Who We Help
SASHA clients are individuals who have been diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness.
An average, of half of our clients have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, followed by depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and Bipolar disorder. One third have more than one diagnosis. 80% also have an addiction: most commonly alcohol, followed by methamphetamine, cannabis use and cocaine. Some clients also need support for a medical diagnosis such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, oxygen dependence, Hepatitis C, HIV, COPD, and asthma.
SASHA clients are between the ages of 18 – 64 and represent all backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and faiths. Some of our clients are under Community Treatment Orders (CTO)’s. Others have just been released from the hospital. For some, their diagnosis is new. For most, their illness has repeatedly turned their life up-side down and they’ve experienced tremendous loss, including loss of:
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Health
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Jobs
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Credit rating
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Homes
We help people with severe and persistent mental illness go from being hopeless to hopeful.
At SASHA, we believe that mental illness does not define you. It is simply a part of who you are. And we believe that who you are is a valuable member of our community.
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Family
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Friends
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Relationships
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Freedom
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A place in our community
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Their sense of self
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Hope
"I am an Indigenous male who has lived in the SASHA residential program since May 2018. Before coming to SASHA I was homeless, addicted to drugs, on Suboxone therapy, in and out of hospital and reliant on oxygen therapy to live. I was not in contact with my family or my son and lost focus on culture and our Indigenous way of life.
The SASHA program has supported me with relearning my independent living skills, sparked my love of reading, and supported me in going back to school. The SASHA Financial Literacy Program has taught me about budgeting and supported me in paying over $5,000 in court fines I owed. I am proud to say that I have been clean of drugs since December 2019 and am no longer on Suboxone therapy (completed October 2019). Thanks to staff support and having all of my basic needs met, I have been able to focus on my physical health. I now only rely on my oxygen when I’m exercising. I have reconnected with my immediate and extended family. I have been able to spend time with my son and my family on a regular basis for over a year and a half now.
SASHA has been a great support to me in meeting and honouring my Indigenous needs, ceremonies and traditions. I have found my way back to my Indigenous ways and now through peer support, and my traditional, Indigenous ways, I support others who have lost their way."
- W, former SASHA Client
Let's Make A Change
Here are some ways you can get involved: