Dr. Denise Milne was in her early 20s when she first met Dr. Roger Bland, who died July 31 after a valiant battle with cancer.
At the time, Dr. Milne - now the CEO of CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health - was working with youth who were then in the social services system.
She worked with many of Dr. Bland's cases and got to know him well, subsequently following him into government in the 1980s, when he became Assistant Deputy Minister of Health.
Dr. Milne later moved to Alberta Hospital Edmonton, while her mentor became Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 1990, a post he held for a decade. Regardless of their changing career roles they always kept in touch, right until his death at age 80.
"Whether you're talking about his work on the Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, or the Valuing Mental Health stakeholder group, or his work with CASA, Dr. Bland was just a phenomenal man with a wise and good heart," she says.
Shortly before he passed away, Dr. Milne and two colleagues visited Dr. Bland one last time at his Edmonton home. "I asked Dr. Bland if we could have his blessing to name CASA's new public lecture series on children's mental health after him," she says.
"I held his hand, and he said: 'Denise, granted.' He was so cute about it. I then discussed the idea with his daughters and that's how it became the Dr. Roger Bland Lecture Series on Improving Children's Mental Health."
The lecture series, which is free and open to the public, kicked off with an inaugural two-hour event Sept. 20th at the Eva O. Howard Theatre at Victoria School. Subsequent lectures in the series are scheduled for Oct. 18th, Nov. 22nd, and Jan. 24th, 2019. Those who wish to attend are asked to register online at: www.CASAservices.org/lectureseries
"In keeping with his prolific academic research Dr. Bland was always a teacher and a mentor, so this lecture series was just the right fit. Even if he hadn't passed away, we would have done this anyway. It's important that we recognize the importance of Dr Bland's contributions to psychiatry in Alberta. He played a key role in our history," Dr. Milne says.
"I really want this lecture series to have a life as an ongoing educational vehicle for our community, and I think by recognizing Dr. Bland's contributions in this way, that's how we're going to make this happen."
Victoria Maxwell, an award-winning Vancouver-based actress, keynote speaker, performing artist, mental health educator and writer, was the keynote speaker at the kick-off event Sept. 20th. Maxwell, who has long struggled with bipolar disorder and anxiety, discussed her own lived experience with mental illness, recovery, wellness and creativity.
Maxwell was named one of Canada's top leaders in Mental Health by the National Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and was honoured with the National Difference Makers award.
Her plays, keynote presentations and other productions have been nominated or have won numerous awards, including the Entertainment Industries Council PRISM Award, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Voice Award, and best foreign stage play at the Moondance International Film Festival.
Former Global TV Edmonton news anchor Lesley MacDonald, founder, producer and host of the award-winning Global Woman of Vision Television Series, facilitated a panel discussion following Maxwell's presentation. The panelists included:
• Carrie Avveduti, Project Manager for the First Nation Team at CASA, and a member of the Alexander First Nation;
• Candace Fehr, a parent, caregiver and social worker with lived experiences dealing with Alberta's youth mental health system, who also serves as co-chair of CASA's Family Advisory Council;
• Kathleen Ness, who was appointed Alberta Health Advocate and Interim Mental Health Advocate in July after an extensive career in health, working with patients and families; and
• Madeleine Lowe, a 20-year-old first-year university sociology student who has navigated the mental health system since age 14, and who now sits on the CASA Youth Council and the Community Education Subcommittee, serving as Co-Chair.
Dr. Bland was also honoured posthumously with the Dr. Meyer Horowitz Book Award at CASA's annual general meeting on Sept 26th at Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club.
At the time, Dr. Milne - now the CEO of CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health - was working with youth who were then in the social services system.
She worked with many of Dr. Bland's cases and got to know him well, subsequently following him into government in the 1980s, when he became Assistant Deputy Minister of Health.
Dr. Milne later moved to Alberta Hospital Edmonton, while her mentor became Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 1990, a post he held for a decade. Regardless of their changing career roles they always kept in touch, right until his death at age 80.
"Whether you're talking about his work on the Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, or the Valuing Mental Health stakeholder group, or his work with CASA, Dr. Bland was just a phenomenal man with a wise and good heart," she says.
Shortly before he passed away, Dr. Milne and two colleagues visited Dr. Bland one last time at his Edmonton home. "I asked Dr. Bland if we could have his blessing to name CASA's new public lecture series on children's mental health after him," she says.
"I held his hand, and he said: 'Denise, granted.' He was so cute about it. I then discussed the idea with his daughters and that's how it became the Dr. Roger Bland Lecture Series on Improving Children's Mental Health."
The lecture series, which is free and open to the public, kicked off with an inaugural two-hour event Sept. 20th at the Eva O. Howard Theatre at Victoria School. Subsequent lectures in the series are scheduled for Oct. 18th, Nov. 22nd, and Jan. 24th, 2019. Those who wish to attend are asked to register online at: www.CASAservices.org/lectureseries
"In keeping with his prolific academic research Dr. Bland was always a teacher and a mentor, so this lecture series was just the right fit. Even if he hadn't passed away, we would have done this anyway. It's important that we recognize the importance of Dr Bland's contributions to psychiatry in Alberta. He played a key role in our history," Dr. Milne says.
"I really want this lecture series to have a life as an ongoing educational vehicle for our community, and I think by recognizing Dr. Bland's contributions in this way, that's how we're going to make this happen."
Victoria Maxwell, an award-winning Vancouver-based actress, keynote speaker, performing artist, mental health educator and writer, was the keynote speaker at the kick-off event Sept. 20th. Maxwell, who has long struggled with bipolar disorder and anxiety, discussed her own lived experience with mental illness, recovery, wellness and creativity.
Maxwell was named one of Canada's top leaders in Mental Health by the National Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and was honoured with the National Difference Makers award.
Her plays, keynote presentations and other productions have been nominated or have won numerous awards, including the Entertainment Industries Council PRISM Award, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Voice Award, and best foreign stage play at the Moondance International Film Festival.
Former Global TV Edmonton news anchor Lesley MacDonald, founder, producer and host of the award-winning Global Woman of Vision Television Series, facilitated a panel discussion following Maxwell's presentation. The panelists included:
• Carrie Avveduti, Project Manager for the First Nation Team at CASA, and a member of the Alexander First Nation;
• Candace Fehr, a parent, caregiver and social worker with lived experiences dealing with Alberta's youth mental health system, who also serves as co-chair of CASA's Family Advisory Council;
• Kathleen Ness, who was appointed Alberta Health Advocate and Interim Mental Health Advocate in July after an extensive career in health, working with patients and families; and
• Madeleine Lowe, a 20-year-old first-year university sociology student who has navigated the mental health system since age 14, and who now sits on the CASA Youth Council and the Community Education Subcommittee, serving as Co-Chair.
Dr. Bland was also honoured posthumously with the Dr. Meyer Horowitz Book Award at CASA's annual general meeting on Sept 26th at Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club.