Standing in the Gap of Mental Health Challenges and Suffering Workshop

1. This is a psycho-educational workshop that does not replace the need for professional help and medications. Participants need to continue their current treatment during the course. Even though the facilitators are trained and licensed mental health professionals, they are not acting as your individual therapist in their role as workshop facilitator. The course materials are presented from a scientific and biblical perspective.

2. Participants need to be stable, able to commit the time required, concentrate, absorb the key concepts, complete the basic exercises and not be at risk to themselves or others so that a safe, productive and supportive learning environment can be maintained. The facilitators will ask participants who need additional help to consult their helping professionals. Participants who register through Grace Health Centre and attend the workshop in-person will be eligible to attend OHIP funded support groups offered through Grace Health Centre.

3. Attendance of the whole session, engaging with the audio-visual and written course material and participation in the in-class discussions, sharing, self-reflection and skill building exercises are required for maximum benefit and growth. For optimal learning, participants are encouraged to review the session and other learning materials.

4. Participants will share what they are comfortable sharing and discussing since the sessions are recorded for people who cannot attend the in-person session. Please refrain from sharing anything that you may have concerns about other people knowing about you in the workshop or through watching the recording.

5. Participants who have registered but cannot attend due to emergencies, illness and other reasons beyond their control are expected to notify Grace Health Centre as soon as possible and watch the video recording of the workshop.

6. I acknowledge that my learning, personal and relational growth is my own responsibility and am willing to take this responsibility by engaging with an open mind and renewing my way of thinking, beliefs, attitudes, values, behavior and experience without avoiding, blaming myself or others. I understand that I am fully and solely responsible for the results and decisions that I make regarding my use of this workshop. I release the facilitator, the workshop developer and all related institutions and organizations from any and all liability and accept full responsibility for my involvement in this workshop and the use of any related materials.

7. Participants in the workshop can support each other through mutual acceptance, understanding, validation, empathy and encouragement.

8. Participants may be required to complete self-assessments before and after the workshop to gauge their learning progress and encourage self-awareness and self-reflection, which is the first step in personal and relational growth.

9. In emergency situations or times when the participant is at imminent risk of hurting him/herself or others, then he or she will need to go to the closest emergency department or call 911 for immediate assistance or 988 for suicide crisis.
10. Participants agree to be involved in photographs, recording, testimonies, and the production of short audio- visual clips for promotion, distribution at discretion of workshop facilitators, record-keeping for the purposes of helping other course participants.

11. Participants understand the risks of using electronic communication and that Grace Health Centre (GHC) Team will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of information sent and received using email and/or text messages. However, because of the risks outlined below, the GHC Team cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of electronic communications.

• Use of electronic communications to discuss sensitive information can increase the risk of such information being disclosed to third parties.
• Despite reasonable efforts to protect the privacy and security of electronic communication, it is not possible to completely secure the information.
• Employers and online services may have a legal right to inspect and keep electronic communications that pass through their system.
• Electronic communications can introduce malware into a computer system and potentially damage or disrupt the computer, networks, and security settings.
• Electronic communications can be forwarded, intercepted, circulated, stored, or even changed without the knowledge or permission of the GHC Team or the patient.
• Even after the sender and recipient have deleted copies of electronic communication, back-up copies may exist on a computer system.
• Electronic communications may be disclosed in accordance with a duty to report or a court order.
• Videoconferencing using services may be more open to interception than other forms of videoconferencing.