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By Tanner Smith

AHS

AHS has partnered with Counselling Alberta to improve Albertan’s mental health

Jul 26, 2022 | 4:37 PM

Alberta’s government is providing Counselling Alberta with $6.75 million to expand youth mental health hubs, streamline the 211 Alberta process, and improve Albertans’ mental health.

Counselling Alberta is a new division of the Calgary Counselling Centre that will focus on rural Alberta communities.

Robbie Babins- Wagner, Chief Executive Officer at the Calgary Counselling Centre says this program has been very successful in the Calgary area and Central Alberta and they will be working to deliver the same results to rural communities across the province over the next two years but will have to use a different approach as they don’t live in and know these areas…

“We have a communications team that’s going to be a part of this project and they will be working specifically to reach out to your community, smaller communities, rural communities, northern communities, one of the pieces we heard was many communities have Facebook pages to share information, so that is one the things my team will be looking at.”

Wagner says over the course of the pandemic they had numerous people reach out from rural communities who didn’t feel seen with their problems, so they hope offering virtual and on-call counseling will make residents feel heard.

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In addition, they will also be freeing up two slots at 4 p.m. every day to chat with people reaching out for the first time that a counselor feels needs some support now.

” We have two spots every single day at four o’clock so that if we sense in either reading a registration form or talking to someone on the phone if they have concerns, we will ask them if they want to attend one of those spots.”

Wagner says delivering counseling through an online setting is actually more comfortable for Albertans, not having to pay for parking or child care, and it actually mirrors a practice family support counselors did years ago. However, support is customizable to the person and in-person meetings will remain an option and anyone who reaches out starting today “will be assigned a counselor tomorrow.”

Mike Ellis, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, says with this partnership he has completed his goal.

“We (Alberta Government) made a 6.75 million dollar announcement. My overall vision and instruction were I wanted to have affordable and accessible mental health support to everyone in the province. I’m proud to say, we delivered that.”

Any Albertans wishing to speak with someone about their mental health can call 211 or click here.