What are Pathways SMIS public lectures?
Our long-running Public Lecture Series are a space for the general public to learn more about specific aspects of mental illness and treatments available as well as issues that concern those with mental illness. They are typically delivered by experts in the field and service providers. Each lecture is followed by a question and answer session that is open to the audience.
Since its inception in 1989, Pathways SMIS Public Lectures have been held four times a year in the auditorium at Lions Gate Hospital, North Vancouver, with occasional presentations in the Sea-to-Sky corridor.
January 2021 update: our public lectures are currently taking place online via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023 Public Lectures
Pathways Advocacy Committee Lecture Series:
Considerations and Risks of MAiD for Mental Illness
November 21st, 2023 | 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | Online
Speakers: Dr. John Maher
Pathways Spotlight Series: VCH CAR 87/88
September 13th, 2023 | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
Speakers: Jay Diell and Wendy Braun
Pathways Lecture Series: Heads Up Guys
September 7th, 2023 | 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | OnlineGuest Speakers: Dr. John Ogrodniczuk
Pathways Lecture Series: Foundry North Shore
June 22nd, 2023 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Online
Guest Speakers: Nicole Kennedy and Dana Warburton.
Will and Estates: Townhall Q&A Session
June 14th, 2023 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
Guest Speakers: Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz
Will and Estates Planning Workshop – Part 2
May 30th, 2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
Part 2- Guest Speakers: Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz
Will and Estates Planning Workshop – Part 1
May 23rd, 2023 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
Part 1- Guest Speakers: Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz
Spotlight: Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) – Level 2
May 17th, 2023 | 7 pm – 8:45 pm | Online
Level 2- Guest Speaker: Plan Institute
Spotlight: Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) – Level 1
April 12th, 2023 | 7 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
Level 1- Guest Speaker: Plan Institute
Financial Planning for Families Affected by Mental Illness
December 8th, 2022 | 7 pm – 8:30 pm | Online
With Financial Advisors Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz.
A Pathway to Hope—BC’s new plan to begin transforming the province’s mental health and substance use service system.
October 20th, 2022 | 12 pm – 1:00 pm | Online
With Scott Carlson, Director of Child and Youth Partnerships and Planning in the Child, Youth and Mental Health Policy; Charlene Yousefi, District Program Developer, supporting the implementation of Integrated Child and Youth Teams in Richmond; and Siv Buchmuller, Senior Policy Analyst in the Child, Youth and Mental Health Policy.
Creating Loving Boundaries – For Safe Communication and Fulfilling Relationships
May 17th, 2022 | 6:30 PM-8:00 PM | Online
With Melissa Ander, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC).
The North Shore’s New Mental Health Car: Car 22
March 8th, 2022 | 7:00 PM-8:30 PM | Online
With Corporal Neil Jones, Mental Health Liaison Officer for North Vancouver RCMP.
2021 Public Lectures
Wills & Estates Planning Workshop
Two Part Series | December 2nd & December 7th, 2021 | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM | Online
With Financial Advisors, Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz.
North Shore Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) Focus Groups
October 18th, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30 PM | Online
With the Executive Director of the CMHA, Julia Kaisla
Panel Discussion: Living With Serious Mental Illness: Setbacks, Secret Powers & Stability
November 4th, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30PM | Online
With four speakers who have lived experience of a serious mental illness including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Self-care for Family Caregivers
October 18th, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30PM | Online
With Life Coach and Self-love Mentor, Anita Papp.
Financial Planning for Families Affected by Mental Illness Q&A: Ask Us Anything
September 27th, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30PM | Online
With Financial Advisors, Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz.
Understanding the Stigmatization of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
September 8th, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30PM | Online
With Suzanne Cunningham, mental health advocate and person with lived experience of and recovery from BPD.
fMRI & Metacognitive Training: Looking at brain activity and thinking patterns to understand and treat the symptoms of schizophrenia
May 31st, 2021 | 7:00 PM-8:30PM | Online
With Todd Woodward PhD, researcher and director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Schizophrenia (CNoS) lab in the department of Psychiatry at UBC.
To find out more about Todd’s work, please visit:
https://woodwardlab.med.ubc.ca/donate/
2020 Public Lectures
Wills and Estate Planning Workshop – A two-part series
December 2020
Financial Advisors, Bill Murdock and Ania Ferensowicz help families plan financially for the future of adult children living with serious mental illness. This workshop covers topics such as life insurance, hidden tax systems, investing for trusts, RDSP’s and more.
What to expect when you dial 911 for a mental health crisis
September 2020
Corporal Neil Jones, Mental Health Liaison with the North Vancouver RCMP, speaks about his experiences and insights related to his role in supporting individuals and families who are in mental health crises in our community. He tells us what to expect when we call 911 and how to advocate for our loved ones when working with first responders.
2019 Public Lectures
How to Best Support a Loved One with Mental Illness
November 2019
Ryan Phillips, former professional hockey player, will tell us his first hand story of dealing with a Mental Illness. Todd Ritchey will speak along side him and share his expertise as an Addiction Specialist, Author, and the founder of Trilluminate Inc.
Anosognosia – Impaired Awareness of Illness – Finding Clarity in Chaos
September 2019
Dr. D. Fredrikson will discuss and explore the concept and impact of Anosognosia and possibilities for paths of recovery.
The Future of Mental Health
May 2019
Drs. Allan Burgmann, HOpe Centre, Lions Gate and Apu Chakraborty, St. Paul’s Hospital will discuss the future of mental health.
A personal story with PTSD
February 2019
Curt Petrovich, award-winning investigative journalist with over three decades experience reporting on national and international stories for the CBC, shares his own story with PTSD.
2018 Public Lectures
Clozapine – It’s Unique Effectiveness in Refractory Psychosis
November 2018
Dr. Randall F. White, Medical Director, B.C. Psychosis Program & VCH Medical Director Vancouver Community Mental Health and Substance Use Services.
From Biology to Beliefs- Understanding the Bio-Psycho-Social Model of Psychosis
September 2018
Dr. Menon, Psychologist, BC Psychosis Program UBC and Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry UBC.
Specific Psychological and Medical Benefits of Meeting Physical Activity Goals
May 2018
Dr. Remick is the former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Clinics of the Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia (MDA) offering accessible patient centric novel and innovative methods of treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.
Let’s Talk About Patient Care in Mental Health and Addictions
January 2018
A panel discussion including Jane Thornthwaite, MLA North Vancouver; Dr. Dianne McIntosh, Psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC; Dale Handley, Head Nurse, Carlisle Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre.
2017 Public Lectures
Cognitive Remediation (CR) In Psychotic Disorders – The Implications and Opportunities
November 2017
Dr. Todd Woodward. CR is a program designed to address the cognitive losses associated with mental illness, such as processing speed, memory, executive functioning, and motivation. Cognitive Remediation.
The Power of Hope – First Hand, Front Line Story
September 2017
There were 780 Drug Overdoses in B.C. January 1 to June 30th 2017, on track for a 70 percent increase over last year. Clive Derbyshire, Vancouver, B.C.
Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
May 2017
Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, MD, FRCPC, FAPA, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, UBC.
New Research in Using TMS to Treat Psychosis
January 2017
Dr. Fidel Vila Rodriguez, MD, FRCPC, FAPA, Assistant Professor, UBC, Director, Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Therapies Laboratory and Schizophrenia Program.