Sometimes lofty pursuits have modest beginnings.
This can be said of PLEO (Parents Lifeline), which was formed in 1999 by three mothers of children in the inpatient psychiatric program at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
What began as parents informally supporting one another in waiting rooms and hallways evolved into a formal organization in 2000, when Cynthia Clark led the effort to incorporate PLEO and secure charitable status. The group offered a monthly parent support meeting at CHEO and worked extensively with service providers to advocate for families’ needs. At the time, mental health care involved minimal family participation in planning their children’s treatment.
Bonnie Schryer is a Family Peer Supporter at PLEO and she says that what they do is born out of the natural tendency of like minded people to congregate and share experiences. The idea of a “closed support group” was formulated, and in partnership with The Robbie Dean Centre, came to fruition to assist families in better understanding and coping with young loved ones who are suffering from suicidal ideation. Bonnie explains:
Bonnie and her Team are now in the planning stages of their eighth session which runs for eight consecutive weeks for 90 minutes at a time beginning in January of 2026. During these sessions aimed at the families who are learning to cope with their children’s struggles, she notes that they learn to bond with one another through shared experience which she says is a critical component of the overall process.
In close partnership with Monique Yashinskie, Founder and Director of The Robbie Dean Centre, Schryer is able to provide an environment conducive to the kind of healing these families are in dire need of. Yashinskie notes that the stigma that surrounds the issue is still very much a part of the equation and this can often cause families to avoid seeking help which can have dire consequences:
As the holidays approach, it is a time that is joyous for most but it can also be an extremely difficult time for families who are going through this process. In response to this, PLEO is planning an introductory session on December 10th ahead of the official start of the eight week program that begins in January of 2026.
The pre-Christmas introductory session takes place on Wednesday , December 10th at 7PM to approximately 8:30PM and the session is conducted virtually. The first post Christmas session takes place Wednesday January 14th at 7PM. Pre-registration is mandatory for all sessions and all of the information can be found at the PLEO website at the link below. When there, click on the “Where to find us” tab for registration information.
https://pleo.on.ca/how-we-help/
(Written By: Richard Evans)