GATINEAU – Bell Let’s Talk today announced new support for improved access to mental health care in Québec’s Outaouais region with $71,000 in Community Fund grants for local mental health organizations, reads a press release.
The 2020 Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund recipients in the Outaouais region are:
- Centre Inter-Section will offer a new personalized physical activation program supported by a nurse kinesiologist for patients with serious mental health issues who have become inactive.
- Maison Réalité will set up a series of self-management through self-esteem workshops using Revivre’s J’avance! program.
- TAO Tel-Aide is creating a seniors committee to better identify the needs of callers aged 50 and over, improve volunteer training and promote TAO Tel-Aide services to seniors.
Also, Bell Let’s Talk and Jack.org today announced a $500,000 investment over the next five years to equip Jack Chapter leaders with training, mentorship and digital education tools to support the mental health of young people across the country, said a second release.
Jack Chapters are groups of young people who work year-round to identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Last year, 2,246 young leaders from 215 Jack Chapters organized 657 initiatives and started over 62,000 mental health conversations with peers, reads the release. While Covid-19 interrupted in-person programming, Jack.org adapted programs to engage young people virtually by bringing mental health initiatives online.
“The pandemic has turned our student lives upside down,” said Alexandra Radu, Université de Montréal chapter lead, in the release. “Jack Chapters have played a key role in ensuring that their constituencies would remain socially connected in spite of being physically distanced. Our Chapter decided to create and publish an advent calendar suggesting ways to improve self-care and mitigate feelings of isolation during the holidays.”
On January 26, Bell Let’s Talk and Jack.org will host a virtual Jack Talk. Youth speakers will share personal stories to help educate young people to recognize signs of struggle, learn how to support others, and find ways to connect to help.
Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 28
