Category Archive

October 6 to 12 is Mental Illness Awareness Week! Held annually during the first week of October, Mental Illness Awareness Week is a public education campaign in Canada designed to increase our understanding of the realities of mental illnesses. This year, Mental Illness Awareness Week happens to coincide with World Mental Health Day, a global celebration to raise awareness of … Read More

Submitted by Aamena Kapasi Attending the International Congress of Law and Mental Health in Rome, Italy, was a fantastic experience. This international multidisciplinary conference provided an excellent opportunity for me to learn about different aspects of the interaction between law and mental health from individuals in different disciplines and from all around the world. I also enjoyed exploring the historic … Read More

The Manitoba FASD Coalition is a provincial collaborative network of people and organizations who come together to support prevention, education, research and intervention work in the field of FASD. In 2014, at a province-wide coalition meeting, a group of Manitobans-  including parents of children with FASD, women who used alcohol during pregnancy, community members, First Nations communities, government and service … Read More

Kaitlyn McLachlan, Ph.D., C. Psych. is an Assistant Professor in CPA-Accredited Clinical Psychology program at the University of Guelph. She is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (as well as British Columbia, out of province status). She completed her graduate training in Clinical Psychology (MA, PhD) at Simon Fraser University and a postdoctoral fellowship with the … Read More

CanFASD staff have recently put together a document for Caregivers of individuals with FASD, titled ‘Succession Planning: What parents & caregivers of a loved one with FASD need to know’. This resource is intended to help guide you in planning for your child/loved one, when you are no longer around to take care of them, including information on: Estate Planning Trusts Guardianship … Read More

Thinking Outside the Box – An Interview with Dr. Ana Hanlon-Dearman Dr. Ana Hanlon-Dearman is a Developmental Paediatrician and the Medical Director of the Manitoba FASD Centre. As a Developmental Paediatrician, Dr. Hanlon-Dearman treats children with cognitive, learning, and behavioural disabilities. This includes children diagnosed with disabilities such as FASD, ADAH, and autism. She has spent the majority of her … Read More

With the recent celebration of FASD day on September 9th, society is being exposed to more information on FASD. It is important to be aware of the language we use when speaking about FASD, in order to prevent perpetuating misinformed beliefs. One such phrase that is often used to describe FASD is that FASD is “100% preventable”. This statement is … Read More

Dr. Jacqueline Pei, known as Jacquie to her friends and colleagues, has been involved with the Canada FASD Research Network now for about 10 years. Jacquie wears multiple hats with the CanFASD team. Not only does she lead the Intervention Network Action Team (INAT), she is also the Senior Research Lead with our organization. “I feel as though I currently … Read More

Issue Individuals with FASD face a great deal of stigma because of their diagnosis, their perceived abilities, and society’s preconceived ideas of their character. The stereotypes and discrimination experienced by individuals with FASD is both external (i.e., in society) and internal (i.e., within the individual). Our newly released issue paper focuses on the ways individuals with FASD experience stigma, the … Read More

Dr. Mansfield Mela, MBBS, FWACP, MRC (Psych), MSc, FRCPCDr. Mansfield Mela is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan. His clinical practice is out of the Forensic Outpatient Clinic at University of Saskatchewan and the Forensic Inpatients Services at Regional Psychiatric Center, Saskatoon. Dr. Mela’s recent research studies include psychiatric drug use in sex offenders, FASD in forensic … Read More