Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Let's Talk about Mental Health

By Tony vanHengel, BC Healthcare, Manufacturing, Millwork, and Services Coordinator

Chances are, you know someone who struggles with their mental health. Maybe you struggle with this yourself, or maybe you have supported a family member or friend through their struggle. One in five Canadians will suffer from a form of mental illness at some point in their life, so this is obviously a prevalent and important issue.

Often, the first problem people encounter is simply not knowing where to turn to get the support they need to deal with mental health struggles.

Your workplace employee and family assistance program (EFAP) is a great place to start. It provides free, confidential counselling and other resources to CLAC members and their immediate family.

If you are unsure of where to find your EFAP’s contact information, please ask your steward or representative, and they will pass the information along to you. Keep in mind that you don’t have to currently qualify for benefits to access these services.

We can all do our part to support each other and build healthy workplaces. Listen, avoid passing judgment, let others know that help is available, and access that help yourself. For more information about mental health, please visit mentalhealthcommission.ca.

Let's Talk about Mental Health

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