Bell Let's Talk doubles contributions to community mental health care in Greater Montréal

16 local organizations receive $300,000 from the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 11, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - The Bell Let's Talk initiative is proud to donate $300,000 to 16 community mental health organizations to help improve access to care in Greater Montréal. The increase in support reflects the decision by Bell Let's Talk to double the size of its national Community Fund to $2 million annually beginning in 2018.

Pierre Rodrigue, Vice President, Québec Affairs, Bell Stefie Shock, Bell Let’s Talk spokesperson Benoit Dorais, Chair of the City of Montréal’s Executive Committee and Mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough Rosannie Filato, City of Montreal Councillor accompanied by the representatives of the 16 recipients. (CNW Group/Bell Canada)

Benoit Dorais, Chair of the City of Montréal's Executive Committee and Mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough, joined Pierre Rodrigue, Vice President, Québec Affairs at Bell, to make the announcement.

"I am honoured to lend my support to these initiatives that will enable so many local organizations to carry on the excellent work they do in our community," stated Mr. Dorais. "Whether directly or indirectly, most of us will be affected by mental illness at some point in our lives. With this support from Bell Let's Talk, we can increase the resources available in our community and make such a difference. Let's keep the conversation going!"

"Bell Let's Talk is proud to support the important work these 16 organizations are doing to provide a supportive environment and improve the well-being of patients living with mental health challenges in Montréal," said Mr. Rodrigue. "With the increase in the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund to $2 million in support each year, we are helping a total of 47 organizations across Québec improve access to mental health services for all those affected by mental illness."

The 2018 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund recipients in Greater Montréal are:

  • Anorexia and bulimia Québec (ANEB)
  • Association québécoise des parents et amis de la personne atteinte de maladie mentale (AQPAMM)
  • L'Arrêt-Source
  • Women's Centre of Montréal
  • Dans la rue
  • Le Cercle des 4 vents
  • Fondation du Centre jeunesse de Montréal
  • Youth Employment Services
  • L'Île des Amis
  • Opération Jeunesse Ville-Émard/Côte St-Paul (Maison de Jeunes RadoActif)
  • Parents et amis du bien-être mental du Sud-ouest de Montréal (PABEMSOM)
  • Community Perspective in Mental Health (W.I.)
  • LOVE (Québec)
  • Refuge des Jeunes de Montréal
  • Réseau d'Intervention auprès des personnes ayant subi de la Violence Organisée (RIVO)
  • Tel-Écoute/Tel-Aînés

"On behalf of Maison de Jeunes RadoActif and the 15 other recipient organizations, I would like to thank Bell Let's Talk for supporting our programs and allowing us to provide more help and hope to Montréal residents who use our services," said Samuel Chagnon, Clinical Director and Supervisor at Maison de Jeunes RadoActif. "Mental health is an essential component of life that our society often underestimates. Every citizen is entitled to well-being and thanks to these generous donations and the community's efforts, we are able to make this a reality for those needing support."

About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and provides significant funding for community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk .

The $2-million annual Bell Let's Talk Community Fund supports community-based mental health initiatives that improve access to care throughout Canada. Each year, registered charities can apply for a grant up to $25,000, and all submitted applications are reviewed by a committee of mental health experts from across the country. Applications for the 2019 fund will open in January.

About Bell
Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing innovative broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services across the country. Bell Media is Canada's premier content creation company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home and digital media. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

The Bell Let's Talk Community Fund 2018 supports 16 Montréal organizations

Anorexia and bulimia Québec (ANEB) 
Pointe-Claire

To provide support for young people in a medium they are comfortable with, ANEB will use Bell Let's Talk funds to establish a text messaging service for youth aged 12-18. Available weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the service will enable teens to contact an ANEB counsellor confidentially and anonymously, text in a crisis situation and save counsellor replies for future reference. 

Association québécoise des parents et amis de la personne atteinte de maladie mentale (AQPAMM) 
Montréal

Recognizing the need to support young people who are mental health caregivers for family members, AQPAMM will use Bell Let's Talk funding for its T'as ta place! program. This will provide same-day psychosocial support via text or in person and information workshops as well as drama and art therapy on the island of Montréal, helping to improve the well-being of family members and loved ones of people with mental health issues.

Dans la rue 
Montréal

In response to a doubling of transgender street youth requiring mental health services, Dans la rue will use Bell Let's Talk funding to set up an integrated, multi-faceted project designed to foster self-expression as a way of delivering mental health care. The project involves enhancing the organization's art and music therapy programs, sports and outdoor activities and community kitchen program by adding workshops focused on identity, gender expression and relationship development.

L'Arrêt-Source inc. 
Montréal

To help young women who face mental health, abuse, addiction and family challenges, l'Arrêt-Source has created a program in collaboration with the Victoria Institute to provide them with the skills they need to re-integrate into society. Funded by Bell Let's Talk, the intervention program includes group meetings covering skills development, effective interpersonal relationships, self-awareness and emotional self-regulation plus individualized follow-up.

LOVE (Québec)
Montréal

Providing mental health and social support for young victims of violence, LOVE (Québec) will use Bell Let's Talk funds to hire more program coordinators to expand its media arts program to new schools. The program raises awareness of the different forms of violence and gives participants the opportunity to share their experiences and learn how to express their emotions and deal with discrimination, bullying or exclusion.

Tel-Écoute/Tel-Aînés – Montréal
Bell Let's Talk funds will support the modernization of call-in lines to provide expanded support and enable volunteers to answer calls from home. It will also enable volunteers to network with partners across Québec to share calls to cover periods when listeners are in short supply.

Women's Centre of Montréal 
Montréal

Through the Il était une fois et une fois il sera project, the Women's Centre of Montréal will invest its Bell Let's Talk grant to increase the number of workshops for victims of sexual assault during childhood. The Centre aims to reduce psychological distress and help participants create a support network, regain control over their lives and continue their path toward healing, as well as raise awareness among the public about the impact of sexual assault during childhood.

Parents et Amis du Bien-Être Mental du Sud-Ouest de Montréal (PABEMSOM) 
PABEMSOM will invest its Bell Let's Talk funding in a program to support young caregivers, aged 12 to 17, who are living with a person with mental health challenges. Research shows that about 12% of Canadian youth are in this situation. The program will help participants learn about mental illness and develop skills and competencies as natural caregivers in a way that is appropriate for their age.

Refuge des Jeunes de Montréal 
Montréal

Bell Let's Talk funding will allow Refuge des Jeunes to increase support for young people with mental health issues and other behavioral challenges. Following their stay at the night shelter, they are directed to the Refuge's Day Centre which is linked with specialized mental health organizations for homeless youth.

Community Perspective in Mental Health (PCSM) 
Sainte-Geneviève

Bell Let's Talk support will enable PCSM to develop a peer support group for its adult clientele, including seniors, and offer free, individualized support to clients. Participants will acquire skills to offer peer support themselves, making the group self-reliant at the end of a 2-year period. The majority of people seeking PCSM's services live below the poverty line and receive long-term social assistance.

L'Ile des Amis 
Pierrefonds

The L'île des Amis will invest Bell Let's Talk funds in new community kitchens offering education in nutrition, food purchasing, portion sizes and preparation. The program will also provide coaching in social skills and help to improve the quality of life and self-esteem for residents of L'île des Amis and other community members.

Opération Jeunesse Ville-Émard/Côte St-Paul (Maison de Jeunes RadoActif) 
Montréal

Bell Let's Talk funding will support the hiring of an additional counsellor in the psychosocial assistance service (PAS) for adolescents at RadoActif Youth Centre. This support service includes initial assessment, development of an action plan, support in individual counselling sessions, reassessments and final monitoring. It also provides support for teens in emergency situations who are referred to the organization by physicians.

La Fondation du Centre jeunesse de Montréal 
Montréal

The Montréal Children's Centre will use its Bell Let's Talk fund to establish sensory calming rooms in 9 housing units. Children arriving in Youth Protection are fragile – 48% have received a psychiatric diagnosis – so it is essential to offer them safe spaces to calm down and address their challenges.

Le Cercle des 4 Vents
Montréal

Bell Let's Talk will support an ongoing program of drama therapy at Le Cercle des 4 Vents, with animal assistance workshops for children and adolescents who are survivors of abuse and who struggle with violent impulses against themselves and/or others.

RIVO (Réseau d'intervention auprès des personnes ayant subi la violence organisée) 
Montréal

RIVO will employ its Bell Let's Talk funding to provide on-site training for professionals who work with vulnerable refugees and other newcomers in regions such as Saint-Jérôme, Joliette and Gatineau. The expanded program will enable support for more people with complex mental health issues such as trauma, depression, grief and stress.

Youth Employment Services (YES) 
Montréal

In 2012, YES launched a peer support program to help depressed and anxious job seekers overcome barriers to employment. Bell Let's Talk funding will help expand YES Peer Support Groups to clients aged 15-30 who are not employed or in school, providing increased access to mental health support for those most at risk of situational depression.

 

Media enquiries:

Caroline Audet
Bell
514-391-9794
caroline.audet@bell.ca 
@Bell_News

Samuel Chagnon
Opération jeunesse Ville Émard/Côte St Paul, Maison de jeunes RadoActif
Spokesperson for the 16 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund recipients
514-303-8900
direction@mdjradoactif.com

 

SOURCE Bell Canada