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For the Media

Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is committed to accurate and  timely information to the media. However, we must strike a delicate balance between the media's interest and our responsibility to safeguard the patients' right to privacy and confidentiality, especially their right not to be interviewed or photographed without their prior written consent.

All media inquiries, including requests for interviews with patients, staff, physicians, and volunteers, as well as requests for hospital images (interior or exterior), must first be directed to the Communications and Public Affairs Department. Before being interviewed, filmed, or photographed, all patients, staff and clinicians at Ontario Shores must give their written consent. 

Please contact:
Communications and Public Affairs at @email or call 905.430.4001

Regular office hours:
Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
 
After office hours:
Ontario Shores communications staff are on-call on weekends, after hours, and on statutory holidays to support urgent requests. To contact the on-call staff, call 905.430.4055 or 1.800.341.6323 and request to speak with the shift office, then the "communicator on-call."

Need a Story Idea?

If you need a story idea, please contact us. Our team is never short of mental health topics to share and can help you connect with an expert. 

Resources to Help Compose Your Mental Health Story

Reporting about People and Mental Health or Mental Illness

One in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in any given year. Many will be treated and recover, while others will have to learn to live with their condition. However, many stories about mental illness focus on isolated, sensationalized incidents of violence or death. 

Questions to Ask When Reporting on Mental Illness

  • Is mental illness relevant in this story? If not, there is no need to mention it. 
  • Where did you get your information? Please do not rely on hearsay to determine whether or not someone is experiencing a mental illness. If you need accurate information about a specific mental illness for a story, please speak to a mental health expert. 

Words Matter. How to Use Language That Avoids Labelling and Stigmatizing Terms

The words you use to write about mental illness and mental heath are very important and if carefully chosen, can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and raise important awareness about the topic. 

Terminology such as psycho, insane or crazy should be avoided. 

Furthermore, when discussing people with mental illness, avoid using words like "suffering" or "victim."

It is important to focus on the person rather than the mental illness. For someone experiencing a mental illness, please remember that it is only one aspect of their life, not what defines them. 

Recommended: He is a person with schizophrenia.
Not: He is schizophrenic.

Recommended: She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Not: She is mentally ill or she is bipolar. 

Recommended: She has a mental health illness. 
Not: She suffers from mental illness. 

Recommended: He died by suicide.
Not: He committed suicide. 

Find an expert

The Communications and Public Affairs team is available to assist reporters/media in contacting subject matter experts.

Our team frequently recommends experts who are available to comment on current events and issues relating to mental health. Please contact us to learn more at 905.430.4001 or @email

See the Speakers Bureau
 

Brand Standards

Ontario Shores launched its new name, tagline and visual identity in 2009 to better reflect the hospital’s expanded mandate, role and future directions.

Meaning of the Ontario Shores Brand

Both the geographic scope of services and the primary lakefront location are reflected in the name "Ontario Shores." Shores symbolizes a safe place at the intersection of land and water, expressing the hospital's role in treating mental illness and assisting patients on their journey to recovery.

The "Centre for Mental Health Sciences" emphasizes the importance of research and education in improving patient care. It exemplifies the organization's role as a teaching hospital and a provider of specialized mental health care by incorporating evidence-based best practices.

The circular symbol in the logo subtly reflects the letters "O" and "S" within a shoreline image to represent a symbolic path to recovery. The bright colours represent healing and optimism. The organization's natural surroundings, as well as its warmth and compassion, are reflected in earth tones.

The tagline of the organization is "Discovery. Recovery. Hope." The term "discovery" expresses the significance of self-discovery in the recovery journey of a patient, as well as the organization's commitment to research and continuing education for its health professionals. The foundations of hope for patients, families, and communities are discovery and the opportunity for recovery.

Use of the Corporate Name

The full name of the organization is Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. The approved short form of the name is Ontario Shores.

When using the hospital name in documents, please use the following standard:

First use of the name is Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) with the approved short form in brackets. Following that, the short form, Ontario Shores can be used throughout the document.

Corporate Logo

The Ontario Shores logo is the basis of our visual identity. It consists of three parts, the symbol, word mark and descriptor. These components must be used all together at all times. The logo must always be placed in a highly visible position on a white background. The symbol must always be used with the words and cannot be separated.

For a copy of the logo, please contact the Communications and Public Affairs Department at 905.430.4001 or @email.

High Resolution Photograph Downloads

High-resolution Spring JPEG

High-resolution Autumn JPEG

 

 

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