Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

A Reason to Hope.  The Means to Cope.

Strengthening Families Together

Delivered by family members who have direct experience with the psychiatric illness of a loved one, and enhanced by invited speakers with topical expertise, Strengthening Families Together (SFT) is a Canadian-based educational program focusing on the signs and symptoms of mental illness, causes and treatment options, developing coping skills, navigating the local mental health care system, and applying effective advocacy strategies. 

There is no cost to participate in the SFT Program.  Each SFT session runs for 10 consecutive weeks (not including statutory holidays), and two hours are allotted on a single day each week (with a break half way through).  For the upcoming SFT schedule in Nova Scotia, contact the SSNS by email at ssns@ns.sympatico.ca.

Delivery of Strengthening Families Together is supported by grants from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

About Strengthening Families Together

Helping families and friends find ways to cope with psychosis is important to both the ill person and the family as a whole. Siblings may feel disenfranchised, wondering what is going on at home and why their brother or sister is acting so strangely. Family members and friends often feel overwhelmed, hearing for the first time about anti-psychotic medications, early intervention approaches, and what “being psychotic” really means. They may need to adjust their expectations and lifestyle, learn new information about mental illness, psychosis and recovery, and discover the challenges of navigating the health system.

Participating in an education program such as Strengthening Families Together gives families and friends an opportunity to discover the information they are searching for in an environment of mutual support. It teaches them how to reduce their own stress levels, and it better equips them to take on their new responsibilities. And it can show them a future where recovery is possible.

To read the Strengthening Families Together program outline, click here.