Demystifying Concurrent Disorders Webinar Series
A virtual education series created by patients and families, for patients and families, to help us understand concurrent disorders better.
This quarterly education series helps patients and families better understand topics relating to mental health and substance use issues, or concurrent disorders. Participants learn about various topics, including:
- trauma-informed practice
- the Mental Health Act
- the forensics system
- medications
The webinar series is free and open to anyone interested in learning about these topics. Each session is led by an expert in mental health and substance use and includes a live Q&A facilitated by the webinar series host. The host is a person with lived/living experience.
The Health Literacy Working Group developed the Demystifying Concurrent Disorders Webinar Series. The group is led by patients and families working to advance health literacy across BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services and beyond.
Upcoming webinar
Demystifying Relapse and Recovery – Dec. 12 from 1-2:30 p.m. PST
Recovery from mental health and substance use is an ongoing and non-linear journey. Each person’s path towards recovery looks different and is defined by the person. Join us as we demystify topic of relapse and recovery with our three subject matter experts coming from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Host and Speakers
Miranda Barnas (she/her) – Speaker
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Miranda Barnas, RPN, is a clinical nurse educator with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, specializing in supporting clients through relapse and recovery in the context of concurrent disorders. With over 15 years of experience in both direct care and leadership roles, Miranda has dedicated her career to enhancing the care for marginalized and underserved populations. In her current position, she focuses on educating staff to better support and empower individuals facing these challenges and their families. Through the development and delivery of evidence-based training on topics such as relapse prevention, therapeutic communication, and best practices, Miranda is committed to fostering compassionate, client-centered care, ultimately improving outcomes for those affected by concurrent disorders.
Julian David (he/him) – Speaker
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Julian’s journey is one of resilience, hope, and transformation. For over two decades, he struggled with addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. Despite many setbacks, he never gave up on his recovery. Through treatment and perseverance, Julian found a new purpose in helping others. He went on to earn diplomas in Social Services Work and Addictions Work and has supported others as part of Island Health’s Complex Care Outreach Team. Today, as a peer support worker at Red Fish Healing Centre, Julian continues to share his experience, strength, and hope to inspire others on their own paths to recovery.
Karen Sunner (she/her) – Speaker
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Karen is a lived experience partner, having been through treatment in both Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health authorities. With a BA in Communications from Simon Fraser University and a multi-lingual background (English and Punjabi), she hopes to bring insight into the work needed to bring addiction issues to the forefront with a focus on cultural aspects in mental health.
Victoria Maxwell (she/her) – Host
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Victoria is a recognized international keynote speaker who uses her personal story of recovery from mental illness to increase awareness, transform negative beliefs and ignite powerful conversations about mental health. She lives with bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health named her a leader in mental health and her theatrical keynote “That’s Just Crazy Talk” has been rated one of the top anti-stigma interventions in the country. Her media appearances include CNN, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Women’s Health UK. She can also be seen in season two of CBC TV’s series ‘You Can’t Ask That’. She is also a lived experience strategic advisor at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services.
Previous webinars
Demystifying Borderline Personality Disorder (May 29, 2025)
Host and speakers:
- Victoria Maxwell, host, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
- Laurie Edmundson, panellist, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
- Dr. John Wagner, panellist, DBT Centre of Vancouver
- Holly, panellist, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Demystifying Prison Health (Nov. 18, 2024)
Speakers:
- Steve Pelland (peer support coordinator, Community Transition Teams, BCMHSUS)
- Pam Young (program manager, Unlocking the Gates)
- Dr. Amanda Butler (assistant professor, Simon Fraser University)
- Deanna Romm (regional director, Correctional Health Services, BCMHSUS)
Demystifying Bipolar Disorder (Feb. 13, 2025)
Host: Laurie Edmundson (senior leader of Patient Experience and Community Engagement with BCMHSUS)
Speakers:
- Kagan Goh (filmmaker, published author, spoken word poet, playwright, actor, curator, mental health advocate and activist)
- Victoria Maxwell (keynote speaker and lived experience strategic advisor at BCMHSUS)
- Dr. Ivan Torres (clinical neuropsychologist, clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC, and research scientist at BCMHSUS)
Demystifying information sharing and privacy (April 12, 2024)
Speakers:
- Becky Hynes (director, interprofessional practice, AMHSUS)
- Anita David (lived experience strategic advisor)
- Margo Dent (family partner)
Demystifying recovery (Oct. 18, 2023)
Speakers:
- Rick Johal (senior lead of provincial education, BCMHSUS)
- Chris Lamoureux (leader of patient experience and community engagement, BCMHSUS)
- Dr. Heather Fulton (registered psychologist)
Adjusting our response to drug poisonings (April 28, 2023)
Speakers:
- Cherlyn Cortes-Manderson (clinical nurse educator, BC Centre for Disease Control)
- Corey Ranger (president, Harm Reduction Nurses Association and project lead, SAFER Knowledge Translation & Exchange project)
Demystifying psychosis (part 2): Supporting yourself and your loved one (Feb. 10, 2023)
Speakers:
- Tracy Windsor and Abigail Schultz (lived experience experts)
Demystifying psychosis (part 1): Understanding psychosis (Feb. 3, 2023)
Speakers:
- Dr. Randall White (medical director, Vancouver Community Mental Health Services and clinical director, BC Psychosis Program)
- Dr. Matthew Johnston (sociologist)
Demystifying prescribed medications for treating psychosis and substance use (Sept. 9, 2022)
Speakers:
- Reza Rafizadeh (clinical pharmacy specialist, BCMHSUS)
- Dr. Christian Schutz (psychiatrist and clinical researcher, Red Fish Healing Centre, BCMHSUS)
Forensic journey and beyond: Where healthcare and legal systems intersect (June 10, 2022)
Speakers:
- Peter Parnell (director of access, transitions and forensic clinical risk, Forensic Psychiatric Hospital)
- Midhath Mahir (deputy supervising lawyer, CLAS)
Demystifying the Mental Health Act (Feb. 22, 2022)
Speakers:
- Dr. Vijay Seethapathy (MD and fellow of The Royal College of Physicians of Canada and chief medical officer, BCMHSUS)
- Kendra Milne (executive director of health justice, Canadian Mental Health Association)
Demystifying trauma-informed health care (Nov. 26, 2021)
Speaker:
- Dr. Linda Uyeda, MD, CCFP
Related resources: Trauma-informed practice tips (PDF)
Privacy and confidentiality
BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services is committed to safeguarding your privacy and confidentiality.
As an attendee in a Zoom for Webinars event, your name will be hidden throughout the presentation, and you may choose to ask your questions anonymously in the Q&A chat box. Participants’ audio and video will be disabled. Questions will be monitored and selected by a facilitator, based on relevance and appropriateness. Please note that the speaker will not be able to address specific individual case questions. Sessions will be recorded and shared on our website, making them available to the public.
Related content
Contact us
To learn more about the Concurrent Disorder Webinar Series, contact engage_BCMHSUS@phsa.ca.