About FASMI

About Us

A Canada-wide organization strengthening the family voice for people living with psychotic illnesses.

Mission

Our mission

FASMI strives to ensure that Canadians living with psychotic illnesses receive timely and effective treatment and rehabilitative supports to achieve the maximum recovery possible. To this end there must be suitable and easily accessible clinical services, a supportive legislative framework, and families must be included as key stakeholders in clinical care and in system design and oversight.

Our shared mission →

Vision

Our vision

Every Canadian living with a psychotic illness must have access to the health care and the rehabilitative supports they need to treat their symptoms and optimize their ability to function in society.

What we believe →

Our approach

Family-led and evidence-informed

FASMI brings family experience into conversations about treatment, services and public policy.

Meet the Board →

Why FASMI was formed

The Family Alliance on Severe Mental Illnesses, FASMI, was born of an understanding that the family voice that once strongly advocated for those with psychotic illnesses in Canada, has been drastically diminished in recent years.

What remains true, and undeniably corroborated by evidence based data, is that family involvement and support remain an integral part of better clinical outcomes when it comes to the recovery and stability of those with psychotic illnesses.

In order to give families space within the dialog regarding the treatment and care of their loved ones with psychotic illnesses, we aim to amplify the voices of Canadian families supporting those with psychotic illnesses, so that together we might advocate for:

Families to be recognized and included as key stakeholders in all conversations regarding system design, maintenance and oversight.

Families to be consulted in all discussions relating to provincial mental health legislation and international policy which would directly impact accessibility to care and treatment.

Input into a national educational strategy on severe mental illnesses.

To advocate for better training for medical professionals and clinicians so they will recognize the importance of building therapeutic alliances with families for the benefit of their patient’s care.

Educating front line responders, medical personnel and the general public about the integral supports, insights and information that families contribute to the overall care and treatment of their loved ones.

Family advocacy across Canada

In this interview, Dr. Richard O’Reilly discusses the state of psychiatric care in Canada.

Watch the interview with Dr. Richard O’Reilly on YouTube →

What we believe

We Believe

That the voices of families are important and we strive to amplify those of family caregivers supporting those with psychotic illnesses throughout Canada.
That the treatment and care of those living with psychotic illnesses can and must be improved.
As mental illnesses are the most debilitating, complex and expensive to treat, they need to stand alone and not be lumped in with discussions around, and funding for, “mental health.”
Because of the stress in caring for someone living with mental illness, families also need help to navigate the system and to deal with the trauma.
The family role must be recognized in a tangible way and not given lip service.
That families as life-long caregivers must be accepted as partners in the treatment and care of their loved ones.

The rights of those living with psychosis must be upheld, including the right to proper medical treatment. Early, effective treatment has been proven to provide the best outcomes, even if the individual’s lack of awareness prevents them from understanding the need for treatment.
That the legal and medical framework must more fully recognize the debilitating effects of delayed and withheld treatment, even when the patient isn’t fully aware.
The framework for psychiatric treatment in Canada needs to be reformed to make it more humane and effective.
The symptom of anosognosia (lack of Insight) must be recognized.
Safeguards for those receiving treatment are inadequate without family involvement.
Services for those with mental illness must be adequately funded and humanely implemented.