Canadian Mental Health Association – Northern BC Branch

A woman stands behind a green ribbon giving a speech into a microphone while two other women stand behind her in the door frame of a house.
AT-A-GLANCE
Formed in:  1962
Communities served:  

Current clients of CMHA, especially those with intellectual disabilities, and those who are unable to receive counselling through Northern Health.

Funding Stream:

COVID-19 Surge Fund

What This Grantee Is Doing for Community Counselling

CAI Community Counselling funds ensure that active CMHA clients who have stalled in their recovery can receive counselling to deal with whatever is building the roadblock for them. This ensures that they can get back on track with their life skills, outreach and vocational goals. Very few CMHA of Northern BC clients have access to counselling services through Northern Health or privately, and are typically individuals impacted by chronic and persistent mental health concerns - so the impact of this counselling service has been profound.

Quote

"The growth in our clients is immeasurable. One woman has now stepped away from brain surgery because the techniques she has been taught have reduced her depression significantly for the first time in over a decade. Virtually none of the clients involved had received (or remembered receiving) basic tools like deep breathing - thought stopping - grounding etc [in their previous experience of counselling]. All but a handful recalled counselling being a brief check in to see how their meds were doing. We find that the majority of our clients (who are considered to have significant and persistent mental illness) are often treated as though improvement is not possible. This counselling shows differently and allows our life skills and vocational work to grow in leaps and bounds."

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