SOUND OFF: Reducing barriers to mental health counselling
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WHEN SOMEONE MAKES THE BRAVE DECISION TO SEEK HELP for mental health concerns, they should be met with care and compassion, regardless of their income or where they live. That is why our government is extending access to low and no-cost community counselling across the province. Last week we announced an investment of $4.2 million to continue this service at 49 local community agencies.
Before someone even decides to seek care, they have likely already battled the stigma that is associated with mental health challenges. They may have felt like they were alone or that nobody else felt the way they did. And they might have additional barriers or past experiences that make even setting foot in a clinic feel difficult. During the last few years, many people have found themselves dealing with a new mental health challenge for the first time or the first time in quite a while. A further barrier exists for those in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, where travel to treatment options is often complicated and expensive.
That is why it is so vital that we support counselling in communities across the province. The local agencies that provide these counselling programs meet people where they are at. This often means finding a meeting place that works for the client and makes them comfortable, whether it’s virtual, in an office, or somewhere public like a park. Community counselling strives to support the whole person, including the ways that their housing, food security, employment, life experience, language and other factors affect their mental health.
Since 2019, over 125,000 counselling sessions have been delivered around the province as a result of Community Counselling funding.
