DCO Discourse...
Moving Forward Through Partnerships
About the show
Discussions on topics related to mental health, addictions, and life in Ontario, Canada. We aim to provide our listeners with tools and resources that will help them to improve their own mental health and wellness, as well as tools to help them support their family members, loved ones, and their communities at large. If you would like to provide feedback and/or request future topics, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/MhSNiyMm2c2xsiv8A.
We regret to announce that the ONTX text and chat program will cease operations on November 30th, 2023. Text and chat services will remain available until that date, however, they will no longer be accessible starting December 1st, 2023. If you are seeking support alternatives, we encourage you to visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to locate your nearest Member centre, some of which provide their own text and/or chat support services.
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Episodes
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Episode 163: Steve Quiring - from Ray of Hope
March 7th, 2022 | Season 2 | 35 mins 55 secs
ray of hope, steve quiring
This week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, sits down with Steve Quiring from Ray of Hope. Steve is the Day Treatment Program Lead and took some time to speak with Caitlin about what is happening at Ray of Hope these days, as well as what discussing what Steve has noticed in terms of the impacts the pandemic has had on the general population of Kitchener-Waterloo. You can learn more about Ray of Hope by visiting their website: https://www.rayofhope.net. If today's conversation has left you feeling the need for support, or if there's anything at all going on in your life that you would like to talk about, you can connect with your nearest distress line or ONTX. Visit https://www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest Member centre, or to access ONTX. ONTX is available daily from 2PM - 2AM EST and can also be reached by texting SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening!
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Episode 162: Conference Preview - Christina Hennelly
February 28th, 2022 | Season 2 | 23 mins 50 secs
christina hennelly, traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence
This week on the podcast we are sharing our excitement for our upcoming Annual Conference 2022, happening on March 2nd and 3rd. With two mornings of training and two afternoons dedicated to Member-only networking, we are looking forward to the event. One of our speakers on Thursday will be Christina Hennelly, who we had on the podcast back in November to talk about her work at the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington, especially in relation to traumatic brain injuries that occur because of intimate partner violence. As she will be speaking on this topic in more detail at our conference, we thought it would be a good preview of the day to re-share her interview. For more information on the event, please click the following link: https://linktr.ee/dco_ontx. If you are in need of support, you can find your nearest Member centre by visiting www.dcontario.org/locations or you can access ONTX daily between the hours of 2PM – 2AM EST. ONTX can be reached by clicking “looking for support” from any page of our website or by texting “SUPPORT” to 258258.
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Episode 161: Navigating Change
February 21st, 2022 | Season 2 | 20 mins 29 secs
covid-19, navigating change
This week Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, is speaking with Elma, an intake coordinator at a busy counselling centre in Waterloo and Sharon Lalor, a life coach with Vita Catalyst. With the government of Ontario’s announcement that many COVID-19 safety measure and restrictions will be lifted as of March 1st, Elma and Sharon joined us to discuss how people can unpack their feelings surrounding this news and prepare to navigate new changes. If you are in need of support, our Member centres and ONTX are happy to help. Visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest centre, or you can access the ONTX chat feature from any page. ONTX is available from 2PM – 2AM EST, daily, and can also be reached by texting SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening, we hope you’ll join us again next week!
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Episode 160: Archive Episode - Selam Debs
February 14th, 2022 | Season 2 | 17 mins 10 secs
selam debs, systemic racism's impact on mental health
This week on the podcast, we are re-sharing an episode from October 2020 in which Brenda, a then student-intern at DCO, interviewed Selam Debs about racism, anti-racism, and mental health. Selam identifies as a Black Ethiopian queer antiracism educator, an anti-oppression coach, a social justice advocate, a student in dismantling anti-Black racism, an accomplice in dismantling anti-Indigenous racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, and an advocate in Intersectional and 2SLGBTQ+ rights. If you would like to learn more about Selam and the work that she does, her website is: https://www.selamdebs.com/about. As always, if anything you hear in today’s episode leaves you feeling the need for support, our Member centres and ONTX are happy to help. Please visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to find your nearest centre, or to access the ONTX chat feature. ONTX is available from 2PM – 2:00AM daily and can also be reached by texting SUPPORT to 258258.
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Episode 159: Black History Month
February 7th, 2022 | Season 2 | 13 mins
black history month
This week, to celebrate Black History Month in Canada, we are sharing a list of resources that can be used to explore conversations around concepts like decolonization, intersectional feminism, and the impact of race on social and economic justice. If you need to talk to someone about any struggles you are facing related to the issues covered in this podcast, or anything else, please reach out to one of our Member centres or ONTX. Their volunteer responders are always happy to support you with whatever is weighing you down, big or small. Click the following link to find your closest centre or access ONTX. This link can also be used to access the full list of resources. https://linktr.ee/dco_ontx Thank you for listening!
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Episode 158: Loss related to COVID-19
January 31st, 2022 | Season 2 | 9 mins 27 secs
loss related to covid-19
This week on the podcast, Caitlin, Program Manager for Distress and Crisis Ontario, shares some information on grief and loss related to COVID-19 as written by our new student intern, health promoter Harisaa. If you are struggling with loss, relating to COVID or otherwise, or if you just need to talk to someone, please do reach out for help. You can find your nearest centre at www.dcontario.org/locations and can access ONTX from any page of our website or by texting SUPPORT to 258258, available from 2PM – 2AM EST daily. Thank you for listening, we hope you will join us again next week!
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Episode 157: Eating Disorders with NEDIC
January 23rd, 2022 | Season 2 | 18 mins 52 secs
eating disorders with nedic
This week on the podcast, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, is joined by Emily Huynh, a community engagement facilitator with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC). Please be aware that this episode does discuss some of the impact that eating disorders can have and may be triggering for some listeners.
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Episode 156: Living in a "broken" home
January 17th, 2022 | Season 2 | 9 mins 11 secs
living in a "broken" home
This week on the podcast, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, and her daughter sit down to talk about what it’s like living in a “broken” family. If something you hear in today’s episode has you feeling like you need support and would like to talk to someone, or if there is anything that you would like to explore, please do reach out for help. No issue is too big or too small. You can find your closest Member centre by visiting our website at www.dcontario.org/locations and you can access ONTX by texting SUPPORT to 258258 or from any page of our website between the hours of 2PM – 2AM EST daily. Thank you for listening! We hope you have a peaceful week and will join us again next week as we discuss eating disorders with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.
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Episode 155: Tips for remote learning
January 10th, 2022 | Season 2 | 13 mins 43 secs
covid-19, tips for remote learning
With the news that schools in Ontario have once again moved to remote learning, hopefully for the short-term, we thought it would be helpful to share some tips for parents and caregivers who are supporting children in the process of learning from home. This includes some tips for parents to prioritize their own needs and self-care. Please remember that our Member centres and ONTX are also available to offer support and resources to anyone who reaches out. You can find your closest centre or access ONTX by visiting our website at www.dcontario.org. Thank you for listening, we hope you’ll join us again next week.
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Episode 154: The Post Holiday Blues
January 3rd, 2022 | Season 2 | 9 mins 45 secs
the post holiday blues
This week on the podcast we’ll be exploring a feeling that many of us may be struggling with right now – something often summed up as the post-holiday blues. When the holidays pass, you might feel a wave of sadness taking over, but it can be reassuring to know that you are not alone in feeling this way and that there are ways to cope. Please remember that ONTX and our Member centres are always happy to support you with any struggles you may be facing. Visit our website at www.dcontario.org to find your nearest centre or to access ONTX which is available daily from 2:00PM – 2:00 EST. You can also access ONTX by texting SUPPORT to 258258. Thank you for listening!
Caitlin Plant (she/her)
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Episode 153: The Importance of asking for help
December 27th, 2021 | Season 2 | 13 mins 51 secs
the importance of asking for help
This week on the podcast we are exploring the importance of asking for, and offering, help. There are many reasons to ask for help, many benefits to doing so, and many ways that we can compassionately check-in with those who are important to us. We have also included some tips on how to ask for help as we know it can be challenging task sometimes. Please remember that our Member centres and ONTX are always happy to hear from you and offer support when you are struggling. No matter how big or how small, if there’s something you want to talk about, please reach out. You can visit our website at www.dcontario.org to find your closest centre, access ONTX, or explore other resources.
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Episode 152: Gender Based Violence and Signal for Help
December 19th, 2021 | Season 2 | 26 mins 34 secs
gender based violence, signal for help
Warning this episode contains themes of Gender based Violence.
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Episode 151: COVID 19 from a Grade 6 perspective
December 13th, 2021 | Season 2 | 11 mins 16 secs
covid-19, grade 6
On today’s episode of the podcast, Caitlin is joined by her 6th grade daughter to discuss COVID and the impact the pandemic has had on her experiences with school, friendships, and life in general. If you are struggling with the ongoing effects of the pandemic and would like to speak to someone, please visit our website at www.dcontario.org/locations to find your closest centre or to access ONTX. ONTX is available daily from 2PM - 2AM EST and can also be accessed by texting SUPPORT to 258258.
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Episode 150: Combatting Loneliness
December 6th, 2021 | Season 2 | 12 mins 18 secs
loneliness
Loneliness can be especially challenging during the holiday season, so we’ve put together some information on how to recognize why you may be feeling lonely, and how to prevent it. If you are in need of support, or would just like someone to talk to, please reach out. You can find your closest Member centre at www.dcontario.org/locations, or you can access ONTX between the hours of 2PM - 2AM daily by texting SUPPORT to 258258 or from any page of our website. Thank you for listening, we hope you join us again next week.
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Episode 149: Traumatic Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence
November 29th, 2021 | Season 2 | 21 mins 2 secs
christina hennelly, intimate partner violence, support, traumatic brain injury
On the podcast this week, Caitlin is joined by Christina Hennelly, the Intimate Partner Violence Specialist and Peer Support Coordinator at the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington. During the conversation, Christina shares some information on what the Brain Injury Association does, why it is so important to discuss brain injury in relation to intimate partner violence, and she provides suggestions for ways in which we might support someone in our lives who may be going through or has gone through the trauma of intimate partner violence.
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Episode 148: Balancing Life Roles
November 22nd, 2021 | Season 2 | 11 mins 38 secs
balancing life roles
As adults, many of us hold multiple roles in our lives: parent, child, sibling, friend, employee/er, student, activist, athlete, crafter, gamer, etc., etc., the list can go on. This week, Caitlin sits down with Rhys to discuss how he personally balances (or doesn’t always balance) his life as a husband, father to 5 children, pastor, CrossFit coach, and more. If you are struggling to find your own mechanisms for balancing the chaos, please don’t hesitate to reach out for help and explore the resources available to you. You can find your closest centre at www.dcontario.org/locations or you can access ONTX during the hours of 2PM - 2AM daily also by visiting our website or by texting “SUPPORT” to 258258. Thank you for listening, we hope you join us next week as we learn about intimate partner violence and brain injuries from Christina at the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo Wellington.