Dr. M.A. Mian Awards Presented During Annual Conference

Johnena Kennedy, community outreach worker and Parent Connect program facilitators Tammy MacPhee-Doyle and Andrea Weyman-Hickman received the Dr. M.A. Mian Awards at the 2016 Living with Mental Illness and Addiction Conference in Sydney for the impact they have had on the lives of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Johnena Kennedy has been helping people with addictions for over 25 years. When she started her career, the role of a community outreach worker was not defined so she used her own experiences to help clients. Kennedy goes above and beyond for every client and co-worker without crossing boundaries. She is always accessible and will do whatever she can to find a solution for the client. Kennedy does extensive follow-up with clients, keeping staff informed every step of the way. Genuine and caring, Kennedy gets high praise from clients, staff and her co-workers.

Tammy MacPhee-Doyle and Andrea Weyman-Hickman facilitate the Parent Connect program. The program is dedicated to helping families who are struggling with challenging behaviours. The 12 week program uses information and education to help participants learn about the various relationships in families, how to empathize and how to change or adapt reactions to challenging behaviours. As facilitators, MacPhee-Doyle and Weyman-Hickman create a safe and comfortable environment for participants to share their experiences with the group. Through their hard work and ability to bring a group together, they make it easier for participants to share both their issues and their accomplishments. They are also not afraid to share their own stories with their groups. Participants remark that this makes them feel that MacPhee-Doyle and Weyman-Hickman understand what they are going through.

The Dr. M.A. Mian Awards were established in 2007 to honour the memory of Dr. M.A. Mian who was dedicated to improving the lives of people living with mental illness. Dr. Mian’s vision was to change the focus from inpatient, institutionalized treatment to outpatient, community-based treatment and support for clients. He began his practice in 1964 and continued working until his death in February 2006.

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