On October 27, Southeast College is pleased to announce $51,320 in funding to support the Mental Health Counselling pilot project at all campuses of Southeast College, through the Government of Canada's Community Services Recovery Fund.
The pilot project will allow for the establishment of a mental health counselling position to provide resources, educational presentations, and one-on-one counselling services at Southeast College. Through surveys, students have reported mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, transition/developmental difficulties, interpersonal relationships, and family concerns, all which are measurably higher since the pandemic.
This project will help to address the needs in Weyburn, Estevan and the other rural campus locations in Southeast Saskatchewan. The pilot project will feature a counsellor who travels from campus to campus to connect with staff and students, including those in communities on First Nations in the region.
United Way Estevan is proud to have worked with United Way Centraide Canada as part of the Government of Canada's Community Services Recovery Fund. This fund is being administered collaboratively by the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada to provide funding to Community Service Organizations, including non-profit organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies, and Registered Charities located in Canada. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what Community Service Organizations need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment of $400 million by the Government of Canada to help community service organizations adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide through the pandemic recovery and beyond.
Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing communities' needs. Since the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving due to the rising cost of living, and a greater need to make use of digital tools. Many organizations are struggling to recover and adapt their services to the changing needs of Estevan and region.
"The projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrate that we are a caring and compassionate society that values the well-being of all its members. It is heartening to see the compassion and empathy of our citizens as they give back to those in need. Projects like the Mental Health Counselling pilot project are a testament to the power of our collective action and our ability to come together to make a positive difference in the world I am confident that together we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in Southeast Saskatchewan."
- Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
