HALIFAX and OTTAWA – Bell Let's Talk and all four Atlantic provinces have thrown their support behind child and youth mental health across the region with a combined gift of $2 million to the Strongest Families Institute.
Founded in Nova Scotia, the Strongest Families Institute provides programs for children, youth and families dealing with mild to moderate mental illness and other health issues through a unique distance coaching approach, supporting families over the phone and Internet in the privacy of their own homes.
A $1 million donation by Bell Let's Talk will be matched by provincial government funding in each Atlantic province over a four-year period. With $2 million in new funding, the Strongest Families Institute will expand its existing services in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and launch its services in New Brunswick. This initiative will reach approximately 2,000 children, youth and families across the region.
In other news, Bell Let’s Talk will make a $150,000 donation to St. John Ambulance that will support the integration of mental health training in its standard and emergency First Aid courses.
The integrated module will be available nationally starting in 2018, and courses in English and French will be offered in workplaces, hospitals, schools, and communities. Canadians will learn what to do in an emergency, including how to recognize high risk situations and when to escalate quickly to professionals.
Their Excellencies Governor General David Johnston and Mrs. Sharon Johnston are also talking mental health this week at various events on January 23 and 25, to mark Wednesday's 7th annual Bell Let's Talk campaign.
