Caregiver Connection
Our Caregiver Connection groups offer parents and caregivers a community of support. It is meant for you if:
- You want to talk in a confidential space about your concerns
- You need ideas on how to support your child or youth
- You aren’t sure what to do next or how to access services
- You want to connect with other families who understand
Find a Caregiver Connection Group in Your Community
Special Topic Groups
FASD London
Join our in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of each month, from 5:30Â to 7:30pm ET at Merrymount, 1064 Colborne Street, London, ON.
*Exceptions: No meetings will be held in July or August.
This group provides peer support for parents and caregivers of children or youth with suspected or diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Concurrent kids’ group (up to 10 children, ages 6+). Please register by emailing by 5pm the day before.
For more details, email FASDlondon@pcmh.ca.
FASD Ontario
*Exceptions: There will be no meetings in July or August.Â
This is a provincial group, therefore, all meetings are virtual. This group provides peer support for parents and caregivers of children or youth with suspected or diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Register HERE to join us!
For more details, email FASDontario@pcmh.ca.
FASD Thunder Bay
Join our in-person meetings on the third Tuesday of each month, from 10:00 am to 11:30pm ET at NorWest Community Health Centres, 535 Simpson Street, Thunder Bay ON
*Exceptions: No meetings will be held in December, July or August.
This group provides peer support for parents and caregivers of children or youth with suspected or diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
For more details, email FASDthunderbay@pcmh.ca.
CAS Care Providers
This is a provincial group, therefore, all meetings are virtual. This group provides peer support for foster, kin, adoptive, or customary care providers raising children or youth with mental health challenges.
Register HERE to sign up and join us!
For more details, email careproviders@pcmh.ca.
Grandparents
This is a provincial group, therefore, all meetings are virtual. This group provides peer support for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren as a result of their child’s mental health and/or are concerned about mental health challenges in their grandchild.
Register HERE to join us!
For more details, email grandparents@pcmh.ca.
Psychosis
This is a provincial group, therefore, all meetings are virtual. This group provides peer support for parents and caregivers of children or youth with suspected or diagnosed psychosis.
Register HERE to join us!
For more details, email psychosis@pcmh.ca.
The Healing Path
*Exceptions: There will be no meeting on Thanksgiving Monday.
This group provides a safe and non-judgmental peer support environment for parents surviving their child/youth/young adult’s suicide.
For more details, email thehealingpath@pcmh.ca.
One-to-One Support
One-to-One
For more details, email support@pcmh.ca.
One-to-One: School Mental Health
Click HERE to book your school mental health peer support session. A Zoom link will be sent to you once you register!
For more details, email support@pcmh.ca.
One-to-One: Care Providers
Click HERE to book your care providers peer support session. A Zoom link will be sent to you once you register!
For more details, email support@pcmh.ca.
Regional Groups
Click on a region or select from the dropdown menu to find a Caregiver Connection group near you! If you can’t find a group near you, please contact support@pcmh.ca.
- Virtual
- In-Person
- Hybrid (Virtual + In-Person)
- No Chapter Yet
Upcoming Groups
We can help.
Join one of our upcoming information sessions!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why join a Caregiver Connection group? Is it right for me?
Our Caregiver Connection groups provide opportunities for parents to seek support when it comes to any issues, big or small. For example, some parents may be looking for support to ensure their child’s needs are addressed at school, or when preparing for an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) meeting or a meeting with the treatment team supporting their child.
- Meet other people who are having similar experiences, which can also lead to lasting friendships for you and your child.
- Ask questions and clarify things you may not understand.
- Learn about workshops and seminars that are pertinent to you. See and hear guest speakers on relevant subjects.
- You may receive handouts on parenting tips, or tips for teachers and schools.
- Share your stories with other adults without judgment.
- Learn how to advocate for your child
What can I expect while attending?
- Our group meetings are informal and there’s no pressure at all to attend or share.
- You can share as little or as much as you like.
- When we meet, it’s a place where you can ask other parents questions for tips and ideas on how they have managed different situations.
- Sometimes there are guest speakers, so it can be a place to gather information and share perspectives.
- You may hear other perspectives that are hard to manage or understand; be sure to check in with the Peer Support Facilitator and debrief if you need to.
- You can also ask to meet individually if the group meeting atmosphere is not something you are comfortable with.
Our group sizes vary, but you can expect as few as seven people to as many as 30 parents in your group. Some groups have regular guest speakers on topics ranging from anxiety and ADHD to parenting and self-care. When you join a Caregiver Connection group, it is free and there is no commitment required.
What are the benefits of Caregiver Connection groups for the whole family?
- Find acceptance – Families deal with strong and conflicting emotions. We need to be able to express our feelings safely, without being criticized or judged.
- Receive affirmation – Families may sometimes feel discouraged and powerless, peer support groups celebrate the resiliency, determination and ability that is seen in each other.
- Sense of belonging – Families sometimes describe themselves as living in a different culture or foreign land and may feel isolated and that they do not belong anywhere. A true sense of belonging may only come in the companionship of others facing the same challenges and overcoming the same barriers.
- Get information – In order to be confident and effective, all families need the information to support their child’s development and families supporting children with mental health issues require additional information that can be gathered from a peer support network.
- Be understood – Few understand the intensity of everyday life experiences of having a child with mental health challenges. Caregiver Connection groups offer that understanding and knowledge of that intensity and the struggles that accompany it.