The Lasting Impressions
Contact Us
The Lasting Impressions program works with families that have dependent children under the age of 18 whose parent is dealing with a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness.
The program offers two levels of support:
- In-home support focuses on enhancing family functioning through the short-term intervention of a Family Mentor.
- Community support includes support networks for youth, opportunities for meeting other families involved with the program as well as increasing awareness and building supportive links within communities.
Lasting Impressions is designed to strengthen and support families impacted by parental mental illness.
Lasting Impressions offers four categories of services:
Family Mentor
There are 4 Family Mentors available to provide in-home support. They work with family members to promote mental wellness, support education and understanding of mental health issues, promote informal and formal support systems, and enhance family functioning (determined in conjunction with the family and may include parenting, relationship development, conflict resolution, etc.)
Family Network
Opportunities for families to connect with one another are explored. Activities focus on positive interaction and wellness. Activities may include: educational workshops, informal events such as Summer BBQ or Winter Holiday celebration, and a monthly newsletter updating Network families of opportunities within Lasting Impressions.
Youth and Teen Peer Support Clubs
These are facilitated peer support groups for youth aged 6 to 12, or 13 to 17, affected by a parent with mental illness. In addition to mental health education, there are opportunities for socialization through informal, fun activities as well as opportunities to share with others coping with similar issues.
Community Involvement
Available for the greater community are presentations on the Lasting Impressions program, workshops for staff (e.g., school personnel) working with children of parents with a mental illness and partnering with other community development initiatives.
Lasting Impressions started in 1996 as a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). As of April 2009, the program is now run entirely by
Hull Child and Family Services.
Self-referrals and community referrals are accepted, although the program encourages a family member to contact the Program Coordinator for in-home support. This allows the Program Coordinator to better support a family while being on a wait list which can be as long as 6 months.
Participation in any of the programming is voluntary, families can participate in more than one aspect of the programming at a given time, and families may access any aspect of the program multiple times.
The program focuses on helping families discover their strengths, pursue personal and family goals as well as helping families make positive connections with both the general and mental health community. This is done through a family-centered approach that focuses on establishing trust with family members and ensuring the fulfillment of basic needs. In addition, the program looks to collaborate with other service systems/providers so that a comprehensive, integrated service delivery is available to families.
| Publications for sale: |
¤ Kids Speak Up: Shining Light On Mental Illness (set of 3 is $9.00 plus shipping)
¤ Families Speak Up: Shining Light On Mental Illness
¤ A Lasting Impression: A Teacher’s Guide to Helping Children of Parents with a Mental Illness
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