NEON North East Ontario Consumer Survivor Network

NEON SEES North East Ontario Consumer/Survivor Network Supports, Empowers & Educates Society; Consumer/survivors, of mental health services, family members and friends, community, professionals & society Around the issues relevant to mental health, mental illness & mental wellness…

NEON AGM AUGUST 2010

Who We Are NEON is a strong and diverse group of individuals in northeastern Ontario who support, empower and educate society around the issues relevant to mental health, mental illness and wellness. MISSION STATEMENT North East Ontario Consumer/Survivor Network (NEON) is a networking body linking, supporting and educating all consumer/survivor and family organizations in the Northeast region.

Our Goals NEON’s goals are… To ease the geographic and social isolation throughout the region. We do this by sharing stories about our common experiences, to demystify the myths of mental illness. NEON works toward providing a comprehensive framework for communication. To serve as consumer/survivor voice at all levels of government throughout North-Eastern Ontario. Through public education we continue to educate ourselves and other to promote community wellness.

What We Do NEON provides opportunities for its membership to participate in learning activities. We provide workshops to allow our members to gain valuable skills and knowledge to provide peer support using best and promising practices with the purpose of improving the quality of life for consumers and their families in northeastern Ontario.

TEAM BUILDING AUGUST 2010

Member Benefits Access to a knowledge exchange network Peer networking opportunities Access to peer support for the peer supporter Paid and/or volunteer opportunities Professional development opportunities Access to no and/or low cost organizational development assistance

Member Benefits Cont’d Upon request NEON can provide the following services to member organizations: Board development and training Policy development Strategic planning Operational planning Fundraising assistance Human resource management assistance Program development and evaluations Advocacy with various community groups and government bodies

NETWORKING AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS

Why a Regional Network Funding was identified and issued to the 14 Ontario regions and when we first received this funding from the Ministry, the Minister of Health stated: “$30,000 reflects an increase to your budget to fulfill your role as the designated lead for your LHIN. In this role you will bring your regional CSIs together to work on planning, coordination and input to your LHIN. Also, you will work cooperatively with the other provincial network leads on relevant items”.

Why a Regional Network Cont’d “Consumer Survivor Initiatives in Ontario: Building for an Equitable Future” “CSIs in Ontario and elsewhere are proving their worth and could well be the fastest growing type of service in the mental health systems throughout the world over the next 20 years. They are a very new type of service and the people who participate in them are disadvantaged by their experience of marginalization and stigma. For all these reasons policymakers, funders, planners, researchers and development agencies in Ontario must give urgent and ongoing attention and resources to CSIs and their workforce.”

Our Region The north east region, characterized as a rural and remote region in Northern Ontario that covers 300,000 square kilometres with a population exceeding 700,000. NEON is a membership driven regional network of individuals and consumer driven mental health organizations. Consists of 8 CSI’s operating out of 20 locations, our combined membership numbers are in the thousands and growing daily!

CSI’s In The North

What’s New At our annual general meeting we held a vote for a new name and logo. Come the new year NEON will take on the name of the “Lived Experience and Recovery Network” or LERN. We are implementing new technologies to help bridge the distance gap between member organizations. We have implemented a knowledge exchange network in the form of a computer server that all members can access, developed a new website as well as a members blog site and are preparing grant proposals to support peer education and technological advances.

What’s New Cont’d We are active members of the “Lived Experience Collaboration”. A joint effort of the C/S LHIN leads from the northeast and northwest Ontario and CAMH We are working more closely with member agencies to address issues around board development, management, programming and integration opportunities. This effort is being made via telephone, internet as well as through on-site visits whenever possible. We are reviving old and developing new community partnerships to address common issues and are working towards promoting and addressing these issues at various community and government levels.

CONTACT US North East Ontario Consumer Survivor Network Phone: (705) Fax: (705) Web-site Co-chairs: Debby Lessard and April Maksymchuk North East Regional Director: Krista Tovey