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.
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