SSA Chapters

History | What Constitutes a Chapter | What Chapters Provide
Roles and Goals | Membership | Chapter Listings

History

For several years, there were only two (2) Chapters in Alberta: Calgary and Edmonton. By 1988 Chapters were also established in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Medicine Hat. By June 1, 1997, the SSA had expanded to what was regarded as seven (7) Chapters in Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, St. Paul, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Banff. Over the years, expansion and contraction of Chapters and membership, as well as services, has occurred.

Today, the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta has five provincial Chapters: Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer; as well as contacts in Camrose,and Canmore.

What Constitutes a Chapter

Originally, SSA documentation indicated a Chapter could be formed if three or more individuals in a common geographic community apply to the Provincial Board of the Schizophrenia Society for Chapter status. However, the SSA Provincial Board is now taking the position that to be considered as a possible Chapter site, there should be at least 20 individuals interested in establishing a chapter within the community. Part of this reasoning is based on the intent to have a sufficient critical mass of individuals in a community to sustain the operation of the Chapter. As well, recognition of the Chapter allows the Chapter to then delegate a representative to the Provincial Board and this means that the individual should represent a sizable body of people from that community.

A Chapter is formed with the objectives of the Society in mind. Essentially, the members in the community identify a need to bring about increased public awareness and understanding of schizophrenia, to provide support to families of those with the illness and to advocate for improved services to those with schizophrenia in their community. This may take the form of self help groups for family members and people with the illness of schizophrenia, informational general meetings once a month, use of informational literature and library, personal support and advocacy for family members and people with schizophrenia and promoting fundraising events like "Walk the World" for schizophrenia.

What Chapters Provide

The work of the Chapters, initially, was to provide support and education to family members. This was accomplished by providing a help phone line for families newly introduced to schizophrenia, and by building a library of informative books and videos for members' use. Chapters invited psychiatrists and other experts in the field to speak to members at regular monthly meetings and issued an informative newsletter on a monthly basis. To carry out these activities, fund-raising events that also doubled as awareness events took place.

SSA Chapters currently provide:

Support groups for family members and peer support groups for people with the illness of schizophrenia.
Informational meetings are held monthly.
Use of informational chapter literature and library resources
Personal support and advocacy for family members and people with schizophrenia.
"Walk the World" and other events to raise public awareness of schizophrenia and raise program funding.
Public education through the Partnership Program.

Roles and Goals

Roles | Goals

Roles

It is the position of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada and of Alberta that Chapters and Branches:

are the primary source of information and support to most of the members of the Society.
are the key to the strength of the organization as a whole.
are usually heavily involved in public education, advocacy, counseling, self-help activities and mutual support activities for their members and those with schizophrenia as well as fund-raising.
are actively involved in supporting the provincial association and the national organization through assisting in the implementation of their activities. (Examples of this include the national public awareness campaign Reaching Out and advocacy with provincial and federal politicians.), and
actively advocate municipal governments for improved services for those with schizophrenia and their families.

Goals

To provide support for people affected schizophrenia and other related illnesses.
To promote the understanding of schizophrenia through increased public awareness and education.
To advocate for and actively promote for the improvement of services.
To promote research into causes, treatment, and services.

Membership

Members of the chapters and branches are the lifeblood of the organization as a whole. Chapters or branches and the provincial and national associations rely on the members of the society to become involved!

Chapter membership consists of persons who have schizophrenia, relatives, friends, professionals who work with family members and consumers, other health professionals, and otherwise concerned persons. Individuals on the Board of Directors of the various chapters are drawn from the membership of the Chapter. Executive of the Chapters are drawn from that Chapter's Board of Directors.