WINNIPEG – Bell Let's Talk and the Manitoba government have announced a joint gift of $1 million over five years to the Strongest Families Institute (SFI) to expand mental health services for children, youth and their families throughout Manitoba.
SFI is an award-winning organization delivering evidence-based programs for children, youth and families dealing with mild to moderate mental illness and other health issues. Its unique distance coaching approach, which offers support for families around the clock in the privacy of their own homes, is also the only program of its kind in the country with a no-waitlist policy for families with children and youth.
Services will be available in both English and French when SFI formally launches its programs later this month, and approximately 1,000 families are expected to benefit from the service over the next five years.
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to support our partners at the Strongest Families Institute as they bring their experience in helping young people who struggle with mental health issues to Manitoba," said Bell Let's Talk chair Mary Deacon, in the news release. "Working together with the Manitoba government, we are helping more families get access to the care and support they need through a successful model that will make a real difference in their lives."
Bell's funding commitment for mental health, including the company's donations based on Bell Let's Talk engagement and its original $50-million donation to launch the initiative, is now $93,423,628.80 and expected to surpass $100 million on January 30.
