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May 2017 Update

1. Noteworthy items

  • It’s time to renew your professional liability insurance! BMS Canada Risk Services Ltd. has officially launched its renewal process for members holding professional liability insurance through MPS. Members with policies expiring on June 1, 2017 can expect to receive an email from BMS Group within the next week with a unique link for online renewal. Members with both professional liability and business/clinic insurance policies should receive two emails.
    • Please note that there are some minor changes to the program this year. These include:
      • New Employment Practices Liability Coverage (see here)
      • A small increase in premiums for business coverage.
      • New enhanced Cyber Security and Privacy Liability (see here)
    • Visit psychology.bmsgroup.com for more information about the program.
  • April was proclaimed Sexual Assault Awareness Month and announced by Minister Rochelle Squires. Coincidentally, a group of psychologists in Winnipeg had been working on creating a sexual abuse awareness week for May and provided the following information about their efforts to MPS:
    • The focus of the awareness month, according to our province’s press release (http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=41271) is to increase awareness about the frequency of sexual assault of women and girls, the fact that many assaults are not reported, and that, as a result, many are not receiving help following assaults.
    • The community psychologists involved in this effort would like to bring awareness to the sexual abuse of children (girls and boys). They would like the public to be aware that children are more likely than adults to be sexually abused (the prevalence is at least 1 in 6), most victims know their perpetrators, and child sexual abuse can occur to those in any demographic
    • For this year’s work on awareness, Drs. Rehman Abdulrehman and Kirsten Wirth are being hosted by CJOB at 2 pm on Wednesday May 3rd to discuss prevalence, protective factors, advocacy, and obtaining supports.
    • Drs. Abdulrehman and Wirth hope to prepare over the coming year for systems efforts towards awareness at all levels so that survivors may access appropriate supports, and on pursuing a bigger media plan for 2018.
  • After two years of research and input from almost 400 community members with different perspectives on mental health, Sarasvàti Productions is excited to bring important stories to the stage as part of Breaking Through. The play follows the stories of five Winnipeggers living with different mental health issues. This bold new play puts the spotlight on mental health like never before. Writers Hope McIntyre and Cairn Moore honour these stories with nuance, humour and unabashed honesty.
    • Breaking Through runs May 23-27 at 8pm, May 24 at 1pm and May 28 at 2pm at the Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (400 Colony Street, at the U of W). Please visit sarasvati.ca for complete information.


2. MPS Updates from April 2017

  • The MPS Annual Spring Workshop, The Pain Paradox: Mindfulness/Compassion-Based Approaches for Complex Trauma, with Dr. John Briere was held on April 21, 2017.The workshop was very well attended by 114 registrants.

3. Articles of Interest

  • This month we have also including a pdf copy of a summary of a document titled “The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research” by The National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The report provides a link to the full document which will provide more information regarding the findings. See here.

4. Get to know a Manitoba Psychologist, featuring Dr. Matthew Bailly

In your opinion, what are the most rewarding and challenging parts of being a clinical psychologist?

“For me, the most rewarding part of being a clinical psychologist is having the privilege of using my knowledge and experience to serve others each day.  I consider myself very fortunate to do what I enjoy for a living, but even more lucky to be able to use my skills to lessen the burden of emotional distress, particularly that often accompanying chronic illness.  In terms of challenges (which I may also find rewarding), I enjoy performing assessments and delivering treatments that appear to be the best fit for clients, coordinating services with other providers, and even completing day to day tasks associated with running a busy clinic.”

What do you think are the most exciting changes in the field of clinical psychology?

“I feel that this is a wonderful time to be a clinical psychologist, with some significant trends that I find quite exciting.  For me, these include the increasing use of acceptance-based strategies to treat a number of conditions, particularly chronic pain.  In addition, I’m very optimistic about more recently emerging technology, like telemedicine, to improve access for previously underserved populations or the use of virtual reality in exposure-based treatments.”

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