues could use a financial jackpot Murray Mandryk. Leader Post. Regina, Sask.: Aug 29, 2009. pg. B.5 A couple of decades have passed since then-Saskatchewan premier Grant Devine set off a firestorm by suggesting, in a private meeting, that if AIDS got into the First Nations community, it would be "hell on wheels." It's interesting contrasting the reaction to Devine's remarks to those made earlier this month by Prince Albert Health Region medical health officer Dr. Khami Chokani, who suggested that HIV "will kill 15 to 30 per cent (of the aboriginal population), not all at one time, but over a five- to 10-year period." Twenty years ago, Devine's political enemies vilified him as a borderline racist for even thinking such a thing. Twenty years later, Chokani has created a similar firestorm and is now being portrayed in some sectors as a fear-mongering reactionary. Thus, the problem with Saskatchewan politics. For decades, the first reaction tends to be name-calling rather than understanding and addressing the issue at hand. Whether it truly will be "hell on wheels" or whether the numbers of HIV-related deaths will be even a fraction of what Chokani (who based his assumption on his largely incomparable experience from sub-Saharan Africa) isn't necessarily where the focus should be here. The focus should be recognizing that HIV is but one link in a chain of serious health risks strangling First Nations people -- a chain that links HIV to drug injection to drug and alcohol dependency to fetal alcohol syndrome. We need politicians to focus on a strategy to break the change. Instead, we have politicians -- both First Nations and mainstream -- who prefer to squabble over jurisdiction and money. This takes us to the most recent money squabble: Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Lawrence Joseph's demand Wednesday that First Nations receive 100 per cent of the profits from the province's Indian-run casinos, rather than just 75 per cent as per the existing operating agreement with the provincial government. At issue here is $15 million a year -- a meagre sum in a $10-billion annual provincial budget. Well, here's a solution. Give the money to them . . . under one proviso: This money be placed in a First Nations Health and Addictions Trust dedicated to the research, prevention and elimination of HIV, FAS and, of course, drug, alcohol and gaming addictions in Saskatchewan's First Nations communities. Of course, the FSIN, and perhaps even the government might decry this as patronizing to First Nations people and infringing on their self-governance. Admittedly, Joseph and the FSIN actually have a strong argument that -- under the spirit of the treaties -- every dollar raised on a First Nation should remain in the First Nations communities to be spent as they see fit. The problem is, Joseph is a politician running for FSIN re-election this fall and what's likely driving this is his eagerness to raise an autonomy issue that could potentially result in more money in the hands of the chiefs that vote for him. Current First Nations gaming revenue is already placed in a trust from which the province's 75 bands can draw for senior and youth programs, social and justice initiatives, housing, education and health. But there are inherit problems here. At best, the money is being spread too thin. And worse, there is the age-old First Nations accountability issue of whether this money is really being well spent. That's why a separate, jointly-administered First Nations Health and Addictions Trust would be an ideal solution. It would even get around Gaming Minister Christine's Tell's concern that we would somehow need a change in the Criminal Code of Canada to get all Indian casino money flowing to Indians. (Alas, one suspects that Saskatchewan Party ministers -- who are also politicians -- are really more concerned with their own loss in revenue and how this likely won't go over big with some mainstream voters.) Well, maybe it's time politicians -- mainstream and Indian -- set aside their politics and focus on a real solution to First Nations' most serious health issues. - Mandryk is the political columnist for the Leader-Post.. Credit: Murray Mandryk; The Leader-Post [Illustration] Photo: Canwest / Saskatchewan First Nations want to keep all the profits generated by the casinos they operate. ;; Caption: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/00cc850f/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 21:33:21 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 21:22:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] N.B. child advocate begins consultations on plight of aboriginal children (2 articles) Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005203310.0365dd68@ncf.ca> "...a nine-member committee that is looking to remedy the many problems that grip First Nations communities, from drug abuse, to fetal alcohol syndrome, to poverty and crime...." N.B. child advocate begins consultations on plight of aboriginal children The Canadian Press. Toronto: Sep 2, 2009. BURNT CHURCH, N.B. _ New Brunswick's child and youth advocate has met with residents from the Esgenoopetitj First Nation. It was the first of six meetings this month that Bernard Richard hopes will provide a road map for addressing the plight of the province`s aboriginal children. The meeting was held at a gaming lounge near Burnt Church, just north of Miramichi. Richard, who is also the province`s ombudsman, is part of a nine-member committee that is looking to remedy the many problems that grip First Nations communities, from drug abuse, to fetal alcohol syndrome, to poverty and crime. He has spent much of last month criss-crossing the province to speak with aboriginal chiefs and to study the state of child welfare on the province`s 15 First Nations, but Tuesday was his first meeting with community members. Richard met with elders, service providers, youth, and the band council throughout the day. The consultations will culminate in a symposium on aboriginal child welfare, to be held in Fredericton on Sept. 29 and 30. Richard said the event will gather all of New Brunswick`s chiefs, along with experts from across the country. His final report is expected in January. (New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal) Aboriginal community meetings start; Society Youth advocate attends first session to discuss plight of children Benjamin Shingler. Telegraph-Journal. Saint John, N.B.: Sep 2, 2009. pg. A.5 The long journey has begun. Bernard Richard met with residents from Esgenopetitj First Nation on Tuesday, the first of six meetings this month that Richard hopes will provide a road map for addressing the plight of the province's aboriginal children. "It's a long day and some of it is very intense," Richard, the province's child and youth advocate, said between sessions Tuesday afternoon. The meeting was held at a gaming lounge near Burnt Church, pop. 1,100, just north of Miramichi. "We're hearing a lot about the issues faced by First Nations and the importance of coming together to solve some of these issues, particularly addictions and alcoholism," he said. Richard, who is also the province's ombudsman, is part of a nine-member committee that is looking to remedy the many problems that grip First Nations communities, from drug abuse, to fetal alcohol syndrome, to poverty and crime. He has spent much of last month criss-crossing the province to speak with aboriginal chiefs and to study the state of child welfare on the province's 15 First Nations, but Tuesday was his first meeting with community members. "It's solemn, it's serious, some crying, there's been some laughter, as well. But certainly, people feel these are significant issues and if we don't find better solutions for children things are just going to get worse," he said. "For some it's an issue of funding and resources, for others it's just doing better with what we have as well, and working better together as well." Richard met with elders, service providers, youth, and the band council throughout the day. "It was a good atmosphere in there," said Mary-Jane Augustine, one of the elders who attended the morning session. "We need to have something built for the children so they don't get into drugs and alcohol," she said. Another elder, Martina Parker, who was born in Burnt Church and now lives nearby, agreed. She says recreational activities would help keep the kids out of trouble. "I'm hopeful that we'll be able to start some kind of a youth centre for our children," said Parker, whose own children are now grown. A new, $10-million school for Burnt Church was announced by the federal government in February and is expected to be completed in two years. That school will have extra space for sports and recreation activities and will be open to the community after school hours. For now, though, children in the community have few places to play. The old school was completely destroyed by a fire in June, leaving Burnt Church without any kind of sports and recreational facility. A temporary school building is expected to be ready for the fall school year, but it won't have a gymnasium. Richard's meetings continue today in Kingsclear; on Thursday in Tobique and Madawaska; Sept. 14 in Four Directions (Fort Folly, Indian Island, Pabineau and Bouctouche), Bouctouche; Sept. 24 in Elsipogtog; and Sept. 28 in St. Mary's. The consultations will culminate in a symposium on aboriginal child welfare, to be held in Fredericton on Sept. 29 and 30. Richard said the event will gather all of New Brunswick's chiefs, along with experts from across the country. Richard, who served as the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs in Frank McKenna's Liberal government, was chosen to supervise the review in May. Provincial court judge Graydon Nicholas and former federal Indian Affairs minister Andy Scott are co-chairing the committee, which also includes native elders and social work specialists. The announcement came as part of the government's response to recommendations that stemmed from the suicide of a First Nations child, who was receiving services from a child and family services agency. Child welfare services on First Nations are delivered by band-run agencies. They are funded by the federal government, but are required to meet standards set by the provincial government. There are 11 First Nations child and family service agencies in New Brunswick, serving 15 communities. Richard's final report is expected in January. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/27eebe7f/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:00:40 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:04:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] New resources on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090918095314.03cf0f90@ncf.ca> http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aap/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=16E9ABA4-623E-4570-B1A7-E4E84C50B934©id=C6C1642A-FCB4-4DD2-8470-A9BA6760930F AAP SmartBrief | 09/17/2009 New resources on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders [From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] The CDC has developed a Web-based featured item about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The item includes a video that shares the story of a family living with the effects of fetal alcohol exposure. Visit the feature and share the message about having a healthy, alcohol-free pregnancy with colleagues and friends. The CDC also has unveiled a new, user-friendly, research-based Web site on FASDs. Among the features are state alcohol consumption data for 2008, a special video providing an inside look at one family living with FASDs, easy-to-read information on the diagnosis and treatment of children with FASDs, individualized pages for special groups (women, families, health care providers, educators and partners), and updated information on CDC activities. Visit the new FASD site. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/4f651567/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:28:39 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:34:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Cuts hurt babies' chances: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090930162933.03560b40@ncf.ca> Cuts hurt babies' chances Anonymous. Times - Colonist. Victoria, B.C.: Sep 22, 2009. pg. A.10 The government's cuts continue to be disturbingly slapdash, raising basic questions of competence. Days after Ida Chong, minister for healthy living and sport, assured the legislature that reductions to spending on administration and travel had allowed a 43-per-cent cut in a health promotion budget, a different story emerged. The Times Colonist reported the cuts included an early end to funding for the Healthy Choices in Pregnancy initiative, which focused, among other things, on reducing the costly, damaging scourge of fetal alcohol disorders. The program was working, according to the government. Last September, then minister Mary Polak praised it as "a pillar of ActNow B.C." as she launched the initiative. But at the end of June -- weeks after an election campaign in which the Liberals had claimed no dramatic cuts were necessary -- Chong cut support for the program a year ahead of schedule. That undermines the government's effort to reduce the number of children whose lives are blighted by lasting damage caused by their mothers' alcohol use during pregnancy. The consequences can be devastating, creating learning and behavioural problems that often deny children success at school and lead them into social and criminal problems. The cancellation also destroyed a plan to report on the program's effectiveness. The B.C. Women's Hospital and the B.C. Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, which delivered the health choices program, said the surprise end to funding made assessment impossible. And on top of all that, because the decision was made without warning three months into the fiscal year, the hospital and women's health centre of excellence had already spent $100,000 of the $420,000 budget for this year. They will now have to cut other areas of women's health to recover the money promised, and then not delivered, by Chong's ministry. It is a story becoming too familiar as details of deep cuts are uncovered. Credit: Times Colonist -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/6e7a9251/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:33:02 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:34:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] 'Hard decisions' come after hard questions: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005223253.1053e480@ncf.ca> "...Chong's ministry killed a program aimed at increasing the health of pregnant women and their children. It had a special focus on reducing the number of children born with fetal alcohol syndrome..." . 'Hard decisions' come after hard questions Paul Willcocks. Times - Colonist. Victoria, B.C.: Sep 24, 2009. pg. A.10 I can't really buy the "hard decisions" mantra the government is using to describe the cuts raining down all across public services. There's a creepy paternalism to the claim, like the parent, about to spank a child, who says "this will hurt me more than it hurts you." It won't. The mum or dad might feel terrible, but the child is getting hit. Liberal cabinet ministers, as public concern about program cuts grows, have said they are facing an extraordinary global crisis. Extraordinary cuts are needed. These are hard decisions that no one wants to make, the premier and his ministers say as one. There are three problems with the claim. First, no matter how much these choices matter to politicians, they matter more to the people affected by them. Government's mid-year decision to cut $130,000 for high school sports events hammers coaches, parents and kids. For politicians, it's a line item. Second, in a past life I was a business guy. On a much smaller scale, I made "hard" decisions. And they weren't all that difficult, in an office or conference room, looking at a spreadsheet. If the column of numbers didn't add up to the desired total, we came up with new numbers. Other managers then made the cuts happen. Jobs were lost or efforts abandoned. Third, and by far most important factor, there is no evidence that the ministers treated these as hard or serious decisions. The NDP asked Healthy Living and Sport Minister Ida Chong about a 43-per-cent cut to health promotion funding. Savings in travel, office expenses and administration, she said. Which is goofy. No one would believe that more than 40 per cent of the spending on the health programs went for office expenses and the like. Within a couple of days, the Times Colonist reported on one of the real cuts. Chong's ministry killed a program aimed at increasing the health of pregnant women and their children. It had a special focus on reducing the number of children born with fetal alcohol syndrome. That's a great goal, economically and in terms of reducing suffering. The program was enthusiastically launched last September and lauded by Mary Polak, then the minister, as a "pillar" of the effort to improve infant health. The cancellation came with no warning, three months into the fiscal year. The B.C. Women's Hospital and the B.C. Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, which deliver the program, had already spent $100,000 of the promised $420,000 annual budget when the funding was cut. They will now reduce spending on other areas of women's health to find the $100,000. The surprise cancellation meant the plan to assess the program's effectiveness had to be tossed out. If these were hard decisions for cabinet ministers, they would have taken time to understand the implications. Chong hadn't, judging by her answers in the legislature. Not to single her out. If Gambling Minister Rich Coleman found it a "hard decision" to cut and eliminate gaming grants, he would have asked hard questions before they were made. He didn't. The cuts included agencies that had received three-year funding commitments. Coleman and Premier Gordon Campbell both initially claimed the commitments weren't real, before having to retreat and restore the funding. Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid would not likely have thought it a good idea to halve support for parent advisory councils -- even at schools that desperately needed the help -- if it was treated as a hard and painful decision. In all these cases, the minister would have talked first to the people affected. That never happened. Hard decisions are necessary when there are no options. But the government has choices. Some cuts, like the $130,000 in support for school sports regional and provincial events, are foolishly small. The education ministry can find that money. And the government could have decided to let the deficit, given the recession, to be a little larger in order to protect jobs and communities. Hard decisions? It doesn't look like it. Footnote: Expect to hear about the $130,000 cut to school sports events as often as you head about the fast ferries. Every time the government spends money in a dubious way -- like a $500,000 contribution to a Vanoc gala or on a luxury box for Olympic hockey games -- the New Democrats will recall the sports cut. pwillcocks@tc.canwest.com Credit: Paul Willcocks; Special to Times Colonist -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/77821111/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:35:04 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Elimination of Provincial Child Development Offices a Shocking Blow Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005223453.10531190@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:36:07 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Trail ride raises awareness for FASD: Nanton, Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005223559.1051e3a0@ncf.ca> http://www.nantonnews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1733730&auth=Sheena%20Read,%20Editor Nanton News Nanton, Alberta News Local News Trail ride raises awareness for FASD Posted By Sheena Read, Editor Posted 24 days ago [as of October 3, 2009] Ninety riders trailed the Blake Ranch on Saturday to raise funds and awareness for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The riders were split into eight groups and accompanied by a guide and tail rider. The event, called Saddle Strings and Heart Strings, has now celebrated its fourth anniversary. Three of these rides have taken place at the Blake Ranch, taking the riders up to Windy Point on Saddle Mountain. "There are some riders who have been here every year. There are some who come for the ride, there there are some who have been coming for the issue," said Danna Ormstrup, executive director of Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society. "When we first started, people talked about the ride and the scenery. Now you hear people talking more about the issue." Ormstrup said that they were expecting that the ride would raise about $15,000, which included basic registration fees, pledges, a silent auction, and corporate sponsorship. The ride has maintained the rider membership over the four years, and Ormstrup said that they don't promote it much. "We could do that, and it could be much bigger, but we love the intimacy. We provide a service, and we know everyone's name." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/dfe5ad51/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:36:54 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:19 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD is about the journey, not the ride: Nanton, Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005223646.1053bce8@ncf.ca> http://www.nantonnews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1765693 Nanton News Nanton, Alberta News - Local News FASD is about the journey, not the ride Posted By Sheena Read Editor Posted 10 days ago [as of October 3, 2009] [Photos of riders] As 90 riders and guides learned during a trail ride at the Blake Ranch southwest of Nanton, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is more about the journey than the disorder. The ride on Sept. 5 led the riders from the Blake Ranch, up to Windy Point on top of Saddle Mountain, and back to the ranch during a 10-hour ride. Danna Ormstrup, executive director of Foothills Fetal Alcohol Society, said that they don't advertise the ride much, and have a large amount of riders who have returned each of the four years the ride has been held. "We love the intimacy," said Ormstrup, knowing each riders name and their horses. "We're really very possessive of what has been created." "When people leave here, they know the issue. FAS isn't an issue that attracts people easily. It's a different kind of issue. There's lots of negative media coverage," Ormstrup said. Foothills FAS provides a place that people can go to for resources and information, providing support to families with FASD, support to adults with FASD, and offers lots of training and resources. The society operates as a doughnut around Calgary, Ormstrup explained, covering from Airdrie south to Claresholm, and from Canmore east to Strathmore. "We offer a rural response to a global issue." This year the society has developed a youth action team, which offers "youth to youth talking." This accesses students from Grades 8 to 12, and one universal campaign that includes parades and special events. Ormstrup said that the youth team has just begun, and they hired a summer student to lead the youth team. By the end of the year, Ormstrup hopes to have 36 team members in place, with three in each town, helping to raise awareness for FASD and promoting issues of not drinking during pregnancy and responsible drinking. Myles Himmelreich, one of the speakers during the wrap-up dinner and auction, said that he travels Canada as a motivational speaker, sharing a positive message about FASD with social workers, school, professionals, justice including police and parole officers and a variety of different crowds. "It's not a doom and gloom story," said Himmelreich, 31, who has FASD. "I share my life story, the hardships that I went through, and what FASD means to me." Himmelreich said that finding out that he has FASD was a relief, because it offered a reason for things that were happening to him. "It made sense to me. Being accepting of it is a big thing for me, he said. "I'm sharing how I've been able to go from being on my own for so long to having supports." Himmelreich said that people can relate to a lot of the struggles that he has had, from addiction issues and separation issues, to simple things like money management. "It's about finding the strength within yourself," he said. "All the things I've been through, I'd never take back. It makes me who I am now." Article ID# 1765693 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/a2d5a672/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:28:03 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:21 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] A walk for FASD awareness: Vernon, B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005212754.03dd3400@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/57832752.html Vernon Morning Star British Columbia A walk for FASD awareness By Cara Brady - Vernon Morning Star Published: September 08, 2009 7:00 PM [Graphic submitted] Fetal Development Today is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Awareness Day around the world; there is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Editor's note: Following is the last in a series on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Sandy (not her real name) was overjoyed when she first held her newly adopted four-month-old son in her arms. He was the happy, normal child she had longed for. By the time he was three, he seemed to be developing slowly and was having difficulty with learning about consequences and in kindergarten he had trouble socializing. She didn't realize then that these were signs of FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, which is caused solely by women drinking alcohol when pregnant). "He was diagnosed with having learning disorders and went through school in special education. Misdiagnosis is common with FASD because many doctors don't know much about it," she said. Her son is now a young adult who lives in supported housing and she gives him as much as help as she is able. The most difficult thing for adults with FASD, which varies in severity, is that many have an IQ of 70 or above which disqualifies them for assistance with housing and life skills support, even when this is clearly needed. Many people who have FASD are never diagnosed. "My son cannot look after himself, keep himself clean or stay out of dangerous situations or away from people who might harm him. If you meet someone who just 'doesn't get it,' that is likely an FASD person," she said. "Many people with FASD are homeless because they can't manage on their own, others take advantage of them or they get involved with drugs or alcohol. When they have any money, someone will get it away from them," she said. Her son has told her that he has a hard time when people talk too fast to him and he has trouble making and keeping friends, that he doesn't really care if he and his surroundings are clean or what he eats. He has had many jobs but can't keep them because he has trouble remembering and following instructions. "He has told me, 'Mom, if you could just slow the world down, I'd be normal,'" she said. "You often cannot tell by looking at a person that they have FASD and it can appear as behavioural problems. They find things overwhelming and are not able to respond appropriately because of the way their brains are formed." FASD causes the brain, which develops throughout gestation, to grow in abnormal ways, often with fewer cells and altered brain structure and chemistry which affect basic cognitive abilities and sensory responses. There is no treatment or cure and the effects last for life. "The best thing for people with FASD is supported living where they can have supervision for life skills, working and social activities. Structure is very important for them. They need respect and an open door policy so that if or when they go missing, they know they are welcome to come back," said Sandy, who has also had foster children with FASD and continues to advocate for people with FASD. "These are people who have brain damage but there is little for them. They would get more help if they had recent brain damage from an accident. "My son is a helpful, generous and loving person who likes to know when he has done something well but he needs support and understanding to be able to do his best," said Sandy. Many people with FASD have strengths, like being artistic, musical, mechanical, athletic, friendly and outgoing, which mask their cognitive challenges but they still need help to achieve their potential. Today is FASD Awareness Day. The FASD Awareness Walk starts with an information session at NONA at 11 a.m., followed by a walk to the First Nations Friendship Centre and lunch served between noon and 1 p.m. For more information about the Vernon FASD Community Group contact Lorraine Donald at 250-549-1281 or e-mail to family.support@nona-cdc.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/1461cc08/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:28:58 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:25 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Talking about life with FASD Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005212839.01fdfd88@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/57420222.html Vernon Morning Star Vernon, British Columbia Talking about life with FASD By Cara Brady - Vernon Morning Star Published: September 05, 2009 12:00 PM Updated: September 08, 2009 3:36 PM [Photo] There is no amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy. Wednesday is FASD Awareness Day. Marie?s story Many families don?t know how to deal with children with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder), and the consequences can be tragic. Children with FASD have varying degrees of physical and cognitive challenges, including slower learning, memory problems, difficulty understanding consequences and thinking things through, taking care of themselves and getting along in social and working situations. The sad thing is that while the effects are lifelong for the individual, it can be easily prevented by women who are or think they might become pregnant not drinking any amount of alcohol. Marie (not her real name) is 20 now. She has faced the challenges of FASD for her whole life and that will continue for the rest of her life. Her family didn?t know what to do with her and she was subjected to physical, emotional, and later, sexual abuse. She started to sneak drinks when she could at eight years old because it made her feel better. ?I just knew I was different and I was treated different. I couldn?t understand things, it never made sense to me,? she said. Her foster mother, Dale (not her real name), had Marie in her care for five years and they are still friends and stay in touch. ?It?s very important for FASD to be diagnosed early. A modified program at school and home can save lots of frustration for everyone. Many of the behaviours we see are really secondary acting-out coping strategies which can be managed with proper intervention,? she said. ?While it takes an average person three repetitions to learn something, it might take a person with FASD 300 times. Many things just don?t make sense to them, for example, most have trouble telling time. It may seem that they are lying but they are really trying to fill in the blanks in their memory. They might tell you something just to provide an answer because that?s what the other person wants and they want to please. They?ll lie to see that smile on your face.? Marie didn?t complete her schooling beyond Grade 7, and was on the streets by age 12, vulnerable, as many people with FASD are, to predators there. ?They put me in foster homes sometimes but I didn?t like foster homes and they didn?t like me. It seemed like nobody wanted me. On the streets, everyone was like me and I felt I fit in. When I found drugs, it made me happier.? At first, she would trade sex for food and shelter, then for drugs. When she was 13, she was the victim of sexual exploitation when a man took sexual photographs of her and sold them to the Internet. She got pregnant four times, the first at 14, and had one miscarriage and three terminations. She got in trouble with the law for shoplifting and was in custody and treatment programs. ?Now I see girls of 12 doing that and they think it?s fun but I tell them it?s not fun. As I got older, I started to realize that I was just being used for sex to make money and to sell drugs for people so they wouldn?t get into trouble,? said Marie. ?When I got out of custody when I was 15, I told them I wanted to try a foster home and they set up a meeting. I looked at all the new faces there and there was one and I said to myself, ?That?s going to be my new mom,?? she said. It did work out that Marie went to live with Dale. ?I felt loved there. Everything was different. It was like a whole new life for me.? Dale knew she had to be careful about responding to Marie because young people with FASD have experienced abandonment so often that they have trouble with attachment and often withdraw from a relationship when they sense their affection is returned so they will not be hurt again. The relationship had its good and bad times; Marie has physically assaulted Dale, but they will always be friends. ?It felt like home with Dale which was something I wanted all my life, and I always did my best and I came back to her when I went away because I didn?t want to lose it,? said Marie. Marie has a diagnosis of FASD so she gets a disability pension and lives with a room mate who is a support worker and takes care of the housework and financial matters. Marie gets an allowance once a week. ?I can?t do money. It?s really frustrating. But I don?t do drugs much anymore, maybe every two weeks. I drink sometimes but I wouldn?t drink if I was pregnant. I know I would need to take good care of myself so the baby would be healthy.? Marie is going to try living on her own this fall and Dale is concerned that it may be difficult for her to be without support. Marie likes walking, biking, shopping, spending time with friends and would like to have a job if she could find something she could do, where people would be patient with her and very clear about instructions. ?I?ll always want to see Dale. She cares about me and she?s fun and I can talk to her about anything. She?s my mom and my best friend. She gives me advice and always helps me out as much as she can.? Dale cares very much for Marie and calls her a vivacious, personable, happy-go-lucky, sweet person. ?She?s awesome with pets and very compassionate. She?s my kid,? she said. She added that if people know or suspect they are dealing with someone who has FASD, they should take things slowly, be willing to talk as much as necessary to come to an understanding and be willing to put off talking until the time is right. Wednesday is FASD Awareness Day. The FASD Awareness Walk starts with an information session at NONA at 11 a.m., followed by a walk to the First Nations Friendship Centre and lunch between noon and 1 p.m. For more information about the Vernon FASD Community Group contact Lorraine Donald at 250-549-1281 or e-mail to family.support@nona-cdc.com. Ty?s and Jeff?s Stories Ty and Jeff, (not their real names) young men with FASD, talk about what their daily lives are like and what they would like the public to know about living with FASD. Ty, in his late 20s, was adopted as a baby, lived on his own and with his girl friend for awhile and now lives in supported housing. Jeff, in his early 20s, is homeless and stays in shelters or sometimes with friends. Both receive disability pensions, Ty for a physical disability, because he does not have an official diagnosis, and Jeff because he has an official diagnosis of FASD. They have trouble managing money and often can?t say where it has gone. FASD causes the brain to develop in a way that makes learning, memory, seeing connections and consequences and understanding abstract concepts difficult. The degree that the brain is affected varies widely according to the individual and when and how much the mother drank during pregnancy. ?Having FASD ? it?s hard to describe. Your life is is completely different and you?ve got that much more challenges to overcome than someone without a disability. I think slowly and it takes me time to understand things,? said Ty, who speaks to community and youth groups about what it is like to live with FASD. Understanding is also a challenge for Jeff, who came from an abusive family and spent a lot of time in foster homes. He has also been in trouble with the law, has numerous breaches of probation and has been in and out of substance abuse treatment programs. Both men had special assistance throughout school. They always felt different and both experienced teasing and bullying in school. ?I talk really fast but when people are talking to me, I can?t understand what they are saying unless they slow down. My thinking process is very slow, I have to go back and re-read things because I can?t remember,? said Jeff. ?I?m outgoing and I like people and I tried to be friends at school but I never fit in until I got on the streets.? Because his memory often fails him, he forgets things like probation appointments, which makes things more complicated for him. ?They tell me a bunch of things to do and I just can?t do all that. I can?t remember or understand. It?s too much pressure. It?s this rebel brain of mine. Sometimes my head just goes blank. And it?s like that at work, too. When I first started working, I was classified as a hazard on the work place,? said Jeff, who had a job he liked working in a kitchen but didn?t keep it because he couldn?t remember when to come in to work. Ty has also experienced memory problems while working. ?The boss would give me instructions and I understood at the time, and then two or three minutes later it was gone. Time is a big issue too. I wish people would take more time to explain and for me to explain,? he said. Ty spoke to a group of RCMP officers once and told them how to approach people who might have FASD to make things easier for everyone concerned and they later thanked him for the information. The same information applies for others dealing with people with FASD as well. ?Go easy with us, go slow. If we know who you are and what you want and give us clear instructions, we won?t do something we will regret. We are slow but we are not stupid, give us time. That?s what I told them,? he said. For Ty, living in supported housing has made all the difference. He has his own room, meals provided and now has a daily routine which he likes and can spend time on his interest in sports and doing some community volunteer work. ?We have somebody there every day to give us general directions and when to do things. It really helped me change to a healthier lifestyle. Now I eat well and get more exercise and I clean my room and do my share of the chores in the house. What I want people to understand is that people like Jeff and I are slow and sometimes compulsive but we are trying our darndest to change for the better.? Jeff said he wants to try to get his life organized on his own but at the same time he urged people who think they might have FASD to seek help and had an idea for what would make life easier for him. ?Get me some kind of special housing and supported work. I?d like to work but I need someone to help me and help me with other things I need every day that I can?t remember,? he said. ?It?s hard. All my things got stolen or sometimes I forget them. All I own is what I?m wearing and what I have in my bag over there,? he said, adding that he is thankful that his siblings do not have FASD and the problems it has caused in his life. A typical day for him would be to get up at the shelter, get cleaned up, have something to eat, walk around, have a meeting, maybe with a probation officer if he remembers, have lunch, spend the afternoon looking for bottles or at a friend?s place with video games, then back to the shelter for the night. ?I guess I want to say that we are good people and we want to do what?s right but sometimes we just don?t know what to do. We just don?t know.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/b8ac0589/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:29:20 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:28 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?Group_brings_attention_to_an?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_=91invisible_disease=92?= : B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005212911.03dce690@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/pentictonwesternnews/news/57844967.html Penticton Western News Penticton, British Columbia Group brings attention to an ?invisible disease? By Kristi Patton - Penticton Western News Published: September 08, 2009 6:00 PM While it can be typical for a student to daydream throughout a school day, for Colen Hayward it goes way beyond that. ?I call it having the attention span of a goldfish,? said Hayward. The 17-year-old is distracted by the simplest of things while at his desk ? a welder outside the window working, fixating on his technique of writing rather than the content, or just plain forgetting what he is doing. It is just one of the many things he deals with as a person with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Because FASD is known as the invisible disease ? Colen walks, talks and acts like a typical teenager ? many people do not get the help they need. ?Oh yes, that is why people don?t realize that FASD is a problem because outwardly they look like you and I, but he is unfortunately very affected,? said his adopted mother Coral Hayward, adding her son was diagnosed at age four. ?The sad part is that this can be prevented. Women need to absolutely not have anything to drink if they think they are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.? In recognition of FASD Awareness Day today, the Penticton and District Community Resources Society will be at the Penticton Farmers? Market on the weekend exposing the community to how this disorder can prevented and where help can be found. FASD is caused when babies are prenatally exposed to alcohol. It is a brain-based disability that can cause challenges such as processing information, memory, cause and effect and sensory problems like how the person reacts to temperature, sounds, bright lights or busy places. ?We knew this could be a possibility for Colen because we had the background information on his birth mother. As an infant he would cry all the time, barely slept, didn?t eat very well and was very tense. As he got older that tension turned into aggression and by the time he was five and going to school he was already on medication to help with his violent raging temper. Over the years he has learned how to deal with that temper and with medication it has helped him have clear thought processes,? said Coral. But it is still far from a cakewalk for Colen. He dropped out of school because he didn?t like the crowded classrooms and couldn?t keep on task. Living with FASD brings a high risk of becoming a substance abuser, something that Colen has also been battling. This year he is returning to school with the hopes of graduating in the next two years. His curriculum this time is more tailored to the things Colen can keep his attention on. ?This year I am going to be doing a lot of hands-on work at school, I think that is going to help me get through. I really enjoy keeping busy with my hands, working with metal or mechanical things and welding,? he said, adding that he is hoping to get into the trades after high school. As frustrating as it has been for Colen and his family, help they have received from community resources has been a blessing. They said the information they have learned and opportunity to share with other families going through the same issues has provided a great support system. The Penticton and District Community Resources Society offers a FASD program that provides programs for families and children with FASD and complex behavioural development conditions. There are no fees to access the services available to parents, caregivers or family of those diagnosed. For more information contact Christine Lind, FASD key worker, or Dena Swann, FASD family support worker, at 250-492-2303 or visit www.pdcrs.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/33568c2b/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:36:59 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:30 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Riverside Inn bolstering FASD campaign with September meat draw donation: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005213650.1014e830@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/lakecowichangazette/community/57653092.html Lake Cowichan Gazette Community Riverside Inn bolstering Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder campaign with September meat draw donation Published: September 07, 2009 11:00 AM Updated: September 07, 2009 11:12 AM Zero alcohol for nine months. That?s the simple message the Cowichan Valley FASD Action Team Society wants to spread during the annual international 0-4-9 awareness event Sept. 9. The Riverside Inn in Lake Cowichan is bolstering the campaign by stamping the phrase, ?With child, without alcohol? on the bags it uses for liquor purchases. Managers and staff at the Lake establishment are also donating proceeds from all of its weekly meat draws in September to the FASD society. Other shops and stores in the valley are selling by donation small bells made by children with FASD to raise funds for the local group. ?The goal is to have bells ringing around the world at 9:09 on Sept. 9,? said Ro de Bree of the Cowichan Valley FASD Action Team Society. But the ultimate goal, she added, is to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. ?Government statistics indicate one child in every hundred is born with full FASD,? she said, adding she suspects the number of children with FASD is much higher. ?It?s a full spectrum,? de Bree pointed out. ?We think at least 10 out of every 100 children has it, and I suspect it?s even more than that because there is such a range and if it?s mild, some people never even pick up on it.? For more information on FASD, or how to get involved with the local society, call 250-748-0236. ? Cowichan News Leader -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/ffec495e/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:40:04 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:40:33 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?=91Pregnant_pause=92_recognizes_FASD=3A_Nanaimo?= , B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005213955.1014e5f0@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/news/57324357.html Nanaimo Bulletin News Inbrief 'Pregnant pause' recognizes FASD Published: September 04, 2009 3:00 PM On the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month, Nanaimo Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Society wants to remind people that women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy. The society invites the public to celebrate International FASD Awareness Day Wednesday (Sept. 9) at Maffeo Sutton Park, starting at 8:30 a.m. A continental breakfast will be followed by a 'Pregnant Pause' theatrical presentation at 9:09 a.m. and Mayor John Ruttan's proclamation of FASD Awareness Day. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is the leading cause of permanent brain injury in Canada and is caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Those affected are more likely to experience learning disabilities, failure at school, homelessness, substance abuse, trouble with the law and mental illness. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/75b4e5cb/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:40:28 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Health Unit hosts barbeque: Simcoe, Ontario Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214020.1014fa78@ncf.ca> http://www.dunnvillechronicle.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1734429 The Chronicle Dunnville, Ontario Health Unit hosts barbeque Posted By SUBMITTED ARTICLE Posted 3 days ago [as of Sept. 12, 2009] The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit is promoting a fund raising barbecue at the Simcoe Sobeys store on September 9 to highlight the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the most common form of preventable brain damage to infants in North America," said Lina Hassen, Health Promoter for the Substance Misuse Prevention Program. "If women drink when they are pregnant, they are putting their babies at risk of permanent brain damage. We're asking everyone to take note of this health hazard." The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Advocacy Committee, of which the Health Unit is a member, is holding the barbecue fund raiser at Sobeys, 438 Norfolk St., S. in Simcoe between 11 a. m. and 2 p. m. "According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, FASD affects approximately one per cent of people living in Canada," Hassen noted. "That's 300,000 individuals living with FASD in Canada. FASD is not isolated to any specific population group. It touches all social classes and ethnic groups and exists in communities both large and small throughout Canada and the world." International FASD Awareness Day is observed every year on Sept. 9. The ninth day of the ninth month was chosen to illustrate that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should abstain from alcohol. FASD is a combination of physical and mental birth defects that may develop in children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy. FASD symptoms vary greatly. At one end of the spectrum, children may show effects in three different areas: distinct facial characteristics, smaller in size and weight, and evidence of central nervous system damage. At the other end of the spectrum, children may show effects in one or two of the areas, but not all three. More information on FASD can be found at www.hnhu.org or by calling the Health Unit at 519-426-6170 Ext. 3274 or 905-318-6623, Ext. 3274. Article ID# 1734429 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/3a561159/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:40:47 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?9/9/9_=AD_international_day_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?against_fetal_?= alcohol spectrum disorder : London, Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214035.1014f4d0@ncf.ca> http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/09/09/10803576.html London Free Press News Local 9/9/9 ? international day against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Wed, September 9, 2009 By KATE DUBINSKI, LONDON FREE PRESS A unique gathering by health advocates was held today near Victoria Park. The group of women - and one recruited man - donned balloons under their shirts and paused at 9:09 am as a show of strength for the fight against drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Oct. 9 is international day against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, but this year is particularily unique because it's also 2009. The nine is significant because a woman is pregnant for about nine months before she gives birth. The event downtown today was organized by the health unit, an aboriginal women support group and the Children's Aid Society. Read more in tomorrow's print edition of The London Free Press or online at lfpress.com Kate Dubinski is a Free Press reporter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/326857a7/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:41:23 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:19 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] This is is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day: York Region, Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214115.1014e2f0@ncf.ca> http://www.kingsentinel.com/news/2009/0909/news/015.html King Township Sentinel York Region Bolton, Ont This is is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day Today (Sept. 9) is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. FASD is an umbrella term used to describe the spectrum of disabilities (and diagnoses) associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcohol is a known teratogen that can cause birth defects by affecting the growth and proper development of the fetus's body and brain. Damage caused by Fetal Alcohol is permanent, and can be caused by drinking even modest amounts of alcohol at any time during pregnancy. Approximately one per cent of North Americans have FASD. Individuals with FASD may look normal and have seemingly normal intelligence, but the brain damage can result in learning disabilities, impulsivity, tantrums, violence and aggression, and an inability to predict consequences or learn from experience. More than 30 years ago, FASD became a medical diagnosis and much work has been done to better understand this disability. In response to the growth of York Region and the recognition that many service providers have unknowingly worked with a child, youth, adult and/or family who has been impacted by FASD, it became apparent that a collaborative initiative to address FASD was necessary in York. In September 2005, the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Coalition of York Region was formed under the leadership of the York Region Early Intervention program. Representatives from a broad range of community services formed the coalition. Linkages were formed with leaders from FASD Coalitions from both Simcoe and Durham regions, groups who have been in existence for several years. Guiding the work of the coalition is the purpose outlined in its Terms of Reference, which states, "To establish a collaborative working committee to support a co-ordinated community response to FASD in York Region, including prevention, education, identification and intervention." FASD is often called the "hidden disability." The disability is often invisible because the primary damage of prenatal alcohol exposure is to the brain, and the affected child usually does not have a visible handicap that identifies the need for special services or intervention. Increasing public and professional awareness of FASD is a primary objective of the Coalition, which will increase the likelihood of early identification, accurate diagnoses, and appropriate matching of interventions for affected individuals and their families. For further information about the Coalition, call (905) 954-4011 ext. 2351 or 1-866-481-2607 ext. 2351. To learn more about the parent support group, e-mail Lisa at fasdsupportgroup@hotmail. com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/04bbb701/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:42:13 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:23 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] A pregnant pause for an important cause: Regina, Sask. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214157.10151ad8@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:45:49 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:26 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Marchers aim to boost FASD awareness: Saskatoon, Sask. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214538.1034bc90@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 22:46:24 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:29 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Where do damaged kids go when their last chance is gone? Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005214614.1034bc90@ncf.ca> "...A chance to get therapy and training to cope with fetal alcohol syndrome and other brain damage..." www.canada.com 12 Sep 2009 Edmonton Journal Where do damaged kids go when their last chance is gone? They are our lost children. Not cute, cuddly babies with sad eyes, but hard-to-handle, at-risk teenagers, the kids too mentally ill, too self-destructive, too neurologically compromised to live in regular foster care or group homes. For these teens, Bosco Homes provided a last chance. A chance to recover from addictions. A chance to get treatment for depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A chance to get therapy and training to cope with fetal alcohol syndrome and other brain damage. A chance to recover from the psychological trauma of physical or sexual abuse. The ranch, run by Bosco Homes near Ardrossan in Strathcona County, was never a secure facility for young offenders. It was a residential treatment centre, providing care and counselling for youth with psychiatric conditions, neurological damage or severe behavioural and emotional problems. For 22 years, Bosco's dedicated staff offered refuge and treatment for our province's most damaged, desperate children. But now, Bosco ranch is shutting down. So, it seems, are seven other Bosco homes across north-central Alberta, displacing between 85 and 100 at-risk youth, and imperilling Bosco's four private schools for the children. In early June, a 14-year-old boy, who had just been placed at the ranch by Children's Services, was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Barry Boenke, 68, and Susan Trudel, 59, who lived on an acreage in Strathcona County. Another 14-year-old was charged as an accessory after the fact. The murders occurred after the boys allegedly fled the ranch. [Photo of protesters with sigh saying "Our children have suffered enough"] Alberta Children's Services imposed an immediate moratorium on new placements to the facility. Despite the fact there had never been a serious incident of violence before, despite the fact that Children's Services insisted Bosco had done nothing wrong, the neighbours demanded new security measures...p. B27 Politics puts physical safety and mental health of troubled youngsters at risk From page B1 In a letter to Children's Services and Bosco, the residents association insisted the entire 48-hectare ranch property be surrounded by an eight-to-12 foot fence, either electrified or topped with razor wire, the type used by U.S. maximum-security prisons. Bosco and the province countered by offering to put up a 10-foot fence around the facilities' core buildings made of so-called "no-climb" mesh. When negotiations broke down and the residents group walked away from discussions, Alberta Children's Services told Bosco no more patients would be sent to the ranch. Trevor Coulombe, who speaks for Children's Services, says it wasn't safe for youth to be left there. "It's not a positive environment out there right now. I'm not in a position to comment on whether what the neighbours want is reasonable or not reasonable. That's not for us to judge. I don't want to say that their concerns aren't valid concerns. But we can't have our kids living in an environment that isn't positive for them. We have to move them, for their own safety and well-being, if a solution can't be arrived at." Since Alberta child-welfare placements provide about 90 per cent of Bosco's clients, the board felt it had no choice but to close the facility. Senior Bosco staff say they were told this week that Alberta's childwelfare authorities would no longer be allowed to place children at any of Bosco's group homes. For the record, Coulombe insists no such order went out. But meantime, it has been months since the province placed children in Bosco homes. And with no clients, the homes simply aren't viable. The deaths of Boenke and Trudel were a tragedy. But so too is the loss of vitally needed psychiatric treatment facilities for sick children. It's easy to empathize with those Strathcona County residents worried about their safety. But our community won't get any safer if mentally ill teens don't get treatment, or worse, end up on the street because there aren't safe and appropriate placements for them. This province already has a dire shortage of treatment options for children with psychiatric disorders. And how much does the province's decision to starve Bosco of clients have to do with the murders and how much to do with money? Referring children to Bosco facilities was far more expensive than keeping them in foster care: $260 to $430 a day per child, depending on the degree of treatment required. It's surely no coincidence that this month, group-home operators were told the province would be cutting back on fee-for-service payments to group homes, across the board. Where possible, says Coulombe, the province will be moving children and youth from larger facilities to "family-based care." Such placements, he says, normalize care and yield better outcomes. Yet how realistic is that model, in a province chronically short of foster homes, a province that's simultaneously slashing funding to front-line child-welfare agencies such as the Boys and Girls Club of Edmonton, which laid off about 100 of its own staff this Friday, and cancelled its 24/7 crisis intervention program? Family-based care sounds all cosy and friendly, but it's not necessarily the best option for kids with severe emotional and behavioural problems, such as Bosco's clients. So what's worse? To think that the province forced a respected childwelfare agency to close because of the irrational fears and demands of the neighbours? Or to think that the province is squeezing child-welfare agencies to balance its budget? Either way, it looks as though the mental health and physical safety of sick and vulnerable children has been put at risk to serve political ends. And in the end, that puts our whole community at risk. If we fail to address the psychiatric needs of these most troubled teens now, we may all need a lot more razor-wire fences in our futures. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/f4ff3b8d/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 5 23:40:57 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 5 22:46:32 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] ODSP & Addictions: Ontario Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005215343.03d7c438@ncf.ca> http://www.incomesecurity.org/documents/ODSPAddictionsAdjudication.htm Income Security Advocacy Centre FACT SHEET: ODSP Adjudication of Addictions People with addictions to drugs and / or alcohol may now be eligible for benefits from the Ontario Disability Support Program. Background: Until now, people who have disabling conditions caused only by drug and / or alcohol addictions have not been eligible for ODSP benefits. People with addictions have only been eligible if they have one or more other, separate conditions ? ones that would allow them to qualify as ?a person with a disability? as defined in the ODSP legislation. But their addiction could not be considered. A recent court decision has changed this. The court decided that the government was violating the Ontario Human Rights Code by not allowing addictions to be considered when ODSP is deciding whether or not a person meets their test of being ?a person with a disability?. Now, a person?s addiction must be considered in that process. The provincial government is appealing the court?s decision. But for now, people with addictions may be able to get ODSP benefits, if they meet the disability test. What does this mean for me? ODSP is currently developing a way to make decisions on whether or not people with addictions will meet their definition of disability. This decision-making process will be in place starting this fall. ODSP will start reviewing the applications of people with addictions at that time. In the meantime, here is some information from officials at ODSP to let you know what you can expect, depending on your particular situation: If you recently applied for ODSP benefits and you have other conditions in addition to your addiction: * Your application will be processed in the usual way, without considering your addiction. * If ODSP decides that you meet the definition of disability based on your other conditions, you will begin receiving benefits in the usual way. * If they decide that you do not meet the definition of disability based on your other conditions, they will put your application aside and re-assess it after the new decision-making process is in place. This means that they will take your addiction into account in addition to your other conditions ? but you may have to wait for a decision longer than you expected. If you recently applied for ODSP and you have an addiction but no other conditions: * Your application will be put aside and processed after the new decision-making process is in place. * This means that you may have to wait longer than you expected to get a decision on your application. If you have an addiction and were turned down for ODSP, but you have filed an appeal at the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT): * ODSP will ask the SBT to adjourn your hearing. They will make this request to give them time to decide on the decision-making process around addictions, and to review your file based on that process ? before the appeal goes to the SBT. * The SBT has said that they may or may not agree to adjourn hearings in cases like this. This means that your appeal may be heard right away, or may be postponed until the decision-making process is in place. If you haven?t applied for ODSP because you were told you weren?t eligible because of your addiction: * You may want to start the process of applying for ODSP, even though the decision-making process is not yet in place. This is because the application process can take a while to complete. * For information about how to apply, talk to your local ODSP office ? which can be found at http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/social/odsp/contacts/ In any of these cases, we recommend that you get legal advice to help you through the process. To find your local Community Legal Clinic and how to contact them, go to www.legalaid.on.ca/en/locate/default.asp. ISAC will circulate more information about ODSP?s decision-making process around addictions as it becomes available. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091005/03381519/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 12 22:37:16 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 12 21:40:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Local fetal alcohol syndrome agency receives $44, 000 from Canada Post: Belleville, Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091012213352.044747a0@ncf.ca> http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1974267 The Intelligencer Belleville, Ontario City Local fetal alcohol syndrome agency receives $44,000 from Canada Post Posted By W. Brice McVicar The Intelligencer Posted 7 days ago [as of Oct.12, 2009] [Photo] Jill Dockrill, executive director of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Treatment and Education Centre, and Cheryl Persad, senior VP of transaction mail for Canada Post, stand together after a major funding announcement. FASTEC is one of 20 organizations across Canada to receive funds from Canada Post's Foundation for Mental Health. W. Brice McVicar The Intelligencer A local agency helping people diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome is one of 20 across Canada to receive funds from Canada Post. The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Treatment and Education Centre Inc. received a cheque for $44,204 Monday after Canada Post announced the centre was one of the agencies that would share in the $1 million raised last year through its foundation for mental health. The foundation was created after Canada Post employees voted to support mental health. Cheryl Persad, senior VP of transaction mail for Canada Post, said the foundation was created in June 2008 with the intent of working directly with groups assisting others struggling with mental health issues. "We set an ambitious goal to raise $1 million," she said. "Last year we launched a mental health stamp so for every booklet of stamps sold $1 went back to the foundation and we raised over $300,000 that way. At the same time, at our retail outlets, we had donation boxes and, so, we ended up with over $1 million." Agencies were invited to apply for funding with health professionals from across the country examining the applications and determining which agencies should be funded. The professionals then made their recommendations to Canada Post. FASTEC executive director Jill Dockrill said the funds will be used to help educate the public and provide services for those who are impacted by fetal alcohol syndrome. "Currently, in Canada, (fetal alcohol syndrome) is on the rise as 50 per cent of women drink alcohol regularly and 17 to 25 per cent drink alcohol when they are pregnant," she said. FAS symptoms can be found in infants to adults whose mothers consumed alcohol while pregnant, often leaving the child with a battery of social, learning and behavioural problems. Research indicates a high percentage of the homeless and 25 per cent of juvenile and adult offenders suffer from undiagnosed FAS. "The funding FASTEC is receiving today will provide our organization with the opportunity to enhance our direct service client program," Dockrill said. "This funding will make a difference in the daily lives of the individuals who are effected by FAS. At FASTEC, we believe education is the key to awareness and this funding will provide us with resources to raise our community's knowledge as well as to increase our volunteer involvement in our organization." bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091012/90687223/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 12 22:38:31 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 12 21:40:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Panel seeks measures to combat fetal alcohol disorder : Edmonton Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091012212802.041c0cb8@ncf.ca> www.theglobeandmail.com Globe & Mail National Panel seeks measures to combat fetal alcohol disorder At least 3,500 Canadian children a year born with brain damage from alcohol exposure Andr? Picard From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 8:32PM EDT Last updated on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 2:34AM EDT Canada needs to implement a sweeping set of measures, ranging from providing education pamphlets in boxes of condoms to alternatives to prison for brain-damaged inmates, says a report from a blue-ribbon panel on the epidemic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. ?It's time for a national agenda integrating research done and lessons learned,? said Anne McLellan, the former federal health minister who headed the panel. ?The agenda must increase awareness of FASD and promote the development of effective prevention and treatment programs, as well as family support systems. The time for action is now,? she said According to the report, fashioned during a two-day conference of national and international experts, at least 3,500 children a year in Canada are born with FASD. Their lifetime treatment costs will exceed $2-million each. Fetal alcohol syndrome disorder is the term given to brain damage caused by exposure to alcohol in utero, and which results in a broad range of behavioural and learning disabilities. Ms. McLellan said that while FASD is ?entirely preventable,? it is too simplistic to merely tell women of child-bearing years to not drink alcohol. ?I'll be honest: I used to think like that before I was informed,? she said. ?It would be great if it was that easy, but it isn't. Rather, we have to understand the complex reasons why women drink alcohol during pregnancy ? abuse, addiction, poor living conditions and so on ? and tackle those,? Ms. McLellan said. The report notes that FASD is disproportionately found in ?high-risk? groups like aboriginal communities and inner cities. The disease has a dramatic impact on families, whether it is the biological, adoptive or foster family. (Children with FASD often come from broken homes and find themselves in foster care and up for adoption in large numbers.) It also results in tremendous lifelong demand on services, as well as medical care. The annual economic cost of FASD is estimated to be as high as $4-billion a year in Canada. Of the total, educational and medical costs make up 60 per cent (including drug therapy and addiction treatment). Additional costs to families account for 20 per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent is for social services, lost productivity costs and other services such as costs of incarceration. The cumulative lifelong cost of those currently living with FASD is estimated to be $600-billion, said John Sproule, senior policy director for the Institute of Health Economics, the Edmonton-based group that initiated the conference that produced the recommendations. ?Addressing this issue is crucial not only from the perspective of social justice but from the economic perspective as well,? he said. Mr. Sproule said that because FASD is a lifelong condition, there needs to be more emphasis on co-ordinating and integrating care and, in particular, ensuring a smooth transition from childhood care to adult care. Ms. McLellan, who now works for the law firm Bennett Jones LLP, stressed that prevention is key and that education about fetal alcohol syndrome disorder ?has to be integrated into federal and provincial alcohol policies.? The report calls for young people to be taught about FASD in primary and secondary school. It also recommends that educational materials be included in birth-control products such as condoms and contraceptive pills. The expert committee did not recommend warnings on labels of alcoholic drinks, saying there is not a lot of evidence they work. Comments (15) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091012/738d053d/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 12 23:12:07 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 12 22:16:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fight back; these cuts do lasting harm: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091012221200.041e89c8@ncf.ca> "...Support for programs preventing fetal-alcohol damage in children..." www.canada.com 2 Oct 2009 Times Colonist JODY PATERSON patersoncommunications@gmail.com Fight back; these cuts do lasting harm I?ve kept a rough list of the B.C. programs and services lost as a result of government cuts this fall. Maybe there?s still nothing on the list that affects your family, but the odds are getting slimmer all the time [Cartoon] A remarkably broad swath of British Columbians will be affected by the funding cuts being carried out by the provincial government and its five health authorities right now. The cuts are coming fast and furious in all directions, with neither a plan nor an understanding at any level of what it?s all going to mean when the dust settles. Without a word of public discussion, vital social programs and supports that British Columbians have counted on for years are vanishing. Our province will end up wearing the scars of these cuts for decades. We need to shake ourselves out of our respective silos and make it stop. Whatever your political stripe, I?m sure we can all agree that we?re against bad decision-making. That?s what is going on in B.C. right now. Government and health authorities are so consumed with hitting their financial targets that they?re selling out the future health and well-being of British Columbia for poorly conceived, clumsily executed cuts that benefit no one. It?s still hard for many of us to accept that tax dollars are well-spent on supports to strangers who need help in their lives. That?s why our governments generally assume they can shred social services with little fear of a voter backlash. But this isn?t about votes. This is about what we?re giving up as a society. This is about services that are costing us a little money right now, but are preventing much, much higher costs down the road. Take a look at this sampling of recent cuts and think about the vulnerable people who will be cast to the wolves as the government and health authorities withdraw their support: School lunch programs Community mental health and addiction services School sports Intensive behavioural therapy for young autistic children Support for programs preventing fetal-alcohol damage in children Help for people raising their grandchildren Reading centres Treatment for children who witness abuse Outreach for victims of domestic violence (reinstated this week after public outcry) Help for problem gamblers Elimination of B.C.?s only prosecutor specializing in domestic violence Support for sports for people with mental handicaps And none of that includes the cuts to gaming grants for the social sector still to come later this fall. Or the much deeper cuts coming in the March 2010 budget and again the year after that. Those familiar with government understand that whatever is lost in the next couple years is at risk of being lost for good. Government is writing off decades of experience, evidence and social infrastructure in its illinformed rush to make up cost overruns on the backs of struggling families. We will not soon see these programs back if we let them go now. Billings Learned Hand, a U.S. judge and philosopher from the early 1900s, once talked about change occurring only when things reach a point that ?cries out loudly enough to force upon us a choice between the comforts of inertia and the irksomeness of action.? Are we there yet? We must be close. Thousands of people and communities are affected by the cuts, but I sense they haven?t yet realized their cumulative power to do something. It?s tough to go it alone against government, but so many people will feel these cuts that, together, they could exercise considerable political clout. Look only to recent headlines to verify that. Just this week, the government reinstated $440,000 that had been cut from services addressing domestic violence, all because the public went nuts. Cuts to camping programs for children with disabilities were also abandoned earlier this year after the public made its considerable displeasure known. Fight, people. Be the squeaky wheel that haunts government?s dreams. Give government some of that ?blowback? that Housing Minister Rich Coleman talked about a couple weeks ago, because they need a big blast of it to snap them out of these dangerously short-sighted, mean-spirited cuts. ? ? ? As always, the poorest of the poor will feel all of B.C.?s cuts the hardest. I?m back organizing Project Connect for another year on behalf of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness and want to thank the community for the generous donations to date that will help us put on another really successful day for hundreds of people living in deep poverty and homelessness. We?ve got one more drop-off day to collect things like new socks, new and gently used gloves, scarves and toques and travel-size grooming products like hand sanitizer to fill the 700 or so backpacks we expect to be handing out at the all-day service fair for the street community on Oct. 14 at Our Place. If you?ve got a backpack to donate, that would be great too. Can you help? Bring donations to Our Place, 919 Pandora, on the morning of Oct. 6. Contact me at the email on this column to donate time or money to Project Connect. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091012/d58bc1c5/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 12 23:12:25 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 12 22:16:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Disabled face new obstacle: Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091012221217.041e87f8@ncf.ca> "...The new regulations apply to the mentally disabled, including those with autism and fetal alcohol disorders, when they turn 18 and seek to obtain PDD for assistance in daily living...." "... the new regulations are not aimed at reducing services or cutting back on the PDD caseload. They bring Alberta in line with other provinces such as British Columbia and Saskatchewan that also recently imposed the 70 IQ cut off...." www.canada.com 3 Oct 2009 Edmonton Journal SHEILA PRATT EDMONTON Disabled face new obstacle Mentally challenged adults might be denied assistance because of new eligibility rules Many mentally disabled adults could be blocked from getting the help they need after the province quietly rejigged eligibility requirements for assistance programs, critics say. New regulations brought in by Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Mary-Anne Jablonski restrict who qualifies for lifelong help under Persons with Development Disability (PDD) programs, say support group advocates and some psychiatrists. The new rules went into effect Aug. 1 but many affected families and psychologists remain unaware of the details. The new regulations don't affect the 9,000 disabled adults already enrolled in PDD programs, but will set up roadblocks for future clients by deciding eligibility based on an IQ test. "I'm really worried, it's overwhelming" said Wendy McDonald, whose disabled son would have qualified for PDD assistance in three years when he turns 18. Changes bring Alberta in line with other provinces, department spokesman says From page A1 "Many parents don't know." Under the new regulations, a disabled person must have an IQ of 70 or below and show difficulty performing at least six of 24 daily living tasks. Previously, no IQ test was required. People could qualify for assistance programs with an IQ of 75 or even 80, if they also demonstrated serious difficulty performing two of 10 daily living tasks. An analysis by one Alberta psychologist with 20 years experience shows that setting the IQ benchmark at 70 significantly reduces the group of people who would qualify for PDD programs, possibly by up to 50 per cent. PDD provides a range of services, including day programs and personal care assistants for mentally handicapped adults, at a cost of $600 million a year. The new regulations apply to the mentally disabled, including those with autism and fetal alcohol disorders, when they turn 18 and seek to obtain PDD for assistance in daily living. McDonald said she was shocked to learn of the new regulations through her volunteer work. She's confused why the government offers support for people like her son through the Children's Services Department but then would open the possibility that support could be removed when the person turns 18. "His needs won't change," she added. While some critics say the changes are driven by cost-cutting motives, Dan Laville, spokesman for Jablonski's department, said the new regulations are not aimed at reducing services or cutting back on the PDD caseload. They bring Alberta in line with other provinces such as British Columbia and Saskatchewan that also recently imposed the 70 IQ cut off. Until this summer, eligibility was determined by a psychologist after a series of tests that may or may not have included an IQ test. A key factor was also performance of daily skills and the psychologist's judgment as to the level of impairment. Bruce Uditsky, CEO of the Alberta Association for Community Living, an advocacy group, says he's concerned the 70 IQ score will leave many off the list who need assistance to live, such as those in the 71-80 IQ range who qualified in the past when they demonstrated serious difficulty with living skills. The IQ test is not a fair benchmark for whether people need support, Uditsky argues. IQ will measure people's ability in traditional schooling, but does not indicate whether they can get dressed, handle money, get to a job, he noted. "They've narrowed the door into the program. I believe it is primarily a cost control mechanism. There is no science to show the IQ test should decide who gets support for the rest of their life." People with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, for instance, can score higher than 70 in IQ tests but have more difficulty functioning because of the nature of their disabilities, he said. The department recognizes an IQ test has a margin of error of plus or minus five per cent and "will take the lowest score if a range is given," said Laville. University of Calgary psychologist Anne Hughson said setting 70 IQ as the eligibility line is a low cut-off point based on international standards. Mental retardation, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association manual, includes an IQ range 70-75, depending on other factors. "But the bigger problem is the IQ regulation does not allow for interpretation of various skill levels in making this decision," said Hughson, director of community rehabilitation and disability studies in the faculty of medicine. Hughson said she'd like to see the list of 24 daily living skills devised by the department. "That's never been released," she said. "That speaks to how this has been rolled out silently." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091012/820b05ee/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 11:02:48 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 10:04:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] N.W.T. team to offer FASD diagnoses, support Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091013100239.03d867f8@ncf.ca> http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/10/05/nwt-fasd.html cbcnews.ca N.W.T. team to offer FASD diagnoses, support Last Updated: Monday, October 5, 2009 | 10:48 AM ET CBC News A team of doctors and social workers in the Northwest Territories will soon be able to diagnose and support children who have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD. The diagnostic team of neuropsychologists, pediatricians, social workers and family support workers is being set up at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. Training is expected to begin in March. Infants and children up to age 16 will be referred to the team by doctors or nurses. While the team will be based in the capital city, its services will be accessible to families across the territory. "It's very very hard to support a person, especially a teenager, that might be affected if they don't know themselves that they're affected," said Tammy Krivda, a Yellowknife foster mother who has cared for numerous children with FASD over the past 16 years. "So with a diagnosis, it's empowering for them because they can say, 'I need help with this,' and therefore their needs are going to be met more." Health-care professionals would not only give an official diagnosis of FASD, but they would also work with the families of children with FASD to develop plans for the future. "A meeting would happen with the family and the team members, and the results would be discussed and then a follow-up plan would be developed," team co-ordinator Barb Beaton said Friday. The team will create a full profile of a child's developmental and emotional needs. A support worker will meet with families to make sure the child's environment meets their needs. Currently, the N.W.T. has no dedicated diagnostic or support services for FASD, and parents seeking them have to go elsewhere or find a professional on their own. While Krivda said she's glad the territorial government is helping children with FASD, she said she hopes the diagnostic team will also help adults someday. "It's a lifelong disability, so if we put supports in place only up to a certain age, it's not going to help them in the long run," she said. "So we need to continue the supports." * This story is now closed to commenting. Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Please note that comments are published according to our submission guidelines. Story comments (4) bcfirst wrote:Posted 2009/10/06 at 9:48 AM ET This initiative should be very welcome news for families and professionals in the NWT who raise and engage children and youth w/ fas and fae. We should keep in mind though that fas and fae are entirely, 100% preventable. Education and prevention efforts should be a cornerstone of public health initiatives. Child protection social workers, doctors, and other professionals are very aware of a population of mothers to be that (ab)use subtances during pregnancy. Effort effort should be made to engage, support and lead these mothers to safer lifestyles for themselves and their children to be. HeWhoMustbeObeyed wrote:Posted 2009/10/05 at 3:39 PM ET What about the adults that are walking around with FASD? They are already past the age of 16 and we deal with them on a daily basis. Many have little or no options other than to commit crimes and spend their time in jail. We need to help the adults with this problem as well, I am hoping that we can get diagnoses for the adults as well. Then we can help them to have a life as well. nuffsez wrote:Posted 2009/10/05 at 12:37 PM ET Unless someone has raised a child with this disorder and has witnessed its chaos , this news is no big deal and quite likely will be considered frivolous . However those of us with experience dealing with fae or fasd children , this news is a true godsend . It's sad that Vancouver, British Columbia is installing limitations and encouraging mental health workers to ignore the reports written by Sunnyhill child psychologists to save money on desperately needed treatment . Thanks to Gordon Campbell et al ... janeycanuk wrote:Posted 2009/10/05 at 12:02 PM ET As a former addictions counselor, I think this is an excellent idea. Yes, it will cost money but the issue needs to have oxygen breathed into it. Kids need to know what's up with them and why they have difficulties. Not for the purpose of blaming the parents, Scottish fur traders in the 1700's for introducing alcohol to them, governments or band councils.... etc. It's not about shaming anyone. It's about coping and about change. My hope is that this program will start the dialogue happening in families. There is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy -the first 3 months are when alot of the neurological (and brain) damage occurs, when some people don't even know they're pregnant yet. Congrats to the team in Yellowknife; I'd like to see this program expand some day to outer-lying communities as well. FASD is a crippling disability that is completely preventable. This story is now closed to commenting. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/b9b15667/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 16:10:06 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 15:16:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Grants Totalling $762, 120 Awarded for FASD: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20090930171642.036f51d8@ncf.ca> [This is an old article, but not sent before] Grants Totalling $762,120 Awarded for FASD Anonymous. Canada NewsWire. Ottawa: Sep 22, 2009. VICTORIA, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Five grants totalling $762,120 have been awarded from the $10-million Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Action Fund established by the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development and held by the Victoria Foundation. "FASD is the most common birth defect occurring in the western world," said the fund's advisory committee chair Jan Lutke. "This brain injury is permanent and results in lifelong challenges in all areas across the lifespan." September is FASD awareness month in Canada. Health Canada estimates that for every 1,000 births, nine infants will be affected by FASD. "These grants will promote prevention and education on FASD, and fund projects designed to improve the quality of life for people living with the disorder," said Victoria Foundation board chair Chuck Burkett. The FASD Action Fund was established in 2006 with three focuses: $2 million to promote prevention, public education, and parent and caregiver education; $7 million for projects that focus on improving outcomes for children and youth with FASD; and $1 million in an endowment fund to help attract additional funding through community contributions. "This government is committed to supporting the healthy development of every child, youth and family in B.C.," said Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak. "Development of FASD prevention programs and support systems for children and youth living with FASD and their families is included in the Province's Strong, Safe and Supported action plan, and we're pleased to partner with the Victoria Foundation in addressing this need." The Victoria Foundation is a community foundation that manages funds gifted to them either in perpetuity or for specific purposes, such as the FASD Action Fund. The funds or the earnings from them are then distributed through grants for charitable purposes. Since 2003, the Ministry of Children and Family Development has provided the Victoria Foundation with $57 million to help communities throughout B.C. meet the needs of children, youth and their families. More than 180 organizations and thousands of British Columbians have benefited from these funds. For more information on the FASD Action Fund or to donate to it, visit the Foundation website at www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca or call 250-381-5532. List of funded projects below. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Action Fund Grants for Promoting Prevention, Public Education, and Parent and Caregiver Education ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recipient Grant Purpose Amount ------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Howard This project will educate front-line $219,168 Society of the workers in the criminal justice system on identifying and responding to young adults with Central And South FASD, and provide a point of referral Okanagan and professional support for affected individuals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pacific Community This project will develop an Aboriginal $179,610 Resources Society approach to preventing FASD and engaging parents and caregivers. Police-specific FASD training will also be adapted for all service agencies in the criminal justice system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Women's Health This project will support mothers with $156,300 Research Institute substance use problems who have permanently lost a child who are at risk of having a future child with FASD through education and support. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alberni Valley FASD This initiative aims to reduce continued $110,042 Community Action involvement of Aboriginal youth affected Group by FASD in the criminal justice system through awareness and education for both youth and professionals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fetal Alcohol This project will develop and pilot FASD $97,000 Spectrum Disorder training for professionals and service Society of BC providers who help youth navigate the criminal justice system, specifically for those with a language disability and associated reasoning impairment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/7a0d0d4b/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 17:05:54 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 16:10:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ont. Mental Health & Addictions Sept. 8 Mary Cunningham/Shiona Watson Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005221931.1052f940@ncf.ca> [The Ontario Select Committee on Mental Health & Addictions had 10 hearings from April 8 - June 18, most in Toronto, also Windsor, St. Thomas, Hamilton & Kingston. The presenters included: Parents for Children's Mental Health, Ministries of the Attorney General, Health & Long Term Care, Health Promotion, Aboriginal Affairs (mentioned in passing), Community & Social Services, Community Safety & Correctional Services, Citizenship & Immigration, Education, Children & Youth Services, and also Michael Kirby of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Children's Mental Health Ontario. FASD was mentioned in passing four times only. The first real talk of FASD was on June 16 in St. Thomas when Tracy Grant of the Thames Valley District School Board Mental Health & Wellness Committee spoke about the school-as-hub model and the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment. "...Additionally, the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre has been attempting to bring a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnostic clinic to the area in order to better identify that neurodevelopmental disorder. FASD affects at least 1% of the general population, and secondary mental health conditions occur in over 90% of affected individuals. It is extremely difficult to access assessment and service locally. The board has recently facilitated a cross-sector networking group for FASD, but provincial support and direction is urgently needed to catch up with supports and services available in other jurisdictions. " If improved health and mental health screening and assessments were available on-site, earlier identification and provision of appropriate services would prevent many maladaptive behaviours and secondary conditions and improve outcomes for children suffering from untreated mental health conditions...." On Sept. 8 in Toronto, Sept. 9 in Ottawa, Sept 10 in Sudbury and Sept. 11 in Thunder Bay there were presentations about FASD. Sheila Burns will speak to the Committee on Oct. 21. Here is the first of the four:]ER http://www.ontla.on.ca/committee-proceedings/transcripts/files_html/08-SEP-2009_MH014.htm Ontario. Select Committee on Mental Health & Addictions Hearings Tuesday Sept. 8, 2009 in Toronto The committee met at 0906 in committee room 1....... ...DOWNTOWN GUELPH FASD SUPPORT GROUP The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Our next presenters today are from the Downtown Guelph Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Support Group, Mary Cunningham and Shiona Watson. Ms. Shiona Watson: Hi. Good afternoon, everyone. I?m Shiona. We?re here today because we want to talk about the importance of including a large population of people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in this initiative and to tell you about why that?s so important. I facilitate the caregiver support group in Guelph for those living with people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. I also do education and advocacy around this. I?m also the mother of a 14-year-old boy who has fetal alcohol syndrome and is profoundly deaf. We?re people who live the experience of mental health issues in the community. My husband and I adopted Mikey when he was 18 months old. We knew that he had fetal alcohol syndrome and we read all the books and we talked to people already living the experience. I always say that we kind of went into it with our eyes wide shut, because really, we knew nothing at all. My son?s birth mother, just to let you know how this played out, was abandoned by her own mother when she was three years old. She was physically and mentally abused by her father. She was left at the age of 12 to live with her next door neighbour, who sexually abused her. The social workers who worked with this lady were pretty certain that she also had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, according to her behaviour. There was no doubt that she loved her son, but she couldn?t look after him. She had four other children before my son and she didn?t have custody of any of them because of all the issues that she lived with. His birth father also?both of them were alcoholics, and he had other mental health issues too, including ADHD, and spends a lot of time at the Maplehurst corrections institute. Ms. Mary Cunningham: I?m Mary Cunningham, and I?m a colleague of Shiona?s from the downtown support group. I?m also a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder advocate and educator. I became this after we experienced FASD in our family. We adopted our second child when she was 13 weeks old and we knew absolutely nothing about FASD until she was 18. When she was 18, we discovered FASD for the first time and it was just like walking face first into that wall over there. It was stunning. It totally incapacitated us. We knew there was something terribly wrong, but we had no idea what it was. So after I more or less recovered from that, that?s when I?I?m a retired teacher and I just kept on teaching. So I present in various provinces and was in the UK this spring doing this. FASD has huge implications for the success of this Every Door is the Right Door initiative, because there are thousands and thousands of people with FASD in Ontario. It represents a reservoir of mental health issues because almost every single person with FASD will develop mental health issues. They are costing, on average, at least $2 million each over their lifetime in extra social costs?you?re basically hemorrhaging money here?and they?re not getting the kind of treatment they need to keep them from developing addictions, to keep them from developing homelessness and so on and so forth. Shiona and I are going to pass this back and forth to make it a little more interesting. Everything we?re more or less saying is in the handout you have; all these children on the front have FASD. You also have a little book from the Public Health Agency of Canada, because we could spend all day talking about this and we?d only get started. Shiona?s going to lead off. Ms. Shiona Watson: First of all, why is the recognition and understanding of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder so crucial to the mental health and addictions initiative? Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is the most common birth defect in Canada, bar none. That?s according to Health Canada. This is almost twice as many as have autistic spectrum disorder and between seven and eight times as many as those born with Down?s syndrome. Ms. Mary Cunningham: It affects at least 1% of all live births in Canada. That?s what Health Canada?s actually saying now. We know that?s a very conservative estimate. At 1%, there are 130,000 Ontarians living with it, but in the field, it is suspected that it?s probably 2% or 3%. So multiply 130,000 by two or three times $2 million and you know why we have to do something about this, plus the fact that it?s really going to affect this initiative. If you understand it, it?s going to work a lot better. Ms. Shiona Watson: Although experts in the field currently say that there?s roughly 1%, we do need an awful lot more research in the area, more studies and definitely more diagnosis. Trying to get a diagnosis in Ontario is extremely difficult and very frustrating for parents. There was a recent study, which has not yet been published, I believe, in Grey county, where they were isolating in utero alcohol exposure by?well, I?m going to say meconium, so they were guddling about in babies? diapers, basically. They reckoned that 4.17% of all the infants in their sample were alcohol-exposed. Now, this study only identified exposure after the 13th week of pregnancy. For all the women here, you know how long it takes before many of us know that we?re pregnant, especially if we?re young or we?re not counting periods or we?re on the pill or other birth controls that may not be effective at that time. So, many of the infants would be missed by this crucial time. 1400 FASD is usually misdiagnosed. Frequent misdiagnoses are ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. One clinical psychiatrist and FASD researcher from Northern Ireland, Dr. Kieran O?Malley, says, and I?m quoting him, ?FASDs are the greatest clinical masqueraders, and their most common disguise is ADHD.? That?s from 2007. Ms. Shiona Watson: So the same psychiatrist, Dr. O?Malley, says that FASD is often mistaken for ADHD because it looks like ADHD. However, the big problem with getting those two things mixed up is that the treatments would be very, very different. When we treat people with ADHD, we make an assumption that they can learn from consequences. This is something that is very difficult, if not impossible, for many people with FASD to do. This means that their mental health outcomes are very poor. It?s very nice for families to think that their child only has ADHD, but the reality is that it?s going to lead to very poor mental health outcomes. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Noted FASD expert Dan Dubovsky, from the States, notes that often women who have mental health disorders?and we know that a lot of these are genetic, including depression and bipolar?drink to self-medicate and they become pregnant and they are still drinking in the pregnancy because it?s self-medication. Consequently they are likely to have babies who have FASD and mental health disorders. It becomes a very vicious cycle. Ms. Shiona Watson: Most people with FASD?that?s between 90% and 95% of all of them?have no recognizable facial features or any other medical anomalies to let you see who they are. All they have are the dysfunctional behaviours, which we tend, as a society, to see as just bad people. FASD becomes an invisible disorder. As Mary indicated, all the photographs on here, including that of my son, are of people living with FASD. Some of them have features and some of them do not. Ms. Mary Cunningham: It also shows an awful lot of individuality. You can?t go through a population and say, ?I know, I know, I know.? There?s a laundry list of symptoms. Consequently you can have very, very individual manifestations of it, but you almost always have dysfunctional behaviour. Ms. Shiona Watson: Almost all adults with FASD, diagnosed or otherwise, will develop mental health problems, according to a study that Dr. Ann Streissguth, one of the leading researchers in FASD, did in 1996. Ms. Mary Cunningham: These mental health problems tend to be very complex and frequently feature drug and alcohol addictions. In the field we have traditionally called both of these conditions secondary effects of FASD but now?I?ve been in this for about 10 years and now we?re starting to see research showing that basically the mental health disorders are probably caused by the alcohol in utero. There?s a lot more to go here. This is early times. Ms. Shiona Watson: Dr. Kieran O?Malley again refers to this constellation of FASD, mental health disorders and addictions occurring together as ?the triple threat of FASD.? What he means is that a majority of people in this population, many of whom will be undiagnosed, are going to develop the mental health problems and addictions, and will be very difficult to treat. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Common secondary effects with this are disrupted school experience; early dropout; sexually inappropriate behaviours; trouble with the law, often featuring recidivism; trouble staying in relationships; and trouble staying employed. You?ll see these are our big, serious social problems. That?s where the $2 million is coming from. That $2 million, by the way, was a Dr. Sterling Clarren study and it didn?t include legal costs for incarceration, so it?s actually higher than that. Ms. Shiona Watson: There?s a very high rate of completed and attempted suicidal behaviour within this community. This appears to be related to an inability to cognitively understand the finality of completing suicide. It?s also combined with the FASD impulsivity and high rates of self-injurious behaviour, which may unintentionally cross the line and result in accidental suicide. Ms. Mary Cunningham: The secondary effects, as I just mentioned, are all recognizable as the biggest, most expensive and intractable social problems. Mental health is very often at the root of an awful lot of this. If we could understand how to intervene successfully in the life of a child who has FASD, we could prevent most of these. Ms. Shiona Watson: And many of the adults with FASD have experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse as children and may also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders in addition to the FASD. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Children in foster and residential care often have an FASD. One study in Ontario found that 31% had an FASD. One social worker from Alberta who often does work in Ontario estimates 80%. One young woman in care went through approximately 75 placements before her FASD was recognized. She is now in a much more supportive environment, but consider the mental health ramifications of that. Ms. Shiona Watson: Co-occurring mental health diagnoses are common with FASD. Dr. Kathryn Page from California calls this an ?alphabet soup of diagnoses?. She lists the following as common diagnoses given in addition to or in place of FASD: There is ADD or ADHD, various forms of depression, reactive attachment disorders, conduct disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Some of the above are real, co-occurring disorders and some we consider misdiagnoses. Dr. Page theorizes that as a person, usually the caregiver, goes from clinician to clinician basically saying, ?You?ve got to do something about this child. Give me something because their behaviour is really difficult to deal with,? that?s where we accumulate this huge list, this alphabet soup. Ms. Shiona Watson: Many people with FASD would qualify for what?s called a dual diagnosis if in fact they actually had a correct FASD diagnosis. The National Coalition on Dual Diagnosis in Canada notes, ?Those with dual diagnoses??that is, developmental disorders and mental illness??are often denied services because they are too complicated to treat.? Ms. Mary Cunningham: As Shiona mentioned previously, getting a diagnosis of FASD is very, very difficult. It?s very difficult in Ontario. It?s very difficult across Canada. It?s a complicated diagnosis. It needs a multi-disciplinary team of medical and psycho-social professionals. Ms. Shiona Watson: The research shows that children with FASD who are diagnosed prior to the age of six?there we go. We were just telling you how difficult it is for anybody to get a diagnosis and now we?re saying that we need them to have a diagnosis before they get to age six. Then, if they do not have that diagnosis and they are not supported, they tend to develop many, if not all, of the secondary effects of FASD. This seems to be related to the fact that these children received services that supported their needs much earlier, that is, if they were diagnosed before age six. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Changing the topic slightly here, what you have to understand is that all people who have FASD have permanent brain damage and it usually affects the following areas, any one or all of them: cognition and effective decision-making, adaptation?that?s probably the most complicated effect?attention, reasoning, memory and language development. The language development is odd in that people with FASD are often extremely good talkers. They?re able to talk the bark off trees basically, but receptively, they?re not getting the message. We have teachers who say to us, ?Listen to them. How can anything be possibly be wrong with them? Listen to them talking.? But it?s not getting it. Ms. Shiona Watson: The majority of people with FASD show only dysfunctional behaviours in the five areas noted above and they receive no support or understanding that it?s permanent brain damage caused by alcohol, that that?s what?s causing their behaviour. There?s a tendency in society to believe that behaviour is something that we always have control over, but for people with brain damage, that simply is not true. They look instead as non-compliant, uncooperative, resistant, manipulative and unmotivated. Ms. Mary Cunningham: As I said, most people with FASD can talk the talk brilliantly, sound like they know what they?re talking about, but because of the brain damage, receptively, if you ask questions, they?re not going to understand what they said. This gets them in trouble all the time. They sound a lot more functional than they actually are. Ms. Shiona Watson: Another huge issue with this population is that mostly the IQs are above 70, which is the cut-off for many, many services that they could have been eligible for. So although these people have an IQ above 70, they often are not very good at being able to make any kind of use of that. Ninety-one per cent of children with ARND?that?s alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; essentially, that?s FASD without any identifiable features?have IQs of between 70 and 130. Without these services, obviously these children, and later when they become adults, are at greater risk of depression and other mental health issues and addictions because their self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities are so low. 1410 Ms. Mary Cunningham: Most people with FASD would like to be able to behave properly and fit in. That?s probably their greatest wish: ?I just want to fit in.? It is not that they won?t do something; they can?t. They simply can?t do it. Changing this paradigm is one of the critical things we have to do, to understand that they can?t do it, it?s not won?t, and that comes from Diane Malbin, who is an acknowledged expert in this area. Ms. Shiona Watson: When the brain damage of FASD is not recognized or understood, the standard psychiatric and psychosocial attempts to support a person with it tend to fail miserably. For example, behaviour modification is really useless with this population. Reward systems, relying on learning theory and learning from one?s mistakes: These are all cognitive activities that require good use of the frontal lobes, which is something that people with the brain damage of FASD cannot do. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals generally do not understand our people, and these apparently non-compliant behaviours of people with FASD tend to get them fired from treatment. They are told to come back when they can comply. Well, they can?t comply, so they?re out of that treatment program and looking for another treatment program. But? The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): I?m going to have to jump in there, Mary. We?re a little bit over time, but we do have your last page and we do have all the recommendations you make from 29 to 34. So if you could just maybe summarize really quickly. Ms. Shiona Watson: We were actually going to finish there, so that?s very clever of you. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Okay, perfect. Ms. Mary Cunningham: We were just going to say that we?ve presented all these negative stereotypes?well, they?re not stereotypes; these are all researched. But I have never, ever yet met a person with FASD, and I?ve met hundreds of them, who did not have an aptitude or a really strong case. So if we could get to supporting that and providing support for the brain damage, then we would be able to do something positive here. Ms. Shiona Watson: And if we could get everyone in the government to understand what FASD is, that would be a huge start. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Well, I think you just got eight or nine of them here, so it?s a start. Ms. Shiona Watson: Thank you very much for listening. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Actually, if you could explain maybe one thing for the whole committee. You talked about a link between FASD and autism. Were you saying that FASD causes autism, or you?re saying that FASD is? Ms. Mary Cunningham: It?s mistaken for. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): So we could be treating kids for autism who actually have FASD? Ms. Mary Cunningham: We can tell you for sure you are. Ms. Shiona Watson: Lots of them. Because they can get services if they?re diagnosed with autism, but not for FASD. Ms. Mary Cunningham: And frequently, autism is a more socially acceptable disorder to have. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Yes, we were talking about that before. Thank you very much for coming today. It was good to see you both. Ms. Mary Cunningham: Thank you for having us. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/6b75d871/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 17:07:34 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 16:10:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Mental Health & Addictions Sept. 9 Diana Fox & Elspeth Ross Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005222023.01fd8420@ncf.ca> [Our presentation went well. An added bonus was that my MPP Jean-Marc Lalonde was present and came rushing out afterwards to talk to us. I gave the committee two handouts, a one-pager including Recommendations and an "FASD, Mental Health & Addictions Bibliography".]ER http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2009-09-09&ParlCommID=8915&BillID=&Business=Mental+Health+and+Addictions+Strategy#P1137_327579 Legislative Assembly of Ontario Ontario. Select Committee on Mental Health & Addictions [Hearings Tuesday Sept. 9, 2009 in Ottawa] Committee Transcripts: Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions - September 09, 2009 - Mental Health and Addictions Strategy 1550 FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER COALITION OF OTTAWA The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Our 3:45 appointment is the FASD Coalition of Ottawa. Diana Fox and Elspeth Ross, if you'd like to come forward and make yourselves comfortable. Ms. Diana Fox: Good afternoon. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Good afternoon. You've got 15 minutes, like everybody else. You've probably heard the whole spiel. Ms. Diana Fox: Perfect. My name is Diana. I'll start by just giving you a bit of background information. I do apologize. We have been very busy. Today is International FASD Awareness Day. As we've been involved in many activities today, I scanned the e-mail that a colleague sent for me to be here today and didn't make enough copies for you, so I do apologize. I've made it up by putting lots of extra information in the handout for you, so hopefully you will scan and read as you feel fit. Today is international fetal alcohol spectrum disorder day, and it is a day to raise awareness around the disorder. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is caused by a woman drinking during pregnancy and the alcohol effects on the developing fetus. There are a number of disabilities associated with it, both primary and secondary disabilities. The primary disabilities would be sensory integration issues, learning disabilities and cognitive functioning. The secondary disabilities actually are trouble with the law-I'll just go through some of them here. In a Canadian study, of the secondary disabilities of 92% of individuals affected by FASD, 65% had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; 45% of the individuals suffered from depression; 21% suffered from anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, OCD, ODD and bipolar; 92% were rated as vulnerable to manipulation; 82% were victims of violence; and 77% were exposed to physical and sexual abuse. As a counsellor in trauma and as an addictions counsellor, certainly when we work with individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which is both a visible as well as an invisible disability-some of the individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome that we're a little more aware of are more visible when we see them. We can recognize there's a disability and we often accommodate-hopefully we accommodate. But certainly partial fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder-that's the invisible disability and we often don't accommodate these individuals. As we heard from many of the speakers this morning at our event, they don't want to let others know that they have a disability because everyone wants to be perceived as being normal, to fit in. I think today what I would like to stress is more the prevention effort, and Elspeth will talk further about the intervention. But we do need to raise awareness and training. One of the things that I have been doing is training front-line professionals around the disorder and looking at accommodation and interventions that are most effective, both for women who are at risk of drinking during pregnancy as well as individuals who are living with the disability. One of the things I have noticed across the country as I've done training is that we do not address this issue in addiction centres for fear of stigma, for fear of driving women deeper into silence. But as we deal with the stigma, as we raise awareness, hopefully we can start talking about the disability and support people who are living with it. I'll just pass to my colleague. Ms. Elspeth Ross: My name is Elspeth Ross. I'm a member of the FASD Coalition of Ottawa. I co-facilitate an FASD group at the Children's Hospital; it's where we meet. It's a support and education group. I've been doing it for 10 years and we operate without funding. I do it with a psychologist. I'm a member of FASD Stakeholders for Ontario. It's a provincial group. I'm on their intervention and support group. We're finalizing three consultant reports on FASD effective practices, one on FASD in schools and the third on respite services. I'm a parent, with my husband, who is here today, of two young men affected by FASD and we're now parenting full-time our grandson, who is aged 11-not fetal alcohol affected but a victim of trauma and family violence. I work as an educator in FASD and adoption permanency, and I provide an FASD current awareness service by e-mail. Our boys are both fetal-alcohol-affected-they're 27 and 29-and in many ways, we are a success story. By the way, we live in Prescott-Russell, and I see my MPP, Mr. Lalonde, present here today. Both of my boys have graduated from high school and one has graduated from college, in aboriginal studies. They both work seasonally. They live in our lower house. Having a second house is a very good way to cope with family members with fetal alcohol syndrome, but not everyone has one. My older son has done very, very well, but when there were recent troubles in his life where he had depression, anxiety and panic attacks. He does not have sufficient resiliency to cope with the challenges of life. My younger one had a psychiatrist from a very young age, until age 22, for obsessive-compulsive disorders and now has an addiction counsellor for alcohol. Our grandson only lasted six days, when he arrived in our family three and three quarter years ago, in school before being excluded-not suspended, not expelled, but excluded. You're only entitled by law to five hours per week with a teacher, if a teacher will take you, but we advocated for 10, got work placement, and he has been in school a year and a half out of almost four years. He just started his second section 23 placement yesterday. We're hopeful. Not everyone can provide the external brain support that we do for our family. Not everyone can keep the records, remind them, take them to the doctor-I'm talking about adults-and manage money for them. What do we need? We know about the co-occurrence between fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health and addictions. We know from Dr. Streissguth's research that over 90% of people affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder have mental health problems; 60% of children have ADHD-I believe it's higher than that-and 30% have alcohol and drug problems. There was Canadian research done recently, in 2003, by Erica Clark-and by the way, I've provided you with a bibliography of these items so that somebody, I hope, can get hold of them. Unfortunately, her research found mental health diagnoses in 92% of those she studied, most with ADHD, depression, panic disorders, and 61% with destructive school experiences-it's probably often higher-and high co-morbidity with alcohol misuse. Look at it the other way. What about the co-occurrence of FASD in individuals with mental health problems and addictions? Underneath the mental health and addictions is the FASD. Often people who are affected by fetal alcohol syndrome don't know that they are affected. It's not an easy thing to admit that you have a neurodevelopmental disorder or disability. They may not know that their birth mother drank alcohol early in pregnancy. FASD is often undiagnosed. It's an invisible disability. The people are not small. They're tall, good-looking, with no distinctive face, are very good talkers, and most are of average intelligence. As an information professional, I monitor the news, I monitor reports, I do word searches. I know where FASD is not included. FASD is not included in your select committee's discussion paper Every Door is the Right Door. It is not included in the documents from the Mental Health Commission. It is not included, necessarily, in concurrent disorders or mental health or addictions symposiums, conferences, workshops and publications. It is not even really considered a disability. It crosses boundaries into many disciplines, from early childhood education to corrections-and what we're working for is to keep people out of corrections. My son has only spent one night in jail. After one night in jail, he came home and said, "Jail is horrible." I said, "Oh, good. I'm glad you feel that way." FASD is a lifelong condition. The secondary disabilities are variable and can be minimized. Minimized with what? With early diagnosis, structure and supervision, tailored programming and adjusted expectations. There is hope that FASD-affected individuals can maximize their potentials. We need to build on strengths. 1600 What do we need? The stakeholders for Ontario asked parents. They said our biggest needs are in schools, school programs, and respite. We need respite desperately. What do we need? An Ontario provincial strategy for FASD. The recent infertility and adoption panel asked for that, and we echo it. We need FASD included in concurrent disorder strategies. We need collaboration-other people, of course, have mentioned this-collaboration between ministries and with stakeholders. We need prevention campaigns; Diana talked about prevention. We need education and training about FASD for professionals. We need an attitude change-people are not wilfully badly behaved; it's a brain disorder-support and understanding. Basically, all that we really need is services. We need diagnostic services across the province, including distance availability. We need professionals-psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counsellors, addiction counsellors-who know FASD, who think FASD. We need special education, and not just inclusive classrooms; we need special programs as well. We need assisted employment, assisted job search, job coach, disability pensions, disability tax credits, a big variety. We need assisted living options, and we need respite care for families, respite care including babysitting. There is hope. Things are looking up in Ontario right now. It's a very good time for this committee to be doing these things, because you can draw attention to FASD and where it's included in mental health and addictions so that we can maybe begin together to find solutions for Ontario. And this is FASD Awareness Day, so it's a day for us to be speaking to you about it. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you. I was just reading about the diagnosis for FASD. I'm wondering-it's not a blood test, it's a series of tests, and it's an opinion, I guess? Ms. Diana Fox: No. They actually have very stringent diagnostic guidelines, so geneticists, actually, and pediatricians diagnose with a team. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Okay. I was just cruising through them as you were talking. Ms. Diana Fox: But no, it is not a blood test, and it is quite a lengthy process. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Okay. The first question, then, is from France. M me France G?linas: Thank you. Well, that was a good entry into-I come from northern Ontario. The availability of specialists to diagnose FASD is horrendous. There are no teams willing to give a diagnosis. So how is it in Ottawa? Ms. Diana Fox: That's a very difficult question to answer. CHEO does diagnose; the geneticists do diagnose both children and adults, so the waiting list depends on the time and the rush. It is a lengthy process. I do know some people, particularly youth and adults, who, because of the length of diagnosis and the amount of time and appointments they need to go to, will abort the process. M me France G?linas: We all know that if we treat those children early, they do so much better. In the north, we're not having any successes whatsoever in getting our kids diagnosed early. Are you guys having any success? Ms. Diana Fox: There certainly is a difference between the north and the south and urban and rural that-I mean, we can't say. We do certainly have better access to services, but I think, as Elspeth mentioned, there is a stigma attached to the disability and many people don't want to think of that as a possibility. M me France G?linas: So the kids are still not diagnosed early and they don't get the support they need? Ms. Elspeth Ross: One of the big problems is lack of knowledge about birth-mother drinking. This can prevent a firm diagnosis. So what we would really like is for mental health people, doctors, to ask women about their drinking and for people to keep records, for all agencies to keep records, because it's very difficult to get a diagnosis without that information. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you. Anybody from this side? Jean-Marc. Mr. Jean-Marc Lalonde: Thank you very much for being here this afternoon. I think it was very important, the presentation that you made, because I was visiting schools just last week, high schools especially, and the problems that we have in high schools at the present time start off really earlier, at grade 6, I guess. You referred to special programs. I do believe strongly now, after listening to you, that in my next visit to a high school I'll be talking to the principal of the school, that we should have people-like in your case here, the FASD-talking to the girls down there. It's very important that they be made aware, really, of what could come from having some difficulties at one time or another. But I really appreciate the time that you spent to make this presentation today. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you for coming. Your time is really appreciated. And we did hear from your group yesterday in Toronto as well. Ms. Diana Fox: Wonderful. Great. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): So we're hearing from you all over the province. Ms. Diana Fox: Thank you very much. PROVINCIAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CHILD AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF EASTERN ONTARIO Dr. Ian Manion: ."..So how can we benefit more from each other's experiences and link people together so they can share their stories? Training: We are developing tool kits and webinars and using technology, but also we see the importance of bringing people together to form networks and partnerships where they can have these conversations. Again, interestingly enough, one of your speakers was talking about FASD. We've been approached by networks-we have been the glue that has allowed these people to come together and to further their communication so they can get their word out. We work hard on innovations. We have grants and awards programs at our centre, but they are all a little bit different based on the realities of what we have seen in the province. We are funding communities to mobilize around an issue, whether it's youth suicide or stigma reduction or FASD, among others. We're developing training tool kits based on what we know about emerging technology...." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/61f452b7/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 17:08:08 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 16:10:20 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Mental Health & Addictions Sept. 10 Elaine Cousineau Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005222106.01fd8568@ncf.ca> [It must have been hard to do this by phone without seeing the people. You can see that one of the MPPs picked up on her point about lack of help to ask the next speaker about FASD, and also that another speaker at least mentioned FASD in passing] http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2009-09-10&ParlCommID=8915&BillID=&Business=Mental+Health+and+Addictions+Strategy#P68_2713 Legislative Assembly of Ontario Ontario. Select Committee on Mental Health & Addictions [Hearings Thursday Sept. 10, 2009 in Sudbury Elaine was on the phone from North Bay] Committee Transcripts: Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions - September 10, 2009 - Mental Health and Addictions Strategy The committee met at 0901 in the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Sudbury. MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS STRATEGY COMMUNITY COUNSELLING CENTRE OF NIPISSING The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Can you hear us, Elaine? Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Faintly, yes. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Good. We're all sitting here. You're our first call of the day. All the members are present right now. There are some people in the audience here in Sudbury. Everybody on this leg of the tour is being given 20 minutes to make a presentation. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Yes, I understand. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): So if you would use that any way you see fit, and then at the end of the presentation, if there's any time that's left over for some questions or discussions, we'll see if we can't share that amongst the members who are here. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Okay. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Everyone can hear you at the level that you're talking at now, so just make yourself comfortable. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Okay. Thank you. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): And it's all yours. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Thanks very much. Good morning to the Chairperson and members of the select committee. My name is Elaine Cousineau. I'm presently the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders education coordinator at the Community Counselling Centre in North Bay. Thank you for this opportunity to express my concerns to you. In the 1980s, over 24 years ago, I was a member of the Focus community, one of nine anti-drug coalitions across Ontario. The members of this grassroots group in North Bay felt it was important that I be a voice for many families coping with youth caught up in the drug scene and that I should accept the invitation to make a presentation to that task force travelling across northern Ontario to address alcohol and drug issues. I shared with this task force the grief my family was experiencing with our beautiful young daughter, who was, at the time, making suicide attempts, getting into trouble with the law, running away from home, cutting herself, drinking and doing drugs, skipping school and suffering mentally, physically and emotionally. We had sought help from 27 different professionals-counsellors, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and agencies-all to no avail. At the end of my presentation to that group of politicians, one of the members, Mr. George Mammoliti, a young MPP from Toronto, came forward, extended his hand and said, "Mrs. Cousineau, on behalf of the province of Ontario, we owe you an apology." My daughter, like many other youth in Nipissing district, had fallen through the cracks. For the first time during our nightmare I felt heard. I knew Mr. Mammoliti understood, and I sensed that he cared. His apology meant so much to me at that time, and I was confident that there would be help soon. Before very long, I accidentally learned through poring over the Internet that there was a disorder which presented with the following behaviours: running away from home, not understanding consequences, truancy from school, promiscuity, trouble with the law, drug and alcohol use, and depression and suicide attempts, and there had been a label for this disorder for over 10 years. The term "fetal alcohol syndrome" was coined in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. My daughter, whom we adopted as an infant, had been exposed to alcohol in the womb, so immediately I sought help, but I could not find a soul in North Bay who knew what FASD was. Today, after many years of learning about FASD, I'm told by front-line workers that families today would not have experiences similar to mine and that there is help for families coping with FASD in our district. Well, I'm here to tell you today that youth in North Bay are continuing to fall through the cracks because no group, no ministry, no organization is accepting responsibility for helping these individuals whose lives have been ruined by being exposed to alcohol while in the womb. I'm assuming that most of you know what FASD is. It is not a developmental delay. It is permanent, irreversible brain damage caused by alcohol use while pregnant. It is the leading, number one cause of birth defects in North America and it's 100% preventable. If the fetus is not exposed to alcohol while in the womb, it cannot have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. For several years now, I have advocated mostly voluntarily for youth in trouble with the law, in trouble in school and at home. I've visited these kids in jail where we're told it is the last place they should be because they're so vulnerable and easily led. I answer frantic phone calls from parents, grandparents and foster parents desperately seeking help. I've accompanied parents to North Bay police station at midnight because their child has been arrested and does not even have a clue why he's being arrested, even though he tells the policeman he understands the charges. I'm presenting to you today to impress upon you the need for someone to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. We're told that 1% of all babies born are affected, yet we're also told at conferences in British Columbia that we don't have accurate stats and that when we do, the numbers will be alarming. Yet, we still have doctors telling young women that a few drinks won't hurt and we have school boards refusing to provide the one-on-one assistance that is needed for students with FASD because they don't have psychological evaluations on record with the school. The parents I know are struggling to keep food on the table and pay the rent so they won't be evicted. They do not have the money for a $2,500 psych assessment from a psychologist. We have lawyers representing youth in court who have no idea how the client has been affected by alcohol before birth. They interpret the client's inattention as disrespect for the crown. Little do they know that the client is so easily distracted, he can't even focus on what the lawyer or the judge is saying. There are some support and services for many of the aboriginal groups, but non-aboriginals have been left to fend for themselves. At one of the many conferences I have attended in BC-incidentally, at my own expense-a doctor specializing in FASD said in front of the audience of 700 people, "If you're a native, you will get a diagnosis of FASD. If you are white, you'll get a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder because it's more socially acceptable." The Trillium Foundation of Ontario has just recently provided funds for providing FASD education throughout Nipissing district. We have received $120,000 for a two-year contract and we are truly grateful for the generous gift. However, it was shame and embarrassment that I met in a family support group because the media had misrepresented the facts, stating that families were now going to get some support. The families have got nothing. 0910 Do you know what families need? They need respite workers so they can get a break from their child, who seems to be in trouble continuously. They need someone to supervise their children 24 hours around the clock so they can sleep without having to worry if their son or daughter has sneaked out of the house once again and is getting into trouble with the law. They need legal representation because these children are targets for other youth and often end up, sometimes even willingly, taking the rap for a crime they did not commit. Not long ago, a boy was invited by friends to break into a liquor store. When the police arrived there was no booze, there were no friends, but guess who was arrested for stealing the liquor? Last week, a 30-year-old woman came to me to learn about FASD because she just can't figure out why she may be going to jail. She's attractive and had a career, but she met a young man who saw an opportunity to use her, and today her $12,000 savings are gone, her career is gone and she too has charges that she does not understand. In fact, she has six of them. I sat at meetings to assist a family where we were surrounded by numerous agencies that were involved because the child was misbehaving in school or skipping school or failing to succeed in school because he was simply overwhelmed and unable to carry out the tasks given. Every single representative from every single agency around that table simply replied, "That's not my mandate," until finally the father, who was at the end of his rope, threw himself forward on the table and sobbed, "I just want help for my son." Eventually that father left a message on my answering machine, threatening suicide. These parents are absolutely devastated and can no longer cope. Often, mums who have FASD themselves are trying to raise children with FASD. They struggle with their own addictions, and they're totally unable to help their children with their addictions. Did you know that individuals with FASD are prone to addictions? Last week a partnering agency brought a 14-year-old young man to me, hoping I could explain to him what FASD was and how it was affecting his life. This boy is abusing both drugs and alcohol. I learned that his father, from whom he had just ran away, is a drug addict and an alcoholic. His mum, who suspects that she herself has FASD, is struggling with her own addictions. She has a new partner and they're both on the methadone treatment program. Grandma, too, is an alcoholic. When do we stop this flow of alcohol and drugs to our youth? Who should be responsible for giving these children what they need to survive? We know what they need. They need, number one, an exterior brain. FASD guru Dr. Sterling Clarren from BC says they will need someone else to think for them for the rest of their lives. They need structure and guidelines. They can't make choices that are safe. They need quiet homes with no conflict. They need education with the proper one-on-one supervision, if necessary. They need legal representation. They need counselling for addictions, not by ordinary addiction counsellors but by counsellors who understand FASD. They need careers where they can become contributing members of society. They need respect from the community. They need assistance with handling money and life skills. They need a chance to cultivate their own interests. They need people who will help them reach their potential. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there are 300,000 people living in Canada with FASD, and estimated costs range from $2 million to $5 million to raise each child affected by alcohol. When these youth reach adulthood, if they can be kept alive and out of jail, they frequently are able to have a job, but they may need extra training by employers who are educated about FASD. Children who have FASD are delightful people. They're eager to please, so much so that they frequently admit to police officers doing things they didn't do, just because they want to please them. They're conscientious when given appropriate supervision and instructions. They have a sense of humour. They love animals. They want to be independent, contributing members of society, and they can, if provisions are made. A few years ago, the crime prevention centre provided funds to have a needs assessment done in the district of Nipissing. The gaps in services were significant: lack of adequate respite for parents, and lack of education about FASD for doctors, lawyers, police, front-line workers. Few of those gaps have been filled for the mainstream community. In the 1980s, MPP George Mammoliti's apology was sufficient. To the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions on September 10, 2009, I'm saying that no apology will suffice today. Only steps toward addressing FASD problems are acceptable. I'd like to close by reading a letter by one of the parents. I hope it will move you as it has moved many others. Others have been sympathetic, but they have no resources. You, the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions, are in a position to bring about the change which is so badly needed. Here are excerpts from the letter, which I have permission to read. I choose to omit the father's surname. "My name is John, and I live in North Bay, Ontario. "I'm a single father, struggling to raise two children. My daughter is 16, and my son, who's 14, has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. I would like to see community agencies more aware and more involved with families like mine. "For example, when my son was arrested, the police did not know about FASD and did not appear to care. I believe they need to know much more before these kids end up in jail. "They have permanent brain damage and there is no cure, but with help from services in the community, my son, and others like him, could receive proper help if we had funding. In our district, we have to have our own diagnostic clinic instead of having to drive to Toronto. "My son and I were both mistreated by the school and by the police because of their lack of education of FASD. Our frustration over agencies' apparent lack of knowledge has caused constant anguish and frustration. I've been called a bad parent because of my son's actions when, in fact, had they been knowledgeable about FASD, they would have understood the reason for his behaviours. "There is help for drug addicts and there is help for alcoholics who choose to drink and do drugs, but there is no help for our children who did not ask for this disease. "Sincerely, "John." I'm open to questions. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you, Elaine. Thanks for your presentation. You will be the third person that has spoken to us on FASD. Each time somebody else talks to the committee, we get a little bit more information. You've left a good amount of time for questions. We're going to start with either Christine or Sylvia. Mrs. Christine Elliott: My name is Christine Elliott. I'm one of the members of the committee. I thank you very much for your presentation today. It was quite helpful and illuminating. One of the things that we're struggling with is-I agree with you; there is a need to educate physicians a little bit more on the effects and the presentation of FASD, as well as police, teachers and so on. But on the other hand, you have this sort of apparent contradiction that once there's a label that can be applied to it, people are reluctant to accept the label because of the stigma that seems to be attached to that. What would your thoughts be on how to deal with that? Ms. Elaine Cousineau: The parents that I see-their children are already labelled "stupid," "retarded," all kinds of things. They are very relieved to find a label that is meaningful. We're trying to bring it out of the closet. I try to assure these people that there is no shame. No mother ever, ever intentionally hurts their child. The circumstances: I guess she used alcohol for the pain or didn't know. I did an FASD day yesterday in the mall, and I am shocked at the number of young girls-out of grade 12, going to university, she did not know alcohol could cause damage in pregnancy, and she has already had a baby. I don't mind the label. The people I work with don't mind the label. I think it's how it's handled. You did mention something about doctors needing more training. I understand they get hardly any. In fact, somebody showed me a textbook; I think there probably were 20 lines about FASD. Mrs. Christine Elliott: Thank you. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you. France? M me France G?linas: Hello, Madame Cousineau. I would be interested in finding out, and if you could explain to the committee briefly, the steps you had to go through to get a diagnostic service for your son. I'm from northern Ontario. A lot of people that I've talked to have to go through a lot of, let's just say, pain and heartache to get a diagnostic clinic mainly because we cannot get one in northern Ontario. I would like you to share your experience with the committee. 0920 Ms. Elaine Cousineau: I can share what I'm doing with many of families that come to us. I'll give you the example of a young mom who, herself, in her own words said, "I know I have FASD. My mom drank." She saw the characteristics in herself. She has three children that she drank with, so we sent her down to Toronto, to St. Mike's hospital, to Dr. Brenda Stade's clinic, to get those children diagnosed. Can you imagine travelling four and a half hours in a car with three children with FASD and staying overnight? It's horrific. And she was a lucky one because we were able to get some financial support for her, but other families who don't have that support don't get it. We also have tried a telediagnostic clinic. It worked well, but St. Mike's hospital paid for our five kids to be diagnosed that day. We should be paying for our own kids to be diagnosed. I tried to get a diagnostic clinic going here, even though a Sick Kids hospital representative once said to me, "Elaine, you'll never get a diagnostic clinic in North Bay." Well, I have five pediatricians interested. I've got a speech therapist. I think I've got seven people altogether. When we met, the psychologist's first words to me were, "Who's going to pay us?" And I said, "Do you think I should have had the finances in place before I called the people together?" He said, "Yes," and I said to him, "How will I ever get financing and funding if I can't prove I've got people interested?" So he seemed to agree with me. But if we need the diagnosis now, we have to send them down to Toronto. M me France G?linas: Thank you. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Are there any questions from this side? Thank you for joining us today, Elaine. It was really informative. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Thank you. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you for taking the time out of your day. As I said, you're the third person who has approached us. We heard from people in Toronto and we heard from people from fetal alcohol syndrome organizations in Ottawa yesterday as well. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Wonderful. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): So you're starting to get your message across, if you think you're not. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: That's a relief. Thanks very much. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thanks for joining us. Ms. Elaine Cousineau: Bye. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Bye. Thanks to the audience for listening in. SUDBURY ACTION CENTRE FOR YOUTH Ms. Mardi Taylor: Good morning. My name is Mardi Taylor. I'm the executive director of the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth, and I appreciate the opportunity to address the committee today.......... Mr. Jeff Leal: My last question is: Our previous presenter talked about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and talked about having 15 agencies together at a table and none of them able to help someone's son. Do you see that as a bit of a barrier, that we have multi agencies that are not getting to the core of the problem? Ms. Mardi Taylor: I would say that many of our clients have fetal alcohol syndrome, and our workers are very aware of the problems there. I think, in Sudbury, we do a good job of sharing resources and not duplicating services, but I think it's certainly something-it's always good when the agencies get to the table and agree to provide services in a coordinated manner......... NOOJMOWIN TEG HEALTH CENTRE Ms. Barbara Erskine: ....You may be aware that the federal government funds a lot of aboriginal health programming, but we are filling in the gaps, and that's primarily in professional services such as nurse practitioners, dietitians and psychological services, as well as some specialized programming. We have exercise specialists and a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program as well..... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/7c4a8157/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Oct 13 17:08:51 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Oct 13 16:10:23 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Mental Health & Addictions Sept. 11 Judy Kay Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091005222136.037bc480@ncf.ca> [Congratulations to Judy Kay for having directors from a Centre for Children & Youth and a Community counselling and addiction agency with her to talk specifically about FASD. It must have been hard to do this by phone without seeing the people. We will see that in Thunder Bay a speaker from Mental Health, Maurice Fortin, talked about FASD seriously before Judy Kay spoke: another speaker from Brain Injury, Nicole Spivak-Nigro, talked about FASD as part of her presentation; and an MPP Howard Hampton, who was filling it, included FASD in a question to another speaker at the end. ]ER http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2009-09-11&ParlCommID=8915&BillID=&Business=Mental+Health+and+Addictions+Strategy Legislative Assembly of Ontario Ontario. Select Committee on Mental Health & Addictions [Hearings Friday Sept. 11, 2009 in Thunder Bay Judy Kay & her colleagues were on the phone from Sioux Lookout] Committee Transcripts: Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions - September 11, 2009 - Mental Health and Addictions Strategy The committee met at 0904 in the Valhalla Inn, Thunder Bay. MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS STRATEGY CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, THUNDER BAY The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Okay, ladies and gentlemen, if we can call to order for this morning, the fourth meeting this week of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions. Our first delegation is Maurice Fortin, Canadian Mental Health Association, Thunder Bay.... Mr. Maurice Fortin: ...Within our early intervention service, 50% of clients have a schizophrenia-related disorder. Many people identified as having a mental illness may suffer from a brain injury or have been misdiagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, which we simply don't know enough about and tend to often misdiagnose. Often they suffer from co-occurring issues, so they may have a brain injury but they also suffer from depression, or they may have a co-occurring major diagnosis of mental illness like schizophrenia. They often present with complex challenges that are difficult to assess and treat... What do people struggling with these issues need? Certainly, they need housing. In preparing for this presentation, I spoke to some of our front-line staff. The need for housing arose immediately. As one housing worker stated, "We need safe, affordable housing, and lots of it." They went on to talk about the need for a continuum of housing. We need specialized transitional housing with high levels of support to ensure that people with complex needs, such as people who have co-morbid issues like fetal alcohol syndrome and other mental illnesses, have the level of support they need at that time. Housing strategies often need to ensure that the less desirable folks, such as the long-term homeless or people who are struggling with addictions issues, are properly served. In some cases, that means on-site support. Many can benefit from safe, decent, affordable housing supported by case managers. In Thunder Bay, access to housing is a real problem. ... SIOUX LOOKOUT COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP FOR FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Is that Judy, Bruce and Janet? Ms. Judy Kay: Hello. This is Judy, and we're all here. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Wonderful. We've got you on the line right now. Most members of the committee are here today. We're short just two. Every member except Christine Elliott and Jeff Leal is here. We've got Howard Hampton sitting in for France G?linas. Outside of that, you know all the other members of the committee. You've got 20 minutes to make your presentation. You can use that any way you see fit. If you could leave some time at the end for some questions, that would work out great. It sounds like the place you're sitting at is working well; I can hear you. Ms. Judy Kay: Great. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Just make yourself comfortable, and we're all yours. Ms. Judy Kay: Okay. Thank you very much. This is Judy Kay speaking, from Healthy Generations Family Support Program. I'm employed by Community Living Dryden-Sioux Lookout. Today we are speaking to you on behalf of a large committee of people in Sioux Lookout who are called the Sioux Lookout Community Action Partnership for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I'm just going to ask the other two people I'm with to introduce themselves and their organizations. Ms. Janet Paterson: Good afternoon. I'm Janet Paterson, the director of services and development for the Patricia Centre for Children and Youth. We're a children's mental health centre located in the communities of Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake. We also cover some of the more rural and remote areas. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. Mr. Bruce Siciliano: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Bruce Siciliano, the director of Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win community counselling and addiction services. We have an adult mental health and addictions mandate, as well as a youth addictions mandate. We serve the areas of Sioux Lookout, Hudson and Pickle Lake. We also provide services for people who come in from the 31 First Nations north of Sioux Lookout. Ms. Judy Kay: We're really pleased to present to you today and to speak with you about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the impacts of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder on the mental health and addictions system. Sioux Lookout and the district have been working on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder since the early 1990s. I understand that your committee made a trip to Sioux Lookout last week or the week before. We're pleased to know that you've seen Sioux Lookout and the north, and that you now have an understanding of the context of the information we're about to provide to you. I think it's really great that you made it up to Sioux Lookout and that you got to see our communities and some of our challenges and, as well, our strengths. The Sioux Lookout Community Action Partnership for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a fairly new initiative, but it is also an extension of work that has been conducted over the course of about 15 years. Our mission for the partnership is to develop a community action plan that will lead to the creation of a comprehensive and sustainable service network aimed at effectively identifying and responding to the unique needs of children, youth and adults and their families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It's interesting, with your interest in mental health and addictions, that this project is funded by the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, and it is a community mobilization award. I know that you have the PowerPoint presentation in front of you. We've listed the partners for you. We have 15 partners at this table, and we'll be expanding next month to include more partners and more interest groups. Just to give you an overview of what we're trying to do here today: We're trying to say to you that the province, but especially Sioux Lookout and district, needs the opportunity and the resources to address the devastating effect of FASD on individuals, families, service provision and service providers, and on our communities. FASD, left unaddressed, creates a huge impact on the whole system. The solution lies in our response and starts with support for women, diagnosis, appropriate treatment for those affected, and supports within the community to address this. What we'll be doing today, basically, is talking to you about what FASD is. I'll be providing you with some very quick background information, and we'll talk to you about the impact of FASD on the mental health and addictions system. We also have for you some very clear-cut and thought-out solutions. Very briefly, what is FASD? It's an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. It is a very serious health and social concern to Canadians, and it is the leading cause of developmental and cognitive disabilities among Canadian children. FASD is a permanent form of brain damage. It's a full-body experience in disability. It affects all aspects of a person's life, and without accurate diagnosis and a support system specifically designed to address the disability, the problem is further complicated. It's very, very clear that the low level of societal protection and support afforded to them by our system compromises their lives far beyond that caused by their disability. In terms of prevalence, in a general community, we're seeing about 1% of all births being affected. It's the leading cause of developmental and cognitive disabilities. We have high rates in northwestern Ontario. One community found a positive screening of 23% of the students in the school. A Manitoba study found that 10% of live births were affected. So we see pockets of high prevalence rates in particular areas. There was a large study done in the University of Washington that looked at 700 people who had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Within that group, they found that 90% had mental health problems; 60% had experienced disruptive school, so were kicked out or suspended; 60% had trouble with the law; 50% had experienced confinement; 50% had been a victim or perpetrator of inappropriate sexual behaviour; and 30%-this included children-had trouble with alcohol or drugs. So looking at some of the key points for you to consider, early intervention absolutely improved outcomes. We definitely know that adolescents and adults have unacceptably high levels of difficulty managing in society, and often have very poor outcomes. The brain damage is significant, but it is rarely understood. Many people with FASD unfortunately do not conform to current standards or guidelines for service eligibility, or the appropriate level of service is not available. There are two issues there: eligibility and services available. Without appropriate support, adulthood presents a crisis point. Just to help you connect the dots, although I'm sure you're thinking hard there, people with FASD are at high risk for mental health disorders and other serious social impacts. We are already providing these services to people with FASD, but in a very ineffective and costly fashion. So consider the cost of treatment homes: $300 to $800 a day for a child. Consider the cost of one day of jail. Just continue with that thinking, and imagine if we could redirect that money. FASD crosses all sectors and therefore calls on all of us to find a solution. I'm just going to walk you through a little bit of information about children and adults. I'm not going to go through this whole slide, but I wanted to point out a few things, and I'll let you look at that later. There's a very high rate of family and foster home breakdowns. In my work, I see family home breakdowns almost every week, and it's due to the disability not being supported. For children who have FASD, the biggest complaint they speak to me about, their biggest sorrow, is that they're isolated from other children and they have no friends. Some 80% of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder do not stay with their birth families. Tikinagan reports, in the book called Coming Home, that providing community care to children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is more difficult. Children frequently are placed in outside group care programs and residential treatment facilities in distant places. Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services researched statistics on FASD within their organization. Out of 213 children in care, 41 children had a diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and 86 children had an identifying factor and should have an assessment, resulting in 60% of the children in care potentially living with FASD. I just wanted to point out to you that we no longer have access to diagnosis, so that high rate of diagnosis within those Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services children will be going down, because we don't have access to diagnosis at this point and we did previously. The overwhelming majority of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, 89%, were found to be in the permanent care of a children's welfare organization. That was found by a Manitoba study. 1440 So, considering some of the key points with adults: Society is not so forgiving toward adults. They have difficulty navigating what seem to be simple tasks: filling out applications, attending appointments, following through on children's welfare probation orders, buying groceries, budgeting. Large portions-very large portions-in Sioux Lookout struggle with homelessness. The absence of housing is the absence of everything. A very important point for you to keep in mind is that often people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder do not conform to standards for service eligibility, or they're waitlisted for adult developmental services or mental health services. Of course, we see a high rate of substance use, especially when this condition isn't diagnosed and treated, and trouble with the law. People with FASD often will repeat the FASD cycle. So I see, in families where women who have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder haven't received treatment and care, who have three-plus, up to 11 children, in some cases all those children have been exposed to prenatal alcohol. As adults, lives often spiral out of control. The cost to them, their families and society at large is incalculable. So, looking at your interests that you have at this table today, how does FASD impact mental health and addictions? Well, we know from that secondary disability study that 90% of those clients that had FASD suffered from a mental health disorder. Depression has been reported in up to 40% of the adults affected by FASD and, interestingly enough, adults with the highest IQ have been found to have the greatest overall adjustment problem. Looking at dual-diagnosed people-so people who have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and another diagnosis of a mental health disorder-it was very evident in almost half of the children described in a Manitoba study. Something else to point out to you is that often a person with co-occurring fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and mental illness-so FASD plus the mental illness-who is not diagnosed is often not diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The failure to recognize co-occurring disorders can increase the risk of inappropriate treatment, resulting in homelessness, alcohol and drug problems, legal problems and premature death. Having a very quick look at fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the criminal justice system: 23% of young offenders in BC, in a study done in 1997, had symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects, which come under the umbrella of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. A study was done at Stony Mountain prison, and with that study 10% of the sample were identified with FASD and a further 16% to 18% were found possibly to be affected by FASD. The FASD-identified were 10 times more likely than the normal population to have 15 or more convictions. Our criminal justice system is based on the premise that individuals have the mental capacity to appreciate the nature and the consequences of their actions, including the connection between an intentional act and punishment. Individuals with FASD challenge this underlying assumption. The management of people with FASD in the criminal justice system uses extensive resources that could be used in other areas. So that was quick, but this brings us to our two slides, our 10 points that we're bringing forward as solutions. I just wanted to make you aware that I've been working 15 years in the field. I work with children and I see some very exciting results happening with children when they're identified early and diagnosed early, families are informed, we get to work with the families, they receive good support, and those children are now just coming up into adult services and they're doing very well. So even though I've presented you with some fairly serious statistics here, I'm telling you that we can do much better and that the children whom we're working with at this present time show us how well we can do. We just need to keep supporting them. In terms of solutions, we need prevention programs that address marginalized populations of women who are impacted by substance abuse and related conditions. We need access to diagnosis closer to home. At this time, Sioux Lookout is expected to travel to Toronto to receive an assessment. That's like asking Toronto to travel to Florida. We do have a proposal out. It has been out for more than a year. I am planning to send a few copies down to your committee for you to have a look at. We are capable of running a diagnostic clinic here in Sioux Lookout. We did do a pilot project for 18 months, but that clinic had to close its doors in July 2006 because operational funding wasn't provided beyond the pilot project, and that was despite success having been proven and a very high need proven as a result of that pilot project. Going down the line, looking at solutions, we need removal of barriers and provision of appropriate interventions throughout a lifetime. We need targeted funding for case management and service delivery specific to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. We need deployment of a flexible pool of resources targeted for FASD in order to provide a comprehensive package of services that address the multi-faceted complexities. We need long-term, structured, supervised residential, educational and daily supports for people living with FASD and caregivers, with a particular focus on looking at youth who are approaching the adult service system. We need funders to think outside of the box, realign the resources and provide us with funding options and the flexibility to respond to the local reality of the individual with FASD and their caregiver's needs. We here have solutions and we require the support and the integrated effort of multiple ministries and funders to do what needs to be done. We need assistance and support with the implementation of FASD community-based strategic plans. On a final note, before we open it up for more discussion, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder crosses all sectors of the government and the full range of community-based organizations. Therefore, the solution must come from that wide collection; not any one ministry should be responsible. No single organization can do this alone and all partners should be held accountable. That is our formal presentation. I have Bruce and Janet here as well, and they're very able to comment further on any of this information. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): That's wonderful. Thank you very much for the presentation. We've heard from fetal alcohol syndrome groups, I think, at just about every stop this week, so every time we hear from you, we learn a little bit more. You've left about three minutes for questions. We're going to start with Howard. Mr. Howard Hampton: Thanks for your presentation. I want to ask this question because I think people need to get their heads around this: Speaking for the Sioux Lookout area, in your view, is the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome greater, diminishing or staying the same? And related to that, are the problems that result from FASD growing, diminishing or remaining about the same? What's your experience? 1450 Mr. Bruce Siciliano: They're growing, Mr. Hampton, and we know that in the adult sector that I'm working in because the majority of our mental health and addictions assessments now are of the serious nature: serious mental illness, serious addiction, comorbid with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. Our caseloads are increasing, so we just know from the numbers of people that we're seeing that it's no longer acceptable to provide traditional talk therapy in our adult mental health and addictions agencies anymore. These people require a comprehensive package of services-with talk therapy, of course, as an adjunct. So in my agency, we're constantly working on our budget to invest dollars in the community to provide different interventions and different solutions for people; for example, working with our local associations for community living, which don't have money to provide beds for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. So we're actually working on our base budget and flowing dollars to our associations for community living so that people with FASD can have a bed, so that we can provide addictions and mental health work to those folks, and so that they also have a safe place to sleep. We have to partner with our homeless shelter here in Sioux Lookout, because if you look at the majority of the people in our homeless shelter, they have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder with a co-occurring mental health and addictions issue. So it's definitely increasing, and it's not just the number that's increasing; the severity is increasing. These are life-and-death situations in our community. Ms. Judy Kay: I would just quickly add that the very lack of diagnostic services prevents us from having accurate numbers. We do believe that our incident rate is much higher, but it's hard for us to prove that when we don't even have access to diagnosis at this point. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you very much, Bruce, Janet and Judy. Unfortunately, we've used up all our time, but I did want to thank you for taking the time to join us in Thunder Bay here today. Ms. Judy Kay: Okay. I would just like to add that I did send a copy of a DVD called Picture This: Life as a Parent of Children with FASD, and I would ask that everybody view the video and know that that was created in Sioux Lookout by mothers who have a message to give you to make changes on behalf of their children, some of whom are aging out of the adult care system and have nowhere to go. In fact, three of the children talked about in that video have nowhere to go in six months to a year because there's no provision for them. They don't qualify for developmental services and they are not able to look after themselves. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you. All members received a copy of that. Ms. Judy Kay: Thank you very much. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thanks for joining us. BRAIN INJURY SERVICES OF NORTHERN ONTARIO The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Our next presenters today are Peter Gravelle and Nicole Spivak-Nigro, of Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario Ms. Nicole Spivak-Nigro ....To add to this complexity, 60% of the individuals we serve have had involvement with the criminal justice system, 50% as perpetrators and 50% as victims of crime. Many have a history of violence, which can exclude them from accessing other services that they need. Should fetal alcohol spectrum disorder be part of their profile or they are of aboriginal heritage, which now represents 30% of our client base, access to services is further compromised. 1520 ...Over the past number of years, we have received more referrals from the aboriginal child welfare system for children and youth who have sustained an anoxic brain injury by attempted hanging, brain injury due to assault and other forms of interpersonal crime. Many of these children and youth have a pre-existing mental health diagnosis and/or addiction, as well as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder..... ...Lastly, we recommend that special attention be paid to First Nations people, as they are disproportionately represented in the mental health and addictions sector and in the criminal justice system, and have a high incidence and prevalence of FASD and brain injury.... Mrs. Liz Sandals: Okay. Could you describe what would happen to a child who, given the age issues-for the sake of argument, a 14-year-old who has attempted to hang themselves. When they come to you, they've got addiction or mental health issues; quite probably, especially given the last presentation we heard, FASD. Can you walk us through what support would be offered to that child and what your piece of it is, what programming you do? Ms. Nicole Spivak-Nigro: Generally, it would start with the application and our intake coordinator and myself, because most referrals now come to our community programs. We're going to look at who is involved in that person's life, and first of all, do they want to be here? It's one thing to be a teenager; it's another to be a teenager with a brain injury and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. We cannot necessarily always differentiate some of the challenges of building rapport. How well-supported is that person? So if there is FASD and mental health, especially with past suicide attempts, where are they located? 1530 Generally what we'll do is hold what we call a stakeholder meeting, so we'll want to invite children and youth services, whether it's the Children's Centre Thunder Bay or counselling services; the school, if they're involved, if there's an IEP; mental health services; and then find out who can be involved in what capacity with this individual's life. Because we will know right off the bat that although we can identify all of those needs, we're still going to have to prioritize them, and we will know we're not going to be able to meet them. And the best way to try to support this person, especially at that young age, is to find out who is going to be there. So the quicker the services can begin, and the more comprehensive, really, depends on the community partnerships that will be part of that person's life. With fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, it's not a criterion for our services. We've had a few individuals with FASD in service, but the reason they were in service was because they had also sustained an acquired brain injury, an event that was sentinel, that we could say, "Okay, we have the cognitive overlap." Trying to differentiate between the development and then the event is very different, and that's where we really rely on the developmental services to do that-also, because sometimes they can be more enduring as far as flux in support when it comes to supportive living, with group homes or supported employment.... BRENDA ATWOOD KAREN MILLER LINDA KACHUR The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Okay. Our last presentation of the week is Brenda Atwood. ,,,, Ms. Brenda Atwood: We are a family group...... The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Anybody else? Howard? Mr. Howard Hampton: One of the things that we've heard over and over again-and I know you were sitting here earlier-and now I think we're hearing it from you, the family members, is that for a variety of reasons, whether you're somebody who's suffering from schizophrenia or drug addiction or FASD, it's just damned hard to access anything. Do you have some recommendations on what needs to be done? We can have all kinds of programs, strategies and initiatives, but if people can't get to them, it seems to me we're just blowing money out the door. Do you have any advice? Ms. Brenda Atwood: Wait times have to be reduced-quicker access to programs. Too often, it's everybody else's problem. If you're involved with the police: "You're the person with the addiction." If you go into a hospital: "No, it's addictions. It's not hospital-related." I think there has to be far more understanding across the board from a whole lot of services-and also services just being far more timely. A person with an addiction is not cured overnight, so if they go through one assessment and they relapse, why start with an assessment again? You know what the problem is. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091013/51e1b920/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Oct 16 13:02:25 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Oct 16 12:10:27 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] The Gathering Effect: CCSA releases =?iso-8859-1?q?2008=962009?= Annual Report Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091016120216.03c3f008@ncf.ca> From the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse www.ccsa.ca The Gathering Effect: CCSA releases 2008?2009 Annual Report (link to PDF, 3 pages) Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse News Release October 13, 2009 The Gathering Effect: 2008-2009 Annual Report (link to PDF, 24 pages) This report contains three mentions of FASD. p. ii PRIORITIES Alcohol Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder First Nations, Inuit, Metis/The North Gambling Impaired Driving International Drug Policy National Framework Research Treatment Workforce Development Youth Drug Prevention p. 14-15 Critical Mass: OUR PARTNERS... FASD Training Working Group: Ms. Wendy Burgoyne ? Ms. Diana Fox ? Ms. Anne Fuller ? Ms. Mary Jane Harnaas ? Ms. Norma Kerr ? Ms. Sue Khowessah ? Dr. Christine Loock ? Ms. Holly MacKay ? Ms. Kim Meawasige Ms. Nancy Poole ? Ms. Paula Stanghetta ? Ms. Stacy Taylor ? Ms. Cristine Urquhart.... p. 16 Progress on Goals 2008-2009 GOAL: Increase profile and recognition of CCSA as Canada's national non-governmental organization dedicated to alcohol and drug issues ACTIVITY OUTCOME Media activitiy - CCSA launches online FASD training database..... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091016/5f71d1c2/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Oct 16 13:02:43 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Oct 16 12:10:30 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD Databases from CCSA Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091016120235.03d52fc0@ncf.ca> http://www.ccsa.ca/Eng/KnowledgeCentre/OurDatabases/FASD/Pages/default.aspx Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Knowledge Centre Our Databases FASD FASD Databases FASD Organizations [117 records] The database of FASD Organizations includes Canadian organizations or groups that provide an FASD service, program or support and that have met a set of inclusion criteria. Included for each listing is organizational contact information and a description of services. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. The information contained in this database was previously available as a PDF and was called the FASD Directory of Information and Support Services in Canada. FASD Resources The FASD Resources database includes publications and other materials that have been authored, produced or published in Canada or outside Canada but with significant Canadian content. Each record is annotated with a brief description, ordering information and/or a link to the electronic resource if it is available. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. This database was previously known as the National Database of FASD and Substance Use During Pregnancy Resources. FASD Trainers [51 records - 17 in Ontario] The FASD Trainers database was produced in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and includes trainers who have met a set of trainer core competencies. Each record provides contact information for the trainer and other details including geographic availability to undertake training, program duration and training experience. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. FASD Training Programs [15 records - 1 in Ontario] The FASD Training Programs database was produced in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and includes training programs that meet a set of guidelines. Each record includes general information about the topics covered in the training program, where the training is offered, the sponsoring organization, the intended audience, the program duration and a contact for further inquiries. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091016/2b6c4f9d/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Oct 17 15:16:11 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Oct 17 14:22:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Sending again FASD Databases from CCSA Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091017140725.03a8dec0@ncf.ca> [I have been told that the Databases do not open] Click on http://www.ccsa.ca/Eng/KnowledgeCentre/OurDatabases/FASD That will take you to what I have copied below. Then you will be able to click on each of the databases to open them. From Elspeth http://www.ccsa.ca/Eng/KnowledgeCentre/OurDatabases/FASD/Pages/default.aspx Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Knowledge Centre Our Databases FASD FASD Databases FASD Organizations [117 records] The database of FASD Organizations includes Canadian organizations or groups that provide an FASD service, program or support and that have met a set of inclusion criteria. Included for each listing is organizational contact information and a description of services. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. The information contained in this database was previously available as a PDF and was called the FASD Directory of Information and Support Services in Canada. FASD Resources The FASD Resources database includes publications and other materials that have been authored, produced or published in Canada or outside Canada but with significant Canadian content. Each record is annotated with a brief description, ordering information and/or a link to the electronic resource if it is available. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. This database was previously known as the National Database of FASD and Substance Use During Pregnancy Resources. FASD Trainers [51 records - 17 in Ontario] The FASD Trainers database was produced in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and includes trainers who have met a set of trainer core competencies. Each record provides contact information for the trainer and other details including geographic availability to undertake training, program duration and training experience. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. FASD Training Programs [15 records - 1 in Ontario] The FASD Training Programs database was produced in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and includes training programs that meet a set of guidelines. Each record includes general information about the topics covered in the training program, where the training is offered, the sponsoring organization, the intended audience, the program duration and a contact for further inquiries. Search results provide the option of a brief or full record display. _______________________________________________ Fasd_canadian_link mailing list Fasd_canadian_link@lists.von.ca http://lists.von.ca/mailman/listinfo/fasd_canadian_link -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091017/862cd69b/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 16:25:43 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 15:28:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Growing up with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Missouri Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091018151909.01ff2fa0@ncf.ca> "...'This is a totally new approach to mentoring older children and adults with FASD..." http://www.slu.edu/x32433.xml Saint Louis University Saint Louis, Missouri October 16, 2009 Sara Savat 314.977.8018 ssavat@slu.edu Growing up with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University researchers in the department of family and community medicine have received an $880,000, three-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop and test a new program aimed at helping older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) successfully transition into adulthood. The new program will focus on teaching important life skills, such as how to cope with new situations and minimize disruptive behaviors that could lead to loss of employment or trouble with the law. According to Leigh Tenkku, Ph.D., assistant professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University, while the effects of FASD are life-long, currently there are very few support systems in place to help these individuals and their families as they get older. "The brains of individuals with FASD are not fully developed, which affects their ability to handle emotions, problem solve and pick up on social cues," Tenkku said. "As they get older, these problems affect their ability to maintain a job, their relationships and their parenting abilities." The new program, called Partners for Success, combines personal mentors and therapeutic home visits to provide one-on-one support similar to the popular Parents as Teachers model, only intensified. The goal of the program is to give individuals with FASD the tools and support necessary to successfully navigate the challenges of adulthood. "This is a totally new approach to mentoring older children and adults with FASD, but it's built on well-established research in the field. This program is very promising and we're hopeful that it will revolutionize the way we support these individuals," Tenkku said. Currently in the U.S., there are no social service programs geared to the specific needs of youth and young adults with FASD. Instead, social agencies offer a hodgepodge of programs that address the broader needs of those with developmental disabilities. An Investment in the Future In a time of budget cuts and tightening financial belts, Tenkku says one of the most important aspects of the program is that it is financially feasible and easy for other agencies to implement. "We want our program to be practical and easily replicated by other agencies that provide FASD services. We're creating the tool, but they have to be able to use it. That's how we'll help the greatest number of people," Tenkku said. "The overall cost of the program is relatively low. The Partner for Success program is an investment in the future of these individuals. Doing nothing would certainly cost us more in the long run." About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Drinking during pregnancy can lead to serious physical abnormalities, neurological and behavioral problems, all characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. FASD is the greatest cause of children born with developmental disabilities each year in America even though it is 100 percent preventable. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe form of FASD. Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is estimated to affect one to two babies born per 1,000, are often born preterm, have low birth weight and long-term growth problems. About the Study During the first year of the Partners for Success study, researchers at Saint Louis University will collaborate with several community partners, including the Family Support Network, to design the program. At the same time, they will recruit 100 youth and young adults with FASD to participate in the study. The program will be implemented during the second year. Half of the study participants will be enrolled in the new program, while the other half will continue to receive standard support services. Participants enrolled in the program will receive biweekly home visits from a licensed clinical social worker. They also will be assigned a mentor who will meet with them weekly to socialize, model appropriate behavior in the community, and help the individuals integrate the techniques taught during home visits, in their daily lives. During the final year of the study, researchers will follow up with participants to measure the success of the program. "Of course ultimately we'd like to prevent FASD from occurring. But the sad reality is that 1 percent of children and young adults in our society suffer with the life-long effects of drinking during pregnancy. It's imperative that we find better ways to support these individuals," Tenkku said. Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: cancer, liver disease, heart/lung disease, aging and brain disease, and infectious disease. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/ef230b60/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 16:37:29 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 15:40:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Mauritius customs block importation of bottles without warning labels Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091018152818.01ff3608@ncf.ca> "...a warning which declares that 'Abuse of alcohol is harmful to health'..." http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=108728 African Press Agency Mauritius customs block importation of bottles without warning labels 2009-10-12 07:58:03 APA - Port Louis (Mauritius) Importers of some 200, 000 bottles of alcoholic drinks which they have ordered for the Christmas and New Year festivities have not been able to take possession of their goods as they have been blocked at the Mauritius Customs for not carrying the required labels, APA learns in the Mauritian capital Port Louis on Monday. Sources at the customs department indicate here on Monday that customs officials have now decided to apply the law relating to the Public Health (Restrictions on Alcoholic Products) Regulations very strictly. The sources add that according to regulations, all bottles of alcoholic drinks should compulsorily carry a label in English and French with a warning which declares that "Abuse of alcohol is harmful to health". Also the sources add that the law also applies to cigarettes. They aver that as customs officers have been a bit lenient in the past, some importers have taken the opportunity to flout the law every year and have imported alcoholic drinks without warning labels. For his part, Stephane Lenoir of Eastern Trading, who specialises in the importation of wines, declares that it is very difficult to put the practice of warning labels on all bottles that his company imports, as the wines come from 35 diffrent South African companies. Lenoir adds that if the law will be applied so strictly, there will surely be a shortage of wines in hotels catering to foreign tourists as all the wines that his company imports are for hotels. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/c726ebeb/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 15:47:12 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 15:40:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] WHO launches worldwide war on booze Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091018142749.01ff3230@ncf.ca> [In the global strategy on reducing health damage from alcohol abuse Working document for developing a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol ? World Health Organization 2009 there is no mention of FAS or FASD, or fetal or pregnancy. The only mention of pregnant is on page 7 in #18 "...Special attention needs to be given to harm to people other than the drinker and to populations that are at particular risk from harmful use of alcohol, such as children, adolescents, women of child-bearing age, pregnant and breastfeeding women, indigenous peoples and other minority groups or groups with low socioeconomic status...." http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427303.500-who-launches-worldwide-war-on-booze.html New Scientist Health WHO launches worldwide war on booze 14 October 2009 by Andy Coghlan HUMANITY's relationship with alcohol has never been easy. Now it is about to undergo as great a change as our attitude to tobacco, which has seen smoking plummet from the height of cool to the lowest of unpleasant habits. That at least is the hope of the World Health Organization, which, between now and January, will be honing its draft of the first global strategy on reducing health damage from alcohol abuse, the fifth leading cause of premature death and disability worldwide. Unveiled last week in Geneva, Switzerland, the document is the culmination of talks between representatives from the WHO's 193 member states. "It is a landmark document," says Peter Anderson, a health consultant and adviser on alcohol to the WHO and the European Union. Member states will be invited to ratify the finalised version of the document at the meeting of the World Health Assembly in May, but the document will not be legally binding. Its purpose instead is to raise awareness among governments about the importance of reducing alcohol abuse and to provide data that will persuade electorates that new laws are required - thereby emboldening governments to take action. The document will also present a menu of legal and governmental strategies that have been shown to work. "It will provide knowledge and awareness about the size of the problem, and advice about the most cost-effective policies," says Anderson. The impetus for action is founded on the growing realisation that alcohol doesn't just harm those who drink, combined with a better knowledge of intervention strategies. For example, in March the UK government's chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, devoted a chapter of his 2008 annual report to "passive drinking", the damage that heavy drinkers wreak on others. To illustrate the extent of the problem in the UK, he reported that in 2008, there were 125,000 "alcohol-related instances of domestic violence", that an estimated 6000 babies are born annually with fetal alcohol syndrome and that in 2006, 7000 people were injured and 560 killed as a result of drink-driving, not including the drivers. Sally Casswell of Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand, who helped produce the WHO document, says a focus on passive drinking is key to winning public acceptance for more stringent alcohol legislation. "It challenges the neoliberal ideology which promotes the drinker's freedom to choose his or her own behaviour," she says. Persuading governments and citizens of the problem is just the first step, though. What, if anything, can be done to stop people drinking to excess? To some extent, strategies will depend on location. In rich countries, for example, the focus is likely to be on stopping young people from binge drinking, whereas introducing drink-driving laws may be a priority in rapidly developing countries, where newly acquired wealth is increasing ownership of cars and access to alcohol. Generally, however, the WHO says the most effective measures are to raise prices through heavy taxation based on alcohol content, and to reduce the availability of alcohol through strict licensing schemes limiting opening times and the number of outlets. The WHO says the most effective way to reduce alcohol consumption is to raise prices Such strategies may smack of overactive government, but recent findings suggest these measures work. Alex Wagenaar of the University of Florida, Gainesville, and colleagues reviewed 112 studies examining the effects of price and tax on alcohol consumption and found that, on average, a 10 per cent increase in the price of beer reduced consumption by 5 per cent, of wine by 7 per cent and spirits by 8 per cent (Addiction, DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02438.x). From another study, in which Wagenaar's team surveyed 800 students leaving a campus bar over four nights, and took breath alcohol readings, the researchers calculated that each 10-cent increase in the cost of a drink, per gram of ethanol, was associated with a 30 per cent decrease in the chance that students would leave the bar drunk (Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01036.x). Meanwhile, at the behest of the Scottish government, Petra Meier of the University of Sheffield, UK, used Scottish data on levels of alcohol consumption and the prices paid by different people for different types of drink to calculate the social effects of introducing minimum prices on alcohol. She estimates that setting the minimum price at 40 pence per unit of alcohol (a small glass of wine or half a pint of beer), which is still at least twice as expensive as the cheapest alcohol available in Scotland, could save the nation ?950 million in healthcare and policing costs over 10 years, and avoid 3600 hospital admissions and 1100 criminal offences each year. As for light drinkers who complain they would be unfairly set back by price increases, Meier claims that a 40p minimum would hit heaviest drinkers hardest, as they often drink the cheapest booze, costing them ?137 extra per year compared with just ?11 extra for a moderate drinker. Of course, taxing booze and restricting its availability are not new ideas and such strategies are already deployed to some extent in most developed countries. But the WHO document argues that many countries do not implement them effectively. In the US and the UK, despite taxes that are heavier than on many other products, alcoholic drinks are still cheaper relative to income, and more widely available today than ever before. This is likely due to government fears of a consumer backlash, huge tax revenues from alcohol, and pressure from the industry to avoid anti-drinking legislation. Meanwhile, poorer countries often don't have any regulations at all. Predictably, the alcohol industry is not happy with the WHO's focus on reducing consumption through pricing, availability and marketing. It also argues that government intervention isn't the only way to solve the problem. "Other parties, including industry, can play a role," says Marcus Grant of the International Center for Alcohol Policies, a think tank funded by the alcohol industry, in Washington DC. He cites a collaboration in Kenya to overcome poisoning caused by cheap bootleg beer in which an African brewery produced a safer rival, and the Kenyan government agreed to lift tax on it. The ICAP is publishing a book called Working Together to Reduce Harmful Drinking in November, co-edited by Grant, that includes a pledge to "take into account" the potential health impacts of products such as alcopops, which appeal to the young, and promotions such as happy hours. Another is to adhere to responsible marketing policies that are monitored by independent consultants. Others are sceptical of the industry's contribution to the debate. Robin Room of the University of Melbourne, Australia, who studies the legislation on recreational drugs, fears that some parts of the WHO document may already have been watered down to appease the industry, especially those seeking to restrict marketing. Anderson warns against this: "Price and availability are still the most effective strategies to reduce consumption, but the other thing is marketing, creating a social climate around drinking through sports sponsorship and movies. That has a powerful impact." Creating a social climate around drinking through sports and movies has a powerful impact Anderson is still optimistic, though. "I don't think alcohol will ever become as socially unacceptable as tobacco use, but societies may adopt a more cautious approach to its supply and marketing, resulting in less harm." Interactive graphic: Explore alcohol's toll on our health (requires Google Earth) Editorial: WHO fires first shots in the war on alcohol -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/8c8ed9cd/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 16:38:12 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 15:40:17 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] WHO fires first shots in the war on alcohol Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091018153801.01ff3bb0@ncf.ca> [Thanks to Peggy Oba for sending the first article "WHO launches worldwide war on booze"] "...But "passive drinking" is a misleading term. While drinking is like smoking in that it causes collateral damage, no one else (save an unborn or breastfed child) can passively consume the alcohol imbibed by another. Any harm results from a drinker's actions, not exposure to the substance itself...." http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427302.300-who-fires-first-shots-in-the-war-on-alcohol.html New Scientist Opinion WHO fires first shots in the war on alcohol 14 October 2009 CIGARETTES are good for your throat, according to advertisements from half a century ago. Today such claims are unthinkable, as smokers face malevolent stares of contempt whenever they light up. Die-hards apart, society now accepts the huge damage to health wreaked by smoking, both to smokers themselves and to others through passive smoking - a change in attitudes with huge benefits for public health. Now the World Health Organization is launching the first global war against alcohol abuse (see "First global strategy to deal with booze's dark side") Movie Camera . Can it replicate the success of the anti-smoking campaign? Some of the ways to curb excessive alcohol consumption are similar to those used against cigarettes, such as increasing taxes and reducing availability. We report on research that shows how these measures can penalise heavy boozers more than tipplers. And as with cigarettes, there may also be scope for making drinking less glamorous through clampdowns on marketing and advertising. In this magazine, we have argued that these kinds of policies should be drawn up on the basis of evidence of harmfulness - to individuals and to society. But the problems of alcohol abuse have in the past been taken lightly. Excessive drinking has often been accepted, even celebrated, with hangovers and ill-considered liaisons seen as comical interludes that lighten the daily grind. This attitude of casual acceptance is central to the challenge facing the WHO. It obscures a problem which killed 2.4 million people in 2004, half the toll of smoking, and is estimated to be behind 20 to 30 per cent of cases of cirrhosis of the liver, homicide and motor-vehicle accidents. The first line of attack, as with smoking, will be to get everyone to accept that alcohol abuse takes a huge toll. We need to erase the jolly caricature of the town drunk who occasionally falls off his stool. The WHO argues that we should borrow another aspect of the anti-smoking message and regulate so-called "passive drinking" - the effect on others of a person consuming alcohol - pointing to the role it plays in violence, family breakdown and road deaths. But "passive drinking" is a misleading term. While drinking is like smoking in that it causes collateral damage, no one else (save an unborn or breastfed child) can passively consume the alcohol imbibed by another. Any harm results from a drinker's actions, not exposure to the substance iself. Drinking, like smoking, causes collateral damage, but no one else is passively consuming the alcohol Talk of passive drinking deflects attention from a more shocking aspect of the problem. The overall harm caused by alcohol is greater than that caused by LSD or ecstasy, and not far behind cocaine. When society stops thinking of alcohol as as relaxing tipple and regards it as another drug, that will signal the biggest change in thinking of all. Comments Moderation Wed Oct 14 19:44:46 BST 2009 by billzfantazy BUT moderate drinking, according to much research, is good for your health. This situation is totally different to that of smoking or taking other drugs and the problem is that most measures to combat excessive drinking also hit the moderate drinkers. The only measure I can think of which would tackle excess drinking but not penalise moderate drinkers is a rationing system, but even that would be open to abuse. Fetal Alcohol Thu Oct 15 11:02:54 BST 2009 by Galaxiom Does Fetal Alcohol Syndrome count as damage from passive intoxication? Damage to our descendents are the insidious effects. It is a problem with all drugs. Education is an important strategy but the resources employed by alcohol marketers should not be underestimated. Pleasure Thu Oct 15 22:09:29 BST 2009 by judgedead So where does it stop. whilst i agree smoking should be banned alcohol is far less dangerous and we should be allowed to A make up our own minds and B have some pleasures left in life or is big brother determined to suppress all of our escapes. Reality Check Fri Oct 16 01:16:09 BST 2009 by Andrew Yes, it is known that alcohol does cause harm - nothing new there. But the bigger picture about the majority of peolpe that consume it, do so at responsible levels and actually derive enjoyment from it - be it the taste, flavour, or as an accompaniment to a meal or special occassion. Focussing on 'mothering' solutions such as higher taxes only penalises resposnible consumers. The hard-core alcoholics will still consume it, or move to even more dangerous forms of abuse or home conconctions. It is a relaxing tipple for goodness sake! Why do you think so many people enjoy it everyday of the year. Whoa Fri Oct 16 14:42:09 BST 2009 by Tony Dude. Have a drink. Lighten up. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/f0060ea1/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 16:59:20 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 16:04:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD Parent Retreat: Living with Hope: Saskatoon Nov. 13-14 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091018155228.0383e438@ncf.ca> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:16:33 -0600 From: FASD Network Communications Subject: Reminder--FASD Parent Retreat: Living with Hope Hello, The FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan would like to remind you of our upcoming Parent Retreat 2009: Living with Hope. This retreat is for parents and caregivers of children, youth or adults with FASD and is a chance to gather for learning, encouragement and relaxation. We still have some spaces left, but the registration deadline is just around the corner--October 20th, 2009. The Retreat is being held November 13th--14th, 2009 in Saskatoon, SK. Details are on the attached registration form. If you have questions, please feel free to call the Network office. ....2 versions of the registration form. .....[One is copied below]..... Please help us to invite parents of children, youth or adults with FASD by forwarding this information along to them. Beverly Palibroda Communications Coordinator FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan 208 510 Cynthia Street Saskatoon, SK S7L 7K7 Phone: (306) 975-0806 Toll Free: 1-866-673-3276 Fax: (306) 242-8007 Email: officeofbpalibroda@sasktel.net Parent Retreat 2009: Living with Hope A gathering for parents and caregivers of children, youth or adults with FASD Friday, November 13th, 1:00 p.m. to Saturday, November 14th, 3:30 p.m. Location: Saskatoon Inn 2002 Airport Drive Saskatoon, SK If you are a parent or caregiver of a child, youth or adult living with FASD we hope that you will join us. As a parent-led organization we know the importance for parents to come together with others who understand and care. This retreat is for you to enjoy a time of learning, encouragement and relaxation. You will hear information about some of the services and supports that are available to families living with FASD in Saskatchewan. Guest Speaker, Wendy Edey, of the Hope Foundation will talk about how living with hope has a positive effect on daily life and personal wellness. You will also have time to share stories of challenges and triumphs, to listen and to learn, to enjoy time away and to develop friendships and supports. Throughout the two-day retreat, you will attend a number of informative sessions with knowledgeable speakers, have opportunities to network with other parents and receive helpful printed materials. There will also be time to go out in the evening or enjoy the spa-like atmosphere at the hotel. We hope that you will find a way to join us at this retreat planned just for you. While we realize that finding childcare can be difficult, this event is for adults only. There is no cost to participate. Overnight accommodations are provided to out of town guests. Meals and registration are also complimentary. Please register early as space is limited. Priority will be given to residents of Saskatchewan. Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 20, 2009. ?Hope work is the art of giving hope in life?s difficult moments... Wherever people gather to face challenge and find a path to a positive future, that is where hope work belongs. ? -Wendy Edey Please send your completed registration form (next page) by email, fax or mail to: Lynette Janzen FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan Mail: 212?510 Cynthia Street Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7L 7K7 Email: fasdoffice@sasktel.net Fax: (306) 242-8007 Phone: (306) 975-0896 or 1-866-673-3276 Registration Form Please Print Number of children affected (suspected or diagnosed) by FASD: Ages of children affected (suspected or diagnosed) by FASD: Please note any special dietary needs and/or accessibility requirements: If you will be traveling from outside of Saskatoon, will you require complimentary overnight accommodations? Yes Smoking Non Smoking No Please send your completed registration form by email, fax or mail to: Lynette Janzen FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan Mail: 212?510 Cynthia Street Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7L 7K7 Email: fasdoffice@sasktel.net Fax: (306) 242-8007 Phone: (306) 975-0896 or 1-866-673-3276 Registration Deadline is Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Name Mailing Address City Province Postal Code Phone Work Phone Cell Phone *** Please note that The FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan will cover the cost of your room and taxes, but the hotel will require a $20 (refundable) key deposit, or credit card imprint upon check in for incidentals. Parent Retreat 2009: Living with Hope A gathering for parents and caregivers of children, youth or adults with FASD Friday, November 13th, 1:00 p.m. to Saturday, November 14th, 3:30 p.m. Location: Saskatoon Inn 2002 Airport Drive Saskatoon, SK Email Address -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/6a13d268/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Oct 18 17:06:10 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Oct 18 16:10:09 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Learn about FASD: Allan Mountford in Peterborough Nov. 5 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091016102205.03c31688@ncf.ca> http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2126549 The Peterborough Examiner News Briefs Posted 3 days ago [as of Oct. 18, 2009] LEARN ABOUT FASD The Healthy Families Workshop Series is offering a free workshop about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder for parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals. No registration is required. 'Cause It's Not My Fault: Understanding the Behaviour and Learning of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder will include Allan Mountford, a specialist in the disorder. Mountford is to discuss the environmental adaptations and communication strategies that will help children and teens with FASD live more fulfilling lives. He will discuss the impact of FASD on parents, caregivers and teachers and what they need to cope. The Peterborough County Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Committee is joining with the Healthy Families community partners to put on this workshop. It runs Nov. 5 from 7 to 9 p. m. at the Peterborough Lions Community Centre, 347 Burnham St. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091018/75d3adcb/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Oct 19 20:10:43 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Oct 19 19:16:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] October 2009 Edition of FASD Ontario News Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091019190926.042f2618@ncf.ca> Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:54:42 -0400 From: "Burgoyne, Wendy" FASD Stakeholders of Ontario is pleased to announce the availability of the October 2009 edition of FASD Ontario News. This newsletter provides information that will help people in Ontario work together to address FASD. It reports on the activities of FASD Stakeholders for Ontario, and shares news of relevance to individuals, caregivers and service providers in Ontario who are working in the area of FASD. This edition includes information about provincial FASD initiatives, awards receive by Bonnie Buxton and Brian Philcox, Connections, Ojibwe Moccasin Teachings, FASDay events across Ontario, groups that received FASD grants, an FASD clinic just for adults, and much more. The newsletter was edited by the Best Start Resource Centre. Development of the newsletter was supported by funding provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The newsletter is available online at: http://www.beststart.org/projects/index.html#fasd Wendy Burgoyne Interim Best Start Manager Best Start Resource Centre Health Nexus / Nexus Sant? 418 Mary Street East Thunder Bay, Ontario P7E 4K3 Tel: 1-800-397-9567 x2279 1-807-623-2922 Email: w.burgoyne@healthnexus.ca Formerly Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse/Anciennement Le Centre Ontarien d'information en pr?vention ********************************************************************