Providing exceptional care to a complex population is not enough for Kwasi Adu-Basowah, a nurse in CAMH’s Complex Mental Illness Acute Crisis Unit. He wants that care to be even better.
"I’ve had an interest in mental health and addictions my whole life; I lived in a community where mental health issues and the stigma around it are prevalent," explains Kwasi. "Nothing can explain the feeling of watching an acutely ill patient recover to the point where they are able to show their appreciation for the care provided."
Thanks to the Barford Advanced Practice Nursing Scholarship, Kwasi is learning how he can improve the care he provides. The Scholarship is helping him pursue his Master of Nursing with a focus on leadership in health care policy from Ryerson University.
Kwasi is one of three CAMH nurses awarded the scholarship last year, and nine since it was created in 2012 by the Ralph M. Barford Foundation and the John & Jocelyn Barford Foundation. It’s another example of how education at CAMH is leading to better mental health care at CAMH and beyond.
Diana CapponiEmployment Works! Coordinator
Touching tribute to an Activist, Educator
In her life, Diana Capponi was a mental health activist, and an important public educator. She spoke frequently at workplaces and conferences, and taught the course Understanding the Experiences of People with Mental Health and Addiction Challenges at CAMH.
It is fitting, then, that The Diana Capponi Client Education Fund has been established to further her vision to create opportunities for low-income patients who wish to pursue an education and realize their potential. Diana knew that meaningful employment is key to recovery—and her vision continues in her name.