Health and Community Services
October 30, 2015

Providing Health Supports for Families and Communities

Funding Supports CHANNAL in Peer-Led Initiative for Mental Health and Addictions

The Provincial Government has provided $70,000 to CHANNAL to support a provincial peer-run mental health warm line and a peer support worker dedicated to support CHANNAL's Waterford Hospital Program.

"Our government has made great strides forward in supporting and implementing programs that help individuals and families dealing with mental illness and addictions issues. We continue to build on the recent successes of the youth and adult apps, Bridge the gAPP, and the provincial Understanding Changes Everything Workplace Program. The warm line is another demonstration of how government values the voice of lived experience. We are partnering with the community to enable individuals to help themselves and those around them who are living with mental health or addictions issues."
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services

Approximately $50,000 has been allocated for a warm line to provide support to anyone in Newfoundland and Labrador who may be experiencing mental health or addictions issues and their families. Individuals with lived experience of mental illness and/or addictions will provide information, referral, or pre-crisis peer support in response to non-emergency situations. Callers can access the warm line via telephone toll-free, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

"At CHANNAL, we see every day the challenges people are facing when it comes to finding and accessing services. With Bridge the gAPP just launched, the Provincial Government is continuing its investment in a unique, innovative approach in finding ways to provide services to individuals throughout our province. This investment into peer support will enable us to increase availability and access, positively impacting our peers, our families and our communities."
- Paula Corcoran-Jacobs, Provincial Executive Director, CHANNAL

CHANNAL and Eastern Health have worked since 2012 to ensure peer support services are available at the Waterford Hospital. As such, the Provincial Government has allocated an additional investment of $20,000 to support a full-time peer support worker for CHANNAL's Waterford Hospital Program. Peer Support is rooted in a recovery approach; it is the process by which individuals with lived experiences of mental health and addictions issues come together to offer mutual understanding andinspire hope and resiliency. The service will be available to any individual who may be utilizing inpatient, outpatient or emergency services at the Waterford Hospital, as well as their families and other supports.

In 2014, the Provincial Government launched the Understanding Changes Everything campaign that focuses on challenging and changing the way people think and act toward individuals with a mental illness or addiction. To learn more about the campaign, please visit www.understandnow.ca .

QUICK FACTS

• The Provincial Government has provided $70,000 to CHANNAL to support a provincial peer-run mental health telephone line and a peer support worker dedicated to support the Waterford Hospital program.
• Approximately $50,000 has been allocated to CHANNAL for the provision of a "warm line", and an additional investment of $20,000 will support a peer support worker for CHANNAL's Waterford Hospital Program.
• The Provincial Government has recently implemented programs that help individuals and families dealing with mental illness and addictions issues such as the youth and adult apps, Bridge the gAPP, and the provincial Understanding Changes Everything Workplace Program.
• In 2014, the Provincial Government launched the Understanding Changes Everything campaign that focuses on challenging and changing the way people think and act toward individuals with a mental illness or addiction. To learn more about the campaign, please visit www.understandnow.ca .

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Media contacts:

Tina Williams Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 728-2837 tinawilliams@gov.nl.ca

Paula Corcoran-Jacobs Provincial Executive Director CHANNAL 709-725-5532 855-753-2560 ed@channal.ca

2015 10 30                              11:20 a.m.