FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE

Date:  2008-02-06                                                                     N^o / No. : RSR-RHA-080204

MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING DELIVERED THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY

Campbellton N.B. –  Thanks to the wonders of technology, approximately 70 Restigouche Health Authority professionals involved in the mental health field were able to take remote training offered by the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal. 

This training, entitled “Le traitement des troubles sévères de la personnalité” (or treatment of severe personality disorders), was given by Dr. Évans Villeneuve, Associate Professor in Laval University’s Department of Psychiatry.  The main objectives of the training were to give the participants a better understanding of the psychological functioning of people with severe personality disorders (SPDs) and to establish severity criteria as well as change and dangerousness signs.     

Nathalie Langlois, a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatry and one of people behind the project, feels it is important to provide health professionals with training in this field. “When I learned that the Institut Philippe-Pinel was offering this training in Montreal, I contacted our Employee Training and Development Department to explore whether it would be possible to attend via videoconference,” she explained.  “After a few inquiries, the project took off and we were able to take advantage of the training without having to travel.”  According to Linda Lepage-Leclair, Manager of the Employee Training and Development Department, delivering health training, and particularly mental health training, in more remote regions always poses a major challenge. “We are pleased to have partnered with the Institut Philippe-Pinel to bring this wonderful training project to fruition,” she added.   

The Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal is a specialized psychiatric hospital.  Since its beginnings in 1970, the facility has become an acknowledged authority in mental health, especially forensic psychiatry, and has garnered a worldwide reputation for its expertise in this field and for its cutting-edge teaching and research.