In Case You Are Wondering…

You may have a lot of questions about what we do, and we are more than happy to answer them for you! Please take a moment to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions below.

PCM is a charitable organization that provides quality mental health and substance use education and valued-based peer support to individuals and families throughout Manitoba.

Peer Connections is a fully peer led organization which means everyone from Board of Directors to employees have personal or family lived experience of mental health/substance use. We are the first formalized and trained peer support team responding to individuals and families in select clinical environments with (full) connections to community support.  

Our peer support services are FREE, connect with our community team to set up a peer support appointment through phone or email. All calls are confidential.

If you are in crisis click here. If you are looking to connect to community peer support, you may do so over the phone by calling 204-786-1616 or click here to email our Community Peer Support Manager.  Walk-in peer support is available on Monday afternoons. Limited appointment space is available

PCM is not a crisis service.

If you are in an emergency, please call 911. If you are in crisis, click HERE.

Our trained family peer support workers are here for you! If you’re struggling to support a loved one, the next best step is to speak to someone who’s been there. Our peers have told us that speaking to somebody who’s been there makes a world of difference. Set up an appointment with a Family Peer Support Worker by calling 204-786-1616 or click HERE to email our Community Peer Support Manager.

We offer a variety of courses and workshops free of charge to the public. Click HERE to find out what is currently available. Click HERE to sign up for email updates.

Click HERE to fill out a volunteer request form and to find out more about what volunteer opportunities are available.

Click HERE to check out our events and give our Executive Director a call at 204-786-1616 to discuss sponsorship.

We appreciate your support! Click HERE to donate or by sending a cheque to our head office at 100-4 Fort Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 1C4. If you wish to speak with someone about your donation, please phone 204-786-1616.

We are unable to refer you to a doctor, however we can support you while you are looking for a doctor.

One-on-one and group peer support meetings are currently being held over the phone, by videoconference, or in person. Typically, each one-on-one appointment is set for one hour, however if you are ready to end an appointment sooner, that is your choice.

Group sessions vary depending on the support group. You can find a list of support groups HERE for individuals and HERE for families.

PCM provides support to any person living in Manitoba who feels they might benefit from our services.
Yes! All our Peer/Family Support Workers have been trained and many are working through their peer support certification through Peer Support Canada. Our goal is to eventually have all our Peer/Family Peer Support Workers certified.
No.
Please call us at 204-786-1616 or send us an email HERE to ask any further questions you may have about PCM.
If you have further questions our team is more than happy to help you out with the answers you need on our Contact Us page.

Are You in Crisis?

We can help you

Click here

Peer Connections Manitoba acknowledges that our work is conducted in Treaty One and Treaty Two territories, the original lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene and homeland of the Métis Nation. We are dedicated to moving forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of respect, truth and reconciliation.  

Contact

(204) 786-1616
FAX: (204) 783-4898
[email protected]

Our Main Office: 100 – 4 Fort Street |
Winnipeg, Manitoba | R3C 1C4

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Gillian Nattress
Vice President Peer Connections Manitoba
Gillian is the Vice President of the Board of Peer Connections Manitoba, who joined the board in March of 2020. Gillian is a Registered Nurse who is part of the management team with Shared Health. She manages the Support Staff and Nurses of the Float Pools at Health Sciences Centre. She has been a nurse for over 20 years and first became involved with the former Manitoba Schizophrenia Society when she worked for the University of Manitoba and brought nursing students to many of MSS educational programs. Gillian has family members living with mental illness and feel passionately about being a part of a culture that normalizes taking care of mental health.
Alex Sawatsky
President
Alex Sawatsky is the Director as well as an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Social Work at Booth University College where he has been teaching for the last 15 years.
His previous career was in mental health services in the U.S.  He was a member of the board of directors for 6 years with the Manitoba Institute of Registered Social Workers (MIRSW; 2007-2013) and presently a member of the board of directors of the Manitoba College of Social Workers (MCSW).
As of January 2017, he is newly elected as a member of the board of directors at the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS) and the acting president of the board of directors for Peer Connections Manitoba at this time.
In his spare time, he tries to run all the time and on trails as much as possible.  He still thinks it’s a hobby and not an obsession.

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Florence Keeper
My name is Florence Keeper, I am from Nelson House, known as Nischawasik Cree Nation. Grew up and attended school there, attended high school in Thompson. Later attended Brandon university. I am a mother of six, 5 sons, one daughter, a grandmother of two wonderful boys and a granddaughter. So, I’ve been busy! We’ve lived in Winnipeg now for 20 years.

My work experience has always been health delivery. Medical Transportation and Referral Services. WRHA with the Aboriginal Health Service as Discharge Planning Coordinator. I have been involved with Boards as a member in CMHA, Mental Health Community Service, Women’s Crisis Centre in Thompson. I retired in 2014, not my wish but due to health issues. In 2002, a loved one became ill with a mental illness. I found ourselves, meaning the whole family in distress. Not understanding the illness and our new journey began. With supports, resources various hospitals and community programs, we would have not survived. Today, we are in better situation but continue to live with it. When I asked to be member of the MMS board, I was eager as I feel I better understanding and can contribute to support the issue for others. I am proud to say we have provided support to other parents here and in the northern area as we know many people from there. I enjoy talking to people, reading, bead w travelling, explore new things when I can.

Felica Owadara
Hi everyone, my name is Felicia Owadara, but my family mostly calls me Felicity, and I am from Nigeria. I like going for a walk, and part of my daily routine is reading a book daily. I love to engage in meaningful conversation to enrich my knowledge.
Professionally, I worked for a couple of years as a health social worker in the Psychiatric Unit at the Teaching Hospital Ibadan, where I develop an interest in the social integration of mental health service users. I later travelled to the United Kingdom for a master’s degree in social policy and social work research. While I was in the UK, I joined the Kyra women project, an organization that focuses on women’s wellbeing, until I returned to my country.

I am currently undergoing a doctoral degree program at the Faculty of Social work, University of Manitoba; I am a member of the board of director for the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society agency, now referred to as Peer Connection. Joining the organization is relatively novel to me and shaping my experience and knowledge; I am happy to be here and help in a way that I could.

Stephanie Loewen
Secretary to the Board of Directors

Stephanie is the Executive Director of Policy, Programs and Learning for the Manitoba Civil Service Commission. She has been with the Manitoba Government for 12 years, with 10 years spent in mental health, suicide prevention, and addictions policy and oversight. Before government, Stephanie worked as the outreach manager for the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society for six years in both the south and northeastern regions of Manitoba. Since her teenage years, she has had a keen interest in mental health and well-being, playing “therapist” to her friends. Having experienced episodes of debilitating depression and anxiety in her early adulthood, she became well-aware of the inadequacies, gaps and barriers in the healthcare system, as well as in mental health services. Stephanie is a passionate advocate for mental health promotion, destigmatizing mental health and mental illness, and sharing our common and diverse human experiences with compassion, self-love, grace, and humour (wherever possible!) When not working, she loves beating her family in ping pong, tasting and rating Manitoba’s amazing craft beer selections, and listening to podcasts about leadership, self-compassion and bravery.

Gillian Nattress
Vice President Peer Connections Manitoba
Gillian is the Vice President of the Board of Peer Connections Manitoba, who joined the board in March of 2020. Gillian is a Registered Nurse who is part of the management team with Shared Health. She manages the Support Staff and Nurses of the Float Pools at Health Sciences Centre. She has been a nurse for over 20 years and first became involved with the former Manitoba Schizophrenia Society when she worked for the University of Manitoba and brought nursing students to many of MSS educational programs. Gillian has family members living with mental illness and feel passionately about being a part of a culture that normalizes taking care of mental health.
Best part of my workday; Recruiting future nurses and encouraging the development of best practice standards.
I love to decorate, cook, and bake, and am very social. I am looking forward to entertaining again sometime soon.

I am constantly making lists and checking off some accomplishments…makes me feel like I am getting somewhere with my daily tasks!

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