Anne-Marie Rhéaume

What does collaborative mental health mean to me, both as a student initiative and as a concept? It means becoming a more competent clinician, while gaining a greater understanding of the system and how it impacts client experience. It means more efficient interventions and referrals for clients, and service points that understand the need for and worth of each other. In social work, clients are at the center of all our interventions. A greater awareness on the part of the worker only means that the client will be able to make a more informed decision about their care, therefore contributing to their empowerment.

 

My main research interests focus on the issue of diagnosis within sub-population groups, whether it be gender differences or cultural differences. I also focus a lot of my academic research on how the family is impacted by diagnosis.

Youth mental health is something I feel extremely strongly about, more specifically around stigma-reduction and empowerment. In line with this interest, I also enjoy literature and counselling focused on non-death loss and grief in the context of mental illness or developmental disorder of a child. As time goes on, I believe I would like to work in a proactive agency that offers clinical support to youth with mental health issues, as well as their families.