TERREBONNE, QC and KINGSTON, ON – Bell Let's Talk has donated $300,000 to two mental health foundations in Québec's Lanaudière region that will support improved access to care for clients dealing with mental health challenges.
The donation to the Fondation pour la Santé du Nord and the Fondation Santé Sud de Lanaudière will be matched by Québec's Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de Lanaudière which will match Bell's donation by also investing $300,000 in the projects. The initiatives offer new support for people with borderline personality disorder and launch a specialized program in concurrent disorders, such as when mental health problems are accompanied by addiction.
“These powerful new initiatives by Fondation pour la Santé du Nord and the Fondation Santé Sud de Lanaudière will offer specialized approaches to mental illnesses while helping to reduce waiting times for care in Lanaudière," said Martine Turcotte, Bell's vice-chair Québec, in Tuesday’s news release.
In other news, Bell Let’s Talk and Queen's University announced a $1 million gift to renew the Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair, and reappointed Dr. Heather Stuart, the inaugural holder of the world's first anti-stigma research chair, to the position for another five-year term.
Dr. Stuart's advocacy work has led to greater awareness and the development of best practices in stigma reduction, reads that news release. She has shared best practices in anti-stigma intervention and outreach with organizations around the country and internationally, including the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the World Psychiatric Association.
