Bridgeross Author Susan Inman Receives Recognition From Canadian Government

Nov. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Bridgeross Communications would like to congratulate Ms Inman for this recognition and for her contributions to the fight to improve services for those with serious and persistent mental illness.

Susan Inman has been an English and drama secondary school teacher in Vancouver for over twenty years. When her daughter became ill with a severe schizoaffective disorder, she set out on the long journey to help her recover. Her struggles are described in After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity published by Bridgeross in 2010. See http://bridgeross.com/brainbroke.html

Dr E Fuller Torrey, the highly acclaimed US psychiatrist and author of Surviving Schizophrenia and other similar books, said that After Her Brain Broke is  "...one of the best accounts I have read of serious mental illness as told by a mother."

Dr. Ellen Wiebe wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal:

“After medical school and 30 years as a family doctor, I thought I knew a lot about serious mental illnesses. Then a member of my family was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I wish I had had Susan Inman’s book…as a guide.”

After Her Brain Broke has been recommended by the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the US, EUFAMI in Europe and the Mood Disorders Society of Canada.

A Past President of the Vancouver/Richmond Branch of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society (BCSS), Susan received, in 2005, an award from the BCSS in recognition of her "outstanding service and dedication to alleviate the suffering caused by schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses"

Susan is the former vice-chair of the Family Advisory Committee (FAC) of Vancouver Coastal Mental Health Services (VCMHS). In 2005, she initiated an annual Family Conference and has continued to help organize this popular event which is a collaboration between the FAC, VCMHS, the BCSS, and the Mood Disorder Association of BC.

Susan has written numerous articles on topics related to serious mental illnesses for a variety of Canadian publications including The National Post, The Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Province, BC Teacher, and the online journal The Tyee..  

She presently writes a regular column for the Huffington Post. See http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/susan-inman/

Susan is an active public speaker about the perspectives of family caregivers for people living with psychotic illnesses. Some of her recent presentations include:

keynote speaker, “What Parents of People with Psychotic Disorders Need from Nurses”  
biannual conference of the Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses
Sheraton Centre, Toronto

presenter, “Insight into the Mental Health System: what parents of people with schizophrenia need to know”  
panel at St. Paul's Hospital's Mental Health Education Day, Vancouver

presentation, “From Anguish to Advocacy: Responding to My Daughter’s Schizoaffective Disorder”
13th Collaborative Mental Healthcare Conference sponsored by the Canadian Psychiatric Association and the College of Family Physicians of Canada,
Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver  

workshop presentation with author Randye Kaye: “How Telling Your Story Can Make Change and Help Create an Impact”  
national convention of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)  
Seattle, Washington

presentation with Dr. Richard O’Reilly, “What Family Caregivers of People with Psychotic Disorders Need to Know”  
St Michael's Hospital - Toronto