On Friday March 1, The Royal hosted its 16th annual Inspiration Awards, presented by TD Group. This event honours people who have inspired awareness about mental health and hope for individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Each of their histories is gripping and unique, yet there are common threads that bind them together. They have had to overcome societal biases about mental illness. They have changed the way people think about mental health and advocated for better services. They have given hope to others who are suffering. They are proof that one person can make a difference.
This year’s gala raised more than $520,000 to benefit patient care and research at The Royal.
One thread binding many of the award winners together is the power of grassroots mobilization to create meaningful connection and change. Whether that’s creating spaces to support other people, like Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario does for parents and Gabrielle Eyahpaise does for young adults living with OCD, or it’s recognizing a need and working to support peers, as with Ottawa Paramedic Peer Support, their stories show that a few people gathering together can become a powerhouse for mental health.
Margaret Trudeau, Honourary Patron of The Royal, attended the gala and met with award recipients beforehand. She is a former patient of The Royal, and an inspiration to many living with mental illness. Her openness about living with bipolar disorder has changed the way people around the world view mental illness.
Meet our amazing Inspiration Award recipients:
Chris Nihmey - Personal
By day, Chris was a proud elementary school teacher. Yet, by night, he would alienate himself to survive.
In 2001, Chris was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. No longer was Chris able to hide behind his mask. He resigned from the job he loved and retreated into the dark of his parents’ basement for months; only to leave for doctor’s appointments.
Eventually, treatment started to take effect and Chris returned to teaching part-time. However, still fearing stigma, he kept his diagnosis a secret. At the encouragement of his father, Chris began writing about his mental health challenges and published his first novel. Writing was only the beginning. Chris had found his voice and dedicated himself to raising public awareness about mental health and inspiring hope, resilience, and healing.
Since 2014, Chris has regularly participated in The Royal’s Is It Just Me? mental health education program for youth. Chris was nationally recognized as a “Face of Mental Illness” with the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and was presented with a Mayor’s City Builder Award.
Dr. Denis Riordan – Community
Denis Riordan, Ph.D. aptly describes his journey with helping his daughter as a marathon. In 2016, while residing in Nova Scotia, Denis’ accomplished 30-year-old daughter was unexpectedly diagnosed with schizophrenia. Denis, with no caregiving experience, quickly dedicated himself to helping his daughter. He relocated to Ottawa and became a mental health advocate almost overnight.
In two short years, Denis sought help and information from wherever he could. Denis began attending every counselling group or educational program available to learn how to support his daughter. One of these important programs was The Royal’s Family Information and Support Groups. There, Denis not only learned about community resources that may be of benefit to his daughter, but equally important, to him as a caregiver. Denis now not only supports, but also leads many of these presentations. In addition, Denis is helping The Royal develop new technology to assist caregivers like him. Denis is tirelessly devoted to mental health advocacy and education and is working to replicate Ottawa’s several mental health caregiving programs, in Halifax.
Gabrielle Eyahpaise – Youth
At the age of 14, Gabrielle was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Left home-bound, and often bed-bound, she began feeling helpless and became suicidal. Gabrielle celebrated both her 17th and 18th birthdays as a patient in the Youth Psychiatry Program at The Royal.
As Gabrielle began to recover, she also began to feel less alone. Inspired to continue in her healing, she travelled to the International OCD Conference and learned about Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a treatment that would ultimately work for her.
In addition, Gabrielle also began attending local support groups, such as OCD Ottawa. Within a year, she became the OCD Ottawa youth group lead, offering her own experiences and knowledge with participants.
Today, Gabrielle continues to speak publicly. Her openness and honesty has encouraged many youth to open up, feel understood, and no longer alone.
Parent’s Lifeline of Eastern Ontario (PLEO) – Community
From its inception as a parent-led movement to its current vital service of offering support for parents and families across the Ottawa region, Parent’s Lifeline of Eastern Ontario (PLEO) has become a critical system component that effectively supports clients where and when they need help. PLEO has taken a leadership role in breaking down stigma by reaching out to the community to increase understanding and tolerance. For the last 20 years, this grassroots organization has been providing resources, support, and skills to enable and empower the voice of parents and families.
Last year alone, they participated in 48 community events and their monthly enewsletter reached close to 1,500 individuals.
Dr. Natalia Jaworska, 2019 Young Researcher of Mental Health
For Dr. Natalia Jaworska, science has an important value outside the lab.
When she is not busy conducting innovative research to better understand the biological underpinnings of mental illness, Dr. Jaworska is working hard to collaboratively influence change in mental health practice and policy, and de-stigmatize depression and related conditions within society.
Her research is already making a significant impact on the mental health care landscape, and is leading to new discoveries, the development of novel therapies, and improvements in public health.
Using various brain imaging techniques, Dr. Jaworska’s clinical research is mainly focused on examining brain profiles associated with treatment response. She uses brain-based and cognitive/behavioural assessments in conjunction with innovative approaches in machine learning and artificial intelligence to study mental illness and aid in the development of new, research-informed treatment options.
Because depression often emerges in 16-24 year olds – and because various health agencies have published warnings regarding the use of some drug therapies in this age bracket – she also examines the usefulness of alternative, non-drug therapies in treating mental illness in this population. One of her latest studies, for example, seeks to better understand how aerobic exercise impacts the brain and mental illness – and whether physical activity prescribed at a particular intensity can serve as an effective course of treatment for depressed youth.
At a time when research studies are still often focussed on male subjects, Dr. Jaworska is also a fierce advocate for women’s mental health research and care.
Overall, Dr. Jaworska has helped to increase awareness of mental health issues in the scientific community and the public sphere. She strongly believes that research should not be carried out in silos, and engages with peers, policy makers and the public to help shape healthier communities.
In keeping with her research focus on adolescents, she has also contributed to the development of treatment guidelines for depressed youth, and has evaluated mental health initiatives and services on Canadian post-secondary campuses.
Ottawa Paramedic Peer Support Team – Transformational
Day and night – first responders are on the frontline of traumatic events, caring and protecting each of us. There is an unimaginable mental toll these experiences inflict on a person. Up until recently, there was minimal support and intervention for first responders who were experiencing a reaction or stress as a result of an incident. Enter the creation of the Ottawa Paramedic Peer Support Team.
This voluntary 50-member Team, allows first responders 24/7 access to one-on-one support and crisis intervention resources. The Team is readily available to help stabilize, normalize, and refer to an appropriate higher level of care if required. In addition, the Team offers support and education to friends and family, raising awareness for signs that could indicate a partner is struggling with their mental health.
Incredibly, the Ottawa Paramedic Peer Support Team always puts their peers before themselves helping in times of crisis, educating and decreasing stigma. Their passion, work and continued efforts in mental health advocacy are truly transformational.