Less than a few weeks shy of its 10th anniversary, the Here 24/7 crisis line is getting a federal funding boost to enter the next decade of its work.
A $245,161 investment is being made in the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, as it looks to increase its ability to help diverse communities with the crisis line.
An announcement was made at the CMHA Waterloo Wellington building in Guelph Thursday morning.
The main focus of the funding will help provide education, training staff and identify inclusion service gaps in an effort to advance the way the CMHA approaches equity deserving communities.
“The needs of our equity deserving communities, we need to meet them rather than just think of what the system needs are, and set up our system based on privilege,” said CMHA WW CEO Helen Fishburn.
“We need to set up our system based on the needs of equity deserving communities that were not reaching out to us. They’re there, but we have to build that trust and find different ways to reach them and provide support.”
Some of that support will come in the form of adding 24/7 availability of multilingual services.
Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said we need to meet those communities where they’re at.
“Their culture, their language, their stories,” he told the gathered crowd. “And having people that can also volunteer and come from lived experience, that know how to talk to people where they’re at, to help guide them into better care (is crucial).”
The funding is immediate, Fishburn confirms, so work has already begun.
The ability to text the crisis line is also part of the plan. However, no word yet on when the texting line will become available.
Compass Community Services is also getting $78,230 to help with its telephone support lines.
The goal, similar to the CMHA, is to dismantle systemic barriers and meet the diverse needs of those they serve.
Will Wycherley, the director of support services with Compass, said part of the money will go toward an operational review, as well as training and attempting “to deepen our understanding of the barriers faced by marginalized groups.”
