Government of Canada invests $8.5 million to the Canadian Red Cross to support the mental health of people across the country
Summary
Funding is part of a commitment of $100 million to support those most affected by COVID-19OTTAWA, ON, May 2, 2023 /CNW/ - As we recognize Mental Health Week 2023, we remain committed to promoting positive mental health for everyone, particularly individuals who were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.Today, \xc9lisabeth Bri\xe8re, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced $8.5 million in funding to expand the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Calls program.The Friendly Calls program pairs a trained Red Cross team member with an adult who could benefit from greater connection or may have limited social and family links. At a regularly scheduled time, Red Cross personnel call the people with whom they are paired for a social chat, connecting them, if needed, with resources available in their community. The program aims to enhance social connectedness and well-being, with a focus on reaching older adults, Indigenous peoples, frontline workers, parents, caregivers and anyone who may benefit from increased access to regular emotional support, social interaction, enhanced coping skills and community connections to other existing support.Todays announcement builds on the Government of Canadas investments in Budget 2023, including our plan to invest nearly $200 Billion over 10 years to improve health care services for Canadians, reduce surgical backlogs, support health workers, and improve integrated mental health and substance use services. "\xc9lisabeth Bri\xe8re, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and Associate Minister of Health"Canadian Red Cross recognizes, supports and values the power of community and connection as critical elements to the resilience and well-being of individuals and a healthy and responsive continuum of care within Canada. Renison University College, at the , is hosting a Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub for Mental Health Promotion (KDE Hub) to support the projects funded through this investment, helping to build a community with shared interests in optimizing mental health.