Majid Jowhari, MP for Richmond Hill
Home on the Hill was recognized for
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION
Our work with those affected by serious mental illness by presenting us with this Certificate of Recognition on International Women’s Day, 2020. Our organization will always be grateful for his continued support. In 2018, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) named Majid Jowhari as a Parliamentary Mental Health Champion
Anonymous, Caregiver
I am blown away by all your Advocacy work, blogging, networking and fundraising. Home on the Hill is an inspiration to all of us. I am so thankful that Marvin and Lawrence gave me information on Home On The Hill. It is such a welcoming and supportive group. The organization is filling in the gaps where services are non existent or lacking in providing adequate programs most of them made impossible for the applicant to apply due to bureaucratic red tape
Anonymous, Caregiver
Wanted to thank you for connecting me to the LEAP training which I attended last Wednesday. It was amazing. While I have read Dr. Amador’s book and watched his video clips, the first-hand experience of personally attending his training (though virtually) made a difference. I truly have deepened my understanding of anosognosia and re-familiarized myself with the LEAP tools. I wish it was a day long or days long training as there was so much to learn and practice.
Also, I am so grateful for the financial support of Home on the Hill. I didn’t expect a subsidy but a receipt for tax purpose. I was blown away when I received a cheque from Maggie in the mail. It really helped as I no longer work and my husband’s small business was temporarily shut down due to the pandemic. During this difficult time, any penny counts. Thank you for your generous support!
TESTIMONIALS
Anonymous, Caregiver
“I have been reviewing the videos of your Lecture Series. They are extremely helpful. Thanks so much for sharing these amazing resources on your website.”
Isha, Summer Student
I was honoured to be the selected student from the Canada Summer Student Jobs Program this past summer. I helped Home on the Hill with their website and their social media involvement. My few months has changed my outlook on how I see things. Mental illness is something that is a very sensitive topic to talk about. As a nursing student and as a human I was able to see that the group is able to provide the best support guidance and love to every individual They have many programs and activities, which can help individuals, but I want to talk about the Friday lunches. I was a part of this group and I learned one thing. No matter who and what you are, you are always accepted and you can always flaunt your talents. Everyone is so welcomed and there is always a feel of family. I am really pleased to be a part of this community.
Maria, Caregiver
I am pictured here taking part in a Home on the Hill Art Class for clients and family caregivers. I am pleased to share my experience with you as a caregiver of an adult son with serious mental illness. My family and I, in the course of our never-ending journey through the mental health system, have met many doctors, social workers, nurses and therapists in a few hospital settings.
Of course, health care practitioners deal with science-based, symptom-oriented facts and rational conclusions. Diagnosis and treatment are their goals. Families, especially parents, on the other hand, deal with the very human and emotional side of the illness. Add that to the fact that family members of adults with mental illness are not privy to information about their loved ones’ condition and treatment, and you have a situation where families feel isolated and hopeless.
Yes, there are group activities and ACT team monitoring the patient, but each family is left on the sidelines, afraid and unable to reach out to anyone, partly because of stigma and partly because they are mostly left out of the equation.
It is simplistic to say that families should come together and support each other in any way they can, but this is difficult, due to stigma, fear, lack of knowledge, and other factors.
It’s very hard to find a place where a family can find acceptance, education and insight, hands-on and practical support, and initiatives geared to helping and engaging the stuggling mentally-ill patient, a place where a family feels validated in a non-judgmental way.
And then, it was my good fortune to find Home on the Hill.
Their initiatives to push for improved mental health resources, the support groups and social activities they have created, and public education seminars, are of value to everyone. But in addition to this, the emotional support , the sense of belonging, the personal, non-judgmental interaction, and knowledge that there is a place where I can share my concerns freely, have given me a great sense of relief and renewed self-esteem. I no longer feel alone in my journey. While these are not in the category of concrete accomplishments, they are of enormous comfort and help. In unity there is strength, and with this personal support system at my side, I feel stronger and no longer isolated. This is what enables me and my family, to continue our journey, knowing there is a group of people who have taken a personal interest in helping me along the way. I have found a haven.
Anonymous, Caregiver
Home on the Hill has been a lifesaver for my son and me. They’re a non-profit organization that provides services to people struggling with severe mental illness. They also provide support to the families. My son looks forward all week to the fun outings provided free of charge by this incredible agency. And I, have rediscovered my love for art there while meeting the kindest most compassionate lifelong friends. It’s an understatement to say that I’m incredibly grateful to Home on the Hill. It has literally been a God sent. The sad part is that the Town of Richmond Hill does not view their services as essential, and recently cut funds to it. The paintings posted here are done by the people who attend the weekly Art Expression meeting. Some of these people are so isolated that they don’t see anyone else throughout the week. Yet they have big smiles on their faces as they get lost in the warm atmosphere of the get-together. They enjoy a warm cup of coffee and art supplies while being able to express their anguish and sometimes unspeakable thoughts.
But all this is in question now. Without funds, these services cannot continue to exist and provide the same level of support to the many needy and isolated families that struggle with the harsh reality of mental illness
Please consider buying a painting for $20 or donating to Home on The Hill. I assure you that the impact you’ll have will be far-reaching and most gratefully received!
Thank you❤
Anonymous, Caregiver
Editor’s Note: Contact Home on the Hill at info@home-on-the-hill.ca to see other paintings for sale. Recently, the majority on the Richmond Hill Council voted to cancel the Community and Cultural Grant Fund which helped fund the Peer Group Recreation Program which this mom’s son attends. Home on the Hill made a presentation on March 11/20 to ask that the Council rescind this motion. Home on the Hill is grateful to those on Council who support Home on the Hill. The video of the presentation can be seen on the Robert Veltheer Lecture Series page.
Anonymous, Caregiver
“I can only say that Home on the Hill has anchored me and enabled me to go on…..thank you.”
Anonymous, York Region Resident
In late 2017 I had my first encounter with the Home On The Hill group as they were referred to me by 360 Kids Intake Personnel. Prior to this I searched relentlesly for any kind of support as my grandson had a second more intense psychosic episode. My husband and I raised our grandson and after his first year of University, away from home, this all started.
The first hospital and psychiatrist provided us with little or no information although we tried so hard to obtain information. Even our family doctor was told by the psychiatrist not to get involved. So when the second episode occurred, we were lost and felt helpless, to say the least.
Then I spoke with a volunteer staff from Home on the Hill. She patiently listened, only pausing to ask pertinent questions as needed. This is the kind of response that I and my husband needed : someone to listen and understand and say ‘we hear you we know about this, it has happened to us and with others with our loved ones!’
I felt like someone pulled me up from the deep end and my lungs were filled with air. I was breathing again!
This supportive group is so essential for families facing this crisis situation of inadequate services for those with serious mental illness which is destroying our society. Only the ones faced with this illness truly understand the enormity and need for action. A new approach/model of care is needed for dealing with these very complex multi-faceted serious illnesses that our society shuns away from mostly because of fear and ignorance.
To our elected officials, communities, please hear us, we need your immediate help to this urgent call for support and change. Let’s all work together as the subject of serious mental illness is bigger than our society wants to admit to. We must bring about new models of care within our medical and other support systems.
Thank you Home On The Hill for your continued efforts and hard work. Our families appreciate and support you!
Horatio, Program Participant
The reason Home on the Hill works, is simple. The Staff knows exactly what you are going through from a client’s perspective. Why? Either because they have a mental illness, or they have a family member who has a mental illness, or because they have compassion that has come from their knowledge of mental illness. At Home on the Hill, the Staff and Clients interact with one another. Home on the Hill actually gives Clients confidence, raises self-esteem, and provides a healthy environment. The goal of Home on the Hill is to provide opportunities for the Client to succeed. The therapeutic aspect of Home on the Hill that I find is this: the social interactions with other Clients, learning from them, as well as the Clients learning from you.
John, Program Leader
About 3 years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I had to spend some time in hospital where I was given medication and proper treatment. My recovery has been extremely successful. Fast forward three years later and I am working full time and pretty much fully recovered. I wanted to give back to the mental health community so I reached out to my local MP Majid Jowhari, the MP of Richmond Hill. To my surprise and delight he is very passionate about Mental Health. Shortly afterward I connected with Home On The Hill. They were looking for a volunteer to start a mental health band – a band where people with mental health issues can come together and play music.
The band has been a very fun way to connect with others who have mental illnesses. I look forward to it every week. It’s extremely therapeutic and fun. We plan on recording our first album in August this year and team up with MP Jowhari to host a mental health awareness event/album release party.
I’m overjoyed with the progress we’ve made and I look forward to more milestones to come.
Anonymous Donor
Thank you for all the wonderful work you do. Home on the Hill has made a huge difference in our son’s life.
Anonymous, Family Support and Respite Program Participant
The outings and socialization are very important in our self-care. The empathy and understanding in sharing our experiences together in the family support group has been very helpful. There is useful advice about how to advocate for more integrated services for our loved ones. Group members relieved my feelings of exhaustion and being overburdened by reaching out to me in a way that helped when the health system was putting up barriers.
Anonymous, Caregiver
The Home on the Hill family support group meets my needs in that it offers interaction with caregivers such as myself to discuss challenges and concerns. Many times, we receive comfort and consolation in knowing that we are not alone. Many times, we are given suggestions and ideas that may assist in supporting our loved one who is struggling with their mental health challenge.
The social outings, holiday parties and presentations are a very integral part of the group. It offers an outing outside of our daily routine and allows for us, the caregivers, to spend some time with each other to socialize. The information presentations are very helpful and much needed to assist in our life planning.
Anonymous, Caregiver
The Home on the Hill family support group are the only people who understand the trauma and devastation that I have gone through, because they have gone through it themselves. The listen with care and empathy. They do not judge, dismiss or disrespect my feelings, like other ‘friends’ and family do. We exchange ideas and suggestions that have worked or that may work. The respite program offer activities which provide much needed relief, a break from the endless exhaustion, stress and sadness that engulf our lives. Home on the Hill provides needed, valued information sessions for us. For example, the wills/estate lawyer gave us specific information about wills when you have dependent adult children, like our group members do.
Anonymous, Family Caregiver
I don’t attend your respite groups or support groups (too far for me to travel and also they are usually at night and I can’t see well at night to drive). However, I do attend occasionally your Lecture Series and believe these are positive because they have very informative Lectures which I like to hear.
Thank You Home on the Hill for all your hard work to keep this organization going!
You are Amazing!!
God help you in your future endeavors to keep all this going and in motion!
With admiration and respect.
Anonymous, Parent of Adult Child with Mental Illness
We welcome the opportunity to socialize with fellow caregivers. At these events we get to know each other as people, rather as individuals under stress.
