Mental Health Support

News and information about COVID-19 is coming at us quickly. It can be hard to keep up and it can be even harder to remain calm. Stress, anxiety, and depression are not unusual, but there are things we can do to deal with stress and support one another during these challenging times. Here are some resources that can help.

Your Monday Mental Health Moment is a series of articles by CLAC representative Quentin Steen, who is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Check them out for tips to help you navigate through the emotional turmoil of the pandemic.

Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions.

WellCan offers free well-being resources to help Canadians develop coping strategies and build resilience to help deal with uncertainty, mental health, and substance abuse concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support provides free online resources, tools, apps, and connections to trained volunteers and qualified mental health professionals.

The Canadian Association of Mental Health provides answers to many frequently asked questions about the emotional impact of the pandemic.

As a CLAC members with a CLAC benefits plan, you have access to the employee and family assistance program (EFAP). Here you can access additional mental health tools and support.

British Columbia

Enhanced virtual services will help all British Columbians with mental health needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on adults, youth and front-line health care workers. View tips and access resources from BC’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

Alberta

The government has improved access to phone and online supports with existing helplines, including the Addiction Helpline, the Mental Health Helpline, the Kids Help Phone and the Community and Social Services Helpline (Alberta 211).

Saskatchewan

The province’s website provides links to many mental health support services for residents.

Manitoba

The province is offering a free Virtual Therapy program to all residents age 16 or older, experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety.

Ontario

The province has launched a Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions System, which provides a clear path forward toward offering Ontarians easier access to standardized, high-quality mental health care and supports. Many other mental health support services, including a free Virtual Therapy program, are available free of charge at this time.