Mental health resources in Kelowna are expanding thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), which operates Foundry Kelowna, received the funding with plans to create and support a youth mental health mobile unit in the Central Okanagan.
“Last year more than 1,500 youth visited Foundry Kelowna for a range of services,” said Foundry manager Ben Macauley. “While that number shows we are helping a lot of young people, it also indicates there are still those who may need help and are not getting it.”
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Foundry and the CMHA provide a wide array of mental health services for youth throughout the Okanagan and are among the eight organizations featured in the Bell Let’s Talk Day 2020 campaign.
The proposed youth mental health mobile unit, expected to be on the road by the summer, was an idea spurred from youth engagement asked on better ways for services to reach young people outside of the Kelowna area.
According to the release from the CMHA, the mobile unit will focus on communities in West Kelowna and Lake Country.
“Our goal is to provide excellent service to support individuals with their mental health,” said CMHA executive director Shelagh Turner.
“This grant will help us create a community where everyone has access to the care they need.”
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The funding for the CMHA and Foundry Kelowna comes ahead of Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 29 where Canadian mental health programs and anti-stigma campaigns are brought into the spotlight.
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