Mind Space Virtual and In-Person Self-Management Groups – (formerly known as CBT Skills Groups Society)

Mind Space is a BC non-profit organization offering MSP-funded mental health programs that help individuals develop skills to manage stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, executive functioning challenges (such as ADHD), and parenting difficulties.

Various Mind Space groups for patients with anxiety, depression, insomnia, ADHD, and/or for parents/caregivers.

All groups are facilitated by trained physicians. Referral from a doctor (family or walk-in) or nurse practitioner is required for all participants.

There is one referral form to access all programs. Patients self-select the group in which they wish to participate. Level One groups are delivered as an 8-10 week series varying in length (90- 120 minutes). These are group medical visits with 15 patients per group. Participants who complete the CBT Foundations program (attend 6/8 sessions) are automatically offered Level Two groups to choose from that vary from 4-8 weeks in each series.

The following groups are offered:

LEVEL ONE PROGRAMS:  (We have expanded level one mental health programming with anxiety/depression groups for individuals with shared identities or experiences such as young adults (18-25), older adults (65+), BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, those living with cancer, and others.)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Skills Foundations Group: A
self-management group designed to introduce the foundational concepts of CBT, as well as aspects of mindfulness, emotion regulation, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants will build practical mental health self-management strategies helpful for daily life including life transitions, stress, depression and anxiety.

CBT Skills Foundation groups are offered to the general population, as well as affinity Foundation groups for specific populations ~ these include, but are not limited to:

• women/men identifying
• LGBTQIA2S+
• cancer survivors
• young adults (19-25)
• new parents
• physicians

Raising Resilient Kids Parenting Group (RRK): This 8-week program is designed to strengthen the caregiver-child relationship during the early childhood years (age 0-6yrs). Participants benefit from psychoeducation on children’s social-emotional development, and learn essential parenting skills to navigate conflict, normalize distress, and support healthy emotional expression in children based on the best evidence from child development, mindfulness, attachment, and reflective parenting. The child does not have to have any particular diagnosis for the caregiver to be eligible to participate.

Skills for Success Group (SfS) – ADHD Strategies for Adults:  This 8-week series teaches practical, evidence-based strategies designed to improve self-management and self-care for those experiencing symptoms of ADHD. Participants develop strategies to help set realistic goals, prioritize, manage time, and reduce distractions, as well as mindful skills to cope with feeling overwhelmed. This program is open to patients with a past or current diagnosis of ADHD (or if they or their health care professional suspects they have ADHD) who are not currently attending high school.

LEVEL TWO PROGRAMS: (participants must complete CBT Skills Foundations Group to register)  

Intro to Mindfulness: In this group, participants will be introduced to a variety of mindfulness and compassion practices to support their well-being. Each 1 hour and 45 minute session includes group sharing and trying different mindfulness practices, as well as exploring how these may fi t into daily life. The emphasis is on experiential learning, with 15-20 min meditation sessions and and several shorter practices each week. The course emphasizes home practice between sessions. In contrast to Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, this series includes compassion and gratitude cultivation practices along with mindful awareness practices.

Mindfulness-based CBT: This program introduces participants to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy skills for managing anxiety and depression.

CBT for Insomnia: This course aims to help participants better understand sleep in general, insomnia, and the obstacles that can interfere with restorative sleep. We will discuss the structure of sleep and strategies for improving sleep quantity and quality.

BOOSTER GROUPS:

These 4-week groups delve deeper into specific topics that were taught in the CBT Skills Foundations course. These groups do not introduce new information, rather provides the space for you to work with the concepts and skills in a more interactive format utilizing more small group discussions about your home practice. These courses refer to the CBT Skills Foundations workbook and use handouts for class exercises. The course sessions are 1 hour and 30 minutes.

It is encouraged to refer patients who have a PHQ9 Score of 18 or less who struggle with:

• Mild-moderate anxiety or depression (PHQ9 Score of 18 or less)
• Adjustment disorders (stress causing symptoms, and/or affecting ability to function in relationships, parenting, or at work/school)
• ADHD or other difficulties with executive function
• Caregivers coping with stress related to looking after dependents
• Note that our parenting group, Raising Resilient Kids, is suitable for parents with children 6 and under. Other programs may be suitable for parents generally, as well as other types of caregivers.
• Insomnia
• Chronic medical conditions with associated mental distress
• Perfectionism
• Chronic pain
• Substance Use Disorder, in at least early remission OR would
  not interfere with cognitively demanding group-based learning.
  Please note: Participants who are intoxicated will be asked to leave group.
• Eating disorders (medically stable)
• Mild trauma related disorders. If dissociative symptoms are present, these are mild and would not interfere with group based learning

***See Detailed Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Cost: A $65 deposit is collected from each registrant to encourage attendance and support the program’s sustainability.  This is refunded if the participant attends all sessions or misses only one.  Refunds may take up to 4 weeks after the group ends to be processed.  A hard copy of the workbook is recommended, whish is an additional cost, or participants can access an online version of download a PDF for free.  Those with financial hardship can contact the program for accommodations.

Referral Details: Referral using this one universal referral form for all Mind Space skills-training groups is required from a family doctor, walk-in doctor, or nurse practitioner to determine participant suitability for program. Referring MRP must agree to follow the patient for the duration of the referral.

• To enroll, an individual must go to their family doctor, nurse practitioner, or walk-in doctor to complete a screening questionnaire to determine if the group is suitable. If it is, a referral will be sent to Mind Space, and the patient will receive an email with the list of upcoming groups to choose from. Patients enroll by selecting their level one group of choice.
• All groups are available online and offered consistently throughout the year, therefore patients will have many times/dates to choose from. We also offer in-person groups in some locations.
• The referral will expire 12 months from the date of the last session attended. If a patient does not start a new group within that time frame, a new referral is required to be able to continue to be contacted with future group offerings.

Website: www.mind-space.ca; Our cbtskills.ca website will still be active and linked to our new website.

Contact: hello@mind-space.ca;  Fax: 1-778-265-0298