One in five Canadians will experience mental illness each year, and the remaining four in five will know and love someone who does. That’s why Grand River Hospital is proud to be our community’s leading authority on mental health and the sole provider of acute mental health care for the Region. It’s also why it is so important to talk about it.
On January 26, Bell Let’s Talk Day, join the conversation about mental health. For every applicable text, call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, social media video view and use of their Facebook frame or Snapchat lens, Bell will donate 5¢ toward mental health initiatives in Canada.
By engaging in these important conversation, you help break down stereotypes and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Open communication about mental health can also improve relationships, facilitate connection and aid recovery by encouraging people to seek care and support.
As we collectively acknowledge the importance of mental health and the vast need for more services and resources, these conversations can also lead to meaningful change within our health systems and communities. At Grand River Hospital, this looks likes increased support for acute mental health care, including the addition of six adult acute care beds, four child and adolescent acute care beds, and seven mental health beds for alternative long-term care at the Freeport Campus in the past two years.
Not only are these conversations intrinsically important, but your support also helps organizations across the country access additional funding for mental health initiatives that improve the health and well-being of our communities. This includes innovative mental health initiatives right here in Kitchener-Waterloo.
As a past recipient of funding from the Bell Let’s Talk Day initiative, Grand River Hospital’s Propel program helps address an aspect of child and adolescent mental health care that is often overlooked.
“A missing component to much of the care that is provided is the community piece,” said Matt Shantz, Child and Youth Worker. “We need to provide our young people with opportunities to be challenged, supported and build connections to their local community.”
Propel does just that. By connecting children and youth receiving mental health care at Grand River Hospital with opportunities to engage in community programs, participants have the opportunity to learn new skills and build healthy, rewarding relationships with others, all while regaining their confidence and self-esteem. Whether it’s learning the mental discipline of boxing, patiently building a relationship with a horse, being able to finally play that difficult piece of music, or painting a picture that beautifully illustrates the complexity of your emotions, Propel seeks to offer these kinds of opportunities to clients throughout the Waterloo Region and help kids imagine a brighter, fuller future.
Join the conversation on January 26 and make a difference in mental health! Learn more about how you can support the Bell Let’s Talk initiative and have an impact on local mental health care.
