What are skills building workshops?
Pathways SMIS is launching a NEW series of intensive, interactive skills building workshops. These workshops are designed to be a short, no-commitment necessary opportunity to understand and develop skills you need to grow and better support yourself, your family, and your loved one with a mental illness. All workshops will be led by volunteers with living experience of caring for a loved one with a mental illness.

Who are the workshops for?
These workshops are for families, significant others and friends of a loved one that is living with a mental illness. Participants are expected to have their camera on during the workshop. We’ve seen that this helps to create a trusting environment in which everyone feels comfortable sharing their experiences as a caregiver.

They are not for professionals in the mental health field or those living with a mental illness or mental health condition.

How are the workshops different from Pathways SMIS Family-To-Family course?
The workshops are designed to be highly interactive, and a space for you to actively build on and develop the skills that you encountered in the Family-to-Family course.

How are the workshops different from Pathways SMIS support groups?
The workshops are a space for you to strengthen relationships you have started to cultivate with our families in our support groups and our Family-To-Family course. They are an opportunity to build and develop skills at a time when you are not in crisis, after you have taken time out to rest following a crisis, when you are feeling stronger and ready to learn and grow.

What are the goals of the skills building workshop series?
Skills building workshop participants will:

Collaborate: we believe it is important for families to build connections and collaborate with each other. This series provides opportunities for families to problem solve, network and build on each other’s expertise.

Develop and practice skills: participants will be challenged to put the theory behind different problem-solving, communication, self-care and emotional skills to better care for themselves and their ill loved ones into practice.

Go deeper: participants will be deepen their knowledge and awareness, starting the process of growth, transformation and self-empowerment with a community who have similar experiences to them.

Create a community of practice: a community of practice is a group who share common concerns and who learn how to do something better by interacting regularly. In these workshops, participants will have the space to develop, maintain and strengthen the relationships they have made with Pathways SMIS families. Together we will widen the circle of strength that is Pathways SMIS.

Upcoming workshops:
More details coming soon.