Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is proud to join organizations across the country in recognizing Canadian Mental Health Week from May 1-7.
Each year, one in five Canadians experience a mental illness or need mental health support. With SHN’s recent announcement on the upcoming launch of our new Community Mental Health Centre, this year for Mental Health Week, we are shining a light on mental health care in the community.
We spoke with providers, partners and patrons from SHN and across Scarborough to discuss the many facets of community-based mental health care and services. They each brought their own lens and perspectives that we are proud to share in our three-part Q&A series.
Dr. Hoa Phuc Nguyen
Psychiatrist, SHN
Meet Dr. Hoa Phuc Nguyen, a psychiatrist at SHN. He has been delivering care to patients with mental health and addictions issues at the hospital for 10 years. He also serves as the lead psychiatrist of SHN’s Mental Health Adult Outpatient services, helping ensure those in need get the right kind of treatment in the care setting that is most appropriate for them.
Ray Gupta
Board of Directors, SHN Foundation
Meet Ray Gupta, donor and member of SHN Foundation’s Board of Directors and the letter ‘F’ in the Love, Scarborough campaign for “First-generation Canadian”. Learn about why Ray feels community mental health in Scarborough is so meaningful, and what inspired Ray to join the board and make a donation to support the new Community Mental Health Centre.
Helen Nguyen
RSW, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
Meet Helen Nguyen, a registered social worker with Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities. During Helen’s 10-year career, she has worked with countless patients to help them develop skills and resources to function well in society. From her experiences providing frontline care in the community, she has gained tremendous insight into what the barriers are and what it takes to improve treatment.