Letter from Wendy Nailer
This column will be written from time to time by members of the CAMH
staff with news and views to share with you. In this issue, we introduce
Wendy Nailer, Manager, Work Adjustment and Employment Support Services,
Community Support and Research Unit, Discipline Chief, Vocational Services
Council.
As most people realize, CAMH is committed to providing programs and services
that enhance a client's well-being. In Work Adjustment and Employment
Support Services, we help integrate clients into mainstream employment
and help clients develop skills needed for today's work environment.
Client-centred care means:
- focusing on the individual needs and strengths of clients/patients
- showing respect and collaborating
- promoting client participation.
Client-centred care has been the backbone of our program since we began
26 years ago.
Ours is just one of many outstanding programs and initiatives offered
at CAMH that help clients achieve their goals and realize their potential.
Now you can read about this program in a client's own words.
Working It Out
By Bonnie Thorn
I can truthfully say that without Work Adjustment and Employment Support
Services (WAESS), I wouldn't be here today. I had severe clinical depression.
Over the past six years, I had many long hospitalizations. Among other
things, the depression forced me to leave an executive position in a wonderful
environment where I had been employed for 20 years. After my first discharge
from hospital in 1998, CAMH staff guided me toward WAESS.
Back then my needs were simple -- I needed understanding; I wanted to
be connected to something; I wanted to be able to talk to others who were
in the same position; and I didn't want to feel so alone.
WAESS was a safe haven. I attended group meetings once a week with other
clients, who had similar experiences. I also met with my counselor. When
I felt I was ready to return to the "real world," she worked
with me to find the most appropriate work placement, based on my skills.
She looked for an environment that would be understanding, compassionate
and non-judgmental. During my transition back into the workplace, I was
able to set my own pace around work hours and amount of work.
That first work experience -- three hours a day, three days a week --
gave me pride in myself. I started to regain a sense of worth and self-respect.
Initially all I was capable of doing was photocopying and other small
chores, but gradually I took on more, and even became an integral part
of the team.
Then I crashed again and was hospitalized for six months. When I came
back, WAESS was still there for me. I was in and out of hospital several
times in the next six years. The message was the same: "As long as
you need us, we are here for you."
WAESS has a large network of companies and organizations that provide
placement spots for clients. The compassionate and caring staff is a large
part of the success of this program. The work experience restored my sense
of purpose and gave me structure. It gave me a footing on solid ground.
Postscript: After several years in a work placement arranged by WAESS,
I am proud to say I was ready to return to work. And my timing was perfect;
my former position became available, and my former employer made me an
offer I couldn't refuse.
To contact WAESS, phone 416 535-8501, ext. 4876
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Wendy
Nailer, second from left, and the Work Adjustment and Employment
Support Services staff -- Karen Fournier, Diana Musson and Greer
Slyfield Cook -- assist clients returning to work.
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