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Justice system struggles with FASD

January 26th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Justice system struggles with FASD)

Estimates of people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the adult prison population are as high as 50 to 80 per cent

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of disabilities that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. It is the leading known cause of developmental disability in Canada.

The serious health, social and economic impacts of FASD are now being recognized. In the province of Alberta, for example, it’s estimated that half of all children in care have FASD; one study has estimated that half of all young offenders have the disability as well. FASD is also widespread among inmates in Canadian prisons. Although research suggests that up to half of the prison population has FASD, little has been done within corrections to address this problem. (more…)

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Lone MLA takes up ‘welfare challenge’

January 26th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Jagrup Brar, nearing the end of his money, and living in SRO on the Downtown Eastside, is learning about poverty

On May 25, 2011, Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood, B.C., received a letter from a group called Raise the Rates entitled ‘MLA Welfare Challenge’. The coalition, which is concerned about poverty, inequality and homelessness in British Columbia, was inviting the province’s MLAs to spend a month living on what an individual would receive on income assistance—$610 a month. Fast forward to January 2012, and Jagrup Brar—the only MLA who signed up for the month-long Welfare Challenge—has recently settled into an SRO living space on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and is running low on money. He’s noticeably thinner than he was at the start of the month. Jagrup Brar is blogging about his experiences online. (more…)

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Dream analysis for the everyday dreamer

January 26th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Dream analysis for the everyday dreamer)

C.G. Jung viewed dreams as offering a snapshot of our current mental condition, alerting us to problem areas

Carl Gustav Jung was a psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology. He is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as “by nature religious” and to make it the focus of exploration. Jung emphasized the individuation of a person. The process might be described as being all that we can be by uncovering the hidden parts of our personality through dreams, active imagination and self-observation.

A Nanaimo group interested in Jung’s approach to dream interpretation will hold a public lecture on the evening of Saturday February 4, 2012. (more…)

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Hotels may get low-income option

January 21st, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

“New buildings take capital and time,” said Tom Grauman, executive director with the Columbia Centre Society. “The appeal of motels is that they are already contained units that just need refurbishing.”

Nanaimo city staff members could soon investigate the potential to turn hotel suites into low-income rentals.

The new research will be geared towards providing new options to hotels and motels looking to exit the hospitality industry. City staff members say the new hotel tax exemption bylaw is expected to increase the stock of quality hotel rooms in Nanaimo, but it could also make the industry too competitive for those already struggling with low occupancy rates.

Read the rest of this article at Nanaimo Daily News.

Psych meds heavily used on BC elders

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Psych meds heavily used on BC elders)

Government report says that over half of the elders in British Columbia care homes are given anti-psychotic medications

The B.C. ministry of health released a report [opens to PDF] in December which revealed that just over half of all elders in residential care facilities are being medicated with anti-psychotic drugs. The report identified a need for greater awareness of issues surrounding dementia and health care consent. Advocates and experts in the care of elders are concerned about the high rate of atypical anti-psychotic use in long-term care settings. (more…)

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Getting connected to make a difference

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

187 members and 11 campaigns later, SocialCoast.org has grown and is beginning to make its impact felt

SocialCoast.org was established in spring 2011 to provide the Victoria region with an online hub—a social network—for community activism. Since the start, founder Eric Nordal and his partners have been working to fine tune the online portal and increase its presence and impact. 187 members and 11 campaigns later, SocialCoast.org is making a difference, helping socially conscious people to get informed, get connected, and get involved. (more…)

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