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compassionhavens · 11 months ago

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Understanding the Effectiveness of Online Counseling

Getting help for your feelings and thoughts has changed a lot. Now, online counseling is making a big difference in mental health care and all around the world. It's like a super helpful tool that anyone can use easily. It's not just a regular service; it's like a safety net that reaches out to people who need support for their mental health. The cool thing is that it doesn't matter where you are - this online therapy removes the distance between you and the help you need. Let's explore it and see how beneficial and excellent online counseling is, as well as why it's a fantastic choice, particularly in locations like Online Counseling BC and other locations.

The Convenience of Online Counseling

Online counseling offers a level of convenience that traditional face-to-face sessions may struggle to match. In places like BC or others, where urban life can be hectic, and time is a valuable commodity, accessing therapy from the comfort of your own space can be a game-changer. The same holds for the picturesque landscapes of Nova Scotia or others and the close-knit community of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan or anywhere else.

Connecting Virtually in Online Counseling BC

Online Counseling introduces an easy way to access mental health support with just a click. Whether you're in bustling British Columbia or anywhere else, qualified therapists are a button away. Break down barriers and address the high demand for mental health services with this accessible option. Online Counseling BC makes help available, anywhere else you may be. Reach out today; support is just a click away, making mental well-being simple and convenient for everyone, in BC or somewhere else.

Traversing Serenity in Online Counseling Nova Scotia

In the pretty places of Nova Scotia or other spots, online counseling helps all kinds of people. If you're in the busy city of Halifax or calm towns, Online Counseling Nova Scotia or other locations is like a helpful friend, giving important support for your mind. The computer platform is like the calmness of this place, giving special help to those who need it. If you need help, it's easy and makes your mind feel better, whether you're in Nova Scotia or some other place.

Community-Centric Support in Online Counseling Saskatoon

In Saskatoon or elsewhere, where everyone feels like family, online counseling emerges as a valuable resource. Tailored for individuals, these virtual talks create a sense of connection, mirroring the lively spirit of the city. Online Counseling Saskatoon or somewhere else transcends the idea of a mere service; it's equal to a caring friend who understands your needs. it's like having someone right there for you. Whether you're in Saskatoon or elsewhere, Online Counseling ensures support is always within reach, simplifying your path to well-being.

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In conclusion, online counseling is like a big help, breaking down walls to support your mental health. Whether you're in busy BC or the calm beauty of Nova Scotia or somewhere else, online counseling is here for you. It helps you feel better, no matter where you are. When considering Online Counseling Saskatchewan, keep in mind that you can get assistance anywhere you need it, including through Compassion Heaven's unique Online Counseling services. There they help you with every kind of counselling from anxiety to stress to relationship to mental health counselling. If you are interested do check out their website compassionhavencounselling.ca.

#Online Counselling Nova Scotia

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atlanticcanada · 1 year ago

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N.W.T. mental health wait times reduced 79%

The Northwest Territories government is lauding changes to its health-care system that it says reduced wait times for mental health counselling by 79 per cent. from : Halifax https://ift.tt/ezs1MGP

#nova scotia #news #politics #canada #atlantic canada #GlobalMaritimesNS

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bountyofbeads · 5 years ago

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Navy Is Said to Proceed With Disciplinary Plans Against SEAL Officer https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/23/us/politics/navy-discipline-edward-gallagher.html

Navy Is Said to Proceed With Disciplinary Plans Against Edward Gallagher

Top military officials threatened to resign or be fired if their plans to remove Chief Gallagher from the SEALs were halted by President Trump, administration officials said.

By Maggie Haberman, Helene Cooper and Dave Philipps | Published Nov. 23, 2019, 1:30 p.m. ET | New York Times | Posted November 23, 2019 |

The secretary of the Navy and the admiral who leads the SEALs have threatened to resign or be fired if plans to expel a commando from the elite unit in a war crimes case are halted by President Trump, administration officials said Saturday.

The Navy is proceeding with the disciplinary plans against the commando, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who counts Mr. Trump as one of his most vocal supporters. The threats by the Navy secretary, Richard V. Spencer, and Rear Adm. Collin Green are a rare instance of pushback against Mr. Trump from members of the Defense Department.

Chief Gallagher was accused of shooting civilians, murdering a captive Islamic State fighter with a hunting knife in Iraq, and threatening to kill SEALs who reported him, among other misconduct. His court-martial ended in acquittal on those charges.

But the Navy ultimately demoted the chief, who was convicted of one charge: bringing discredit to the armed forces by posing for photos with the teenage captive’s dead body. Last Friday, Mr. Trump reversed that demotion, angering Navy officials, who had little choice but to accept the reversal. Nonetheless, they continued with their plans to expel Chief Gallagher from the unit.

On Thursday, the president intervened again in the case, saying that the commando should remain in the unit.

Referring to the pin that signifies membership in the SEALs, Mr. Trump said on Twitter that “The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin.” He added: “This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!”

One argument that officials said the Pentagon is relying on is the assumption that a tweet does not constitute a formal presidential order. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conveyed to the president that if he followed up that tweet with a direct order, there would be huge consequences: Mr. Trump would lose Mr. Spencer and Admiral Green, further infuriate his top military leadership and do untold damage to decades of military justice doctrine, according to administration officials.

On Saturday, Mr. Spencer denied that he had threatened to step down. “Contrary to popular belief, I am still here,” he said during a question-and-answer session at a security conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “I did not threaten to resign. But let us just say we are here to talk about external threats, and Eddie Gallagher is not one of them.”

Mr. Esper and General Milley had scrambled to come up with a face-saving compromise this past week in the hope that Mr. Trump could be persuaded to change his mind.

Administration officials said they now hoped that Mr. Trump would allow the proceedings to continue, but it is unclear whether the president will do so. The debate over Chief Gallagher comes as Mr. Trump, facing a difficult re-election battle and an impeachment inquiry, has increasingly sought to highlight his role as commander in chief.

Since 2011, the Navy has revoked more than 150 Trident pins. For Chief Gallagher to lose his, a peer-review board composed of one SEAL officer and four senior enlisted SEALs must first review evidence to determine his status. Chief Gallagher can speak to the board but must do so without his lawyers, a Defense Department official said. He can call witnesses, and he can appeal the final decision of the board if it goes against him.

Chief Gallagher’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said the president was right to stop the process of ousting the commando, calling the Navy’s move clear retribution just days after the president’s decision to restore his rank.

“With the timing, it’s difficult to see how this was anything but a direct, public rebuke to the president,” Mr. Parlatore said. “So I can’t see how the secretary of defense or anyone else is going to convince the president that is O.K.”

There is precedent for presidents intervening in military justice matters. John F. Kennedy stopped the punishment of an Army Reserve soldier who was court-martialed for bad-mouthing him. Abraham Lincoln infuriated some of his generals by regularly combing through court-martial orders for Union troops who were charged with desertion and other crimes and scrawling impromptu one-line orders for leniency, like “Let him fight instead of being shot.”

But experts say the constitutional arrangement of civilian control over the military can become strained when a president disregards the counsel of generals and admirals, or never seeks it in the first place.

On Friday, Mr. Spencer made clear that he wanted to move forward with the matter, which could strip Chief Gallagher of his Trident pin. “I believe the process matters for good order and discipline,” he told Reuters in an interview at the security forum in Nova Scotia.

On Saturday, a Navy spokesman pointed to those remarks. “The secretary’s comments are in line with current White House guidance,” said Rear Adm. Charlie Brown, the chief spokesman for the Navy.

A White House spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

The gold insignia Trident pin is one of the most revered in the military. It features an eagle on an anchor, clutching a flintlock pistol and a trident, and represents the grit of sailors who made it through some of the toughest training in the Navy, and are given some of the riskiest missions. It stands for fidelity and sacrifice. Even in death, the pin plays a role: SEALs pound their pins into the wood of fallen comrades’ caskets.

The Pentagon had already been quietly fuming this month after Mr. Trump cleared three members of the armed services, including Chief Gallagher, who were accused or had been convicted of war crimes, overruling military leaders who sought to punish them. All three were lionized by conservative commentators who portrayed them as war heroes unfairly prosecuted for actions taken in the heat of battle.

Mr. Trump, who was lobbied heavily by the families of the three service members, announced on Nov. 15 that he was reversing the demotion of Chief Gallagher. He also ordered the full pardon of Clint Lorance, a former Army lieutenant who was serving a 19-year sentence in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth for the murder of two civilians; and of Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, an Army Special Forces officer who was facing murder charges for killing an unarmed Afghan he believed was a Taliban bomb maker.

One of the jurors who convicted Chief Gallagher expressed dismay at the president’s actions in an interview on Friday, noting that the all-military jury had given Chief Gallagher the maximum punishment allowable under the law because it found his behavior so reprehensible. He spoke out for the first time to defend the decision of the jury.

“People keep saying all he did is pose in a photo and there were lots of other guys in the photo,” said the juror, who asked that his name not be used to protect the privacy of the deliberations. “But he was the senior enlisted guy there, the oldest, the most experienced. He should have set an example for good order and discipline. He should have ensured stuff like that wasn’t happening. And he didn’t. He doesn’t deserve to wear chief’s anchors.”

The juror said he hoped the Trident review process would be allowed to go forward, adding, “Let other SEALs decide if he deserves to be a SEAL.”

______

Charlie Savage contributed reporting.

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The Moral Injury of Pardoning War Crimes

The president may feel like he’s righting a wrong, but he’s damaging the nation’s moral compass.

By The Editorial Board | Published Nov. 22, 2019 | New York Times | Posted November 23, 2019 |

Post-traumatic stress — the nightmares, flashbacks and anxiety set off by terrifying events — is a defining injury of the global war on terrorism. But in the past few decades, the mental health community and the military have come to understand that there is a related, intensifying phenomenon called moral injury.

Moral injury doesn’t simply result from witnessing or participating in the horrors of war. Moral injury comes from participating in events that violate soldiers’ morality or, as the Department of Veterans Affairs describes it: “failing to prevent immoral acts of others, or giving or receiving orders that are perceived as gross moral violations.”

A person suffering from moral injury may be unable to trust friends and family, or the society that enabled the immorality. The injured can question whether virtue exists. Moral injury is often described as a bruise of the soul.

To avoid such injury, militaries long ago adopted procedures to ensure that those who don the uniform can do so with honor and then remove it with pride. One of the pillars of that framework is the military justice system; another is societal taboos against aberrant behavior.

President Trump threatened both those pillars by pardoning Clint Lorance, a former Army officer serving a 19-year sentence for murdering two civilians, and Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, accused of killing an unarmed Afghan, and by reversing the demotion of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, the subject of a high-profile war crimes trial.

Patrick Swanson, who was Mr. Lorance’s company commander in Afghanistan, told The Times: “The tragedy is that people will hail him as a hero, and he is not a hero. He ordered those murders. He lied about them.”

That Mr. Trump would pardon men accused or convicted of war crimes should come as little surprise, given that he campaigned on promises to torture the nation’s enemies and kill their families. Mr. Trump in May became the first modern president to pardon a person convicted of war crimes, when he pardoned Michael Behenna, a former Army lieutenant, who had been convicted of killing a prisoner in Iraq.

The president may think he’s supporting men and women in uniform. “When our soldiers have to fight for our country, I want to give them the confidence to fight,” he said in a statement issued by the White House. “We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!” he said on Twitter last month.

Whatever the reason, absolving people who commit war crimes does great harm to society in general, and the men and women who served honorably — as far more than “killing machines” — in the wars since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in particular.

A nation has to know that military action being taken in its name follows morally defensible rules — that soldiers do not, for instance, kill unarmed civilians or prisoners.

To excuse men who have so flagrantly violated those rules — to treat them as heroes, even �� is to cast the idea of just war to the winds. It puts the nation and veterans at risk of moral injury, the shattering of a moral compass.

One of the loudest groups pushing for Mr. Trump’s pardons was United American Patriots, a nonprofit organization that supports numerous soldiers accused of crimes, including Mr. Lorance, Mr. Behenna and Major Golsteyn. Last month, Chief Gallagher sued two of his former lawyers and United American Patriots, alleging that his lawyers tried to delay the case to increase fund-raising for the organization.

Supporters of the pardoned men say the military justice system comes down too hard and too often on honorable soldiers fighting through the fog of war. That wouldn’t explain why United American Patriots has made a cause célèbre of Robert Bales, who pleaded guilty to slaughtering 16 Afghan civilians in their homes during a one-man nighttime rampage in 2012.

The president might truly believe these pardons won’t endanger soldiers by damaging allied support or emboldening enemies, and they’re probably unlikely to encourage future war crimes, though critics have raised such a specter.

But the impact such formal absolution will have on the veterans of these murky wars and the society that they are working to rejoin will be lasting. Venerating these pardoned men will cause even greater damage.

Mr. Lorance was a lieutenant with three days of experience leading his platoon when the murders occurred. His men testified that one of the first things he told the platoon was that they should conduct night raids to terrorize civilians, even children. When one of his men told him that there were three men on a motorcycle about 200 yards away, he ordered his troops to shoot them.

“There was no threat from those guys whatsoever,” Staff Sgt. Daniel Williams told The Times. After his own men refused to fire, Mr. Lorance radioed a nearby truck to open fire. “This was straight murder,” Sergeant Williams said.

After Mr. Lorance falsely told commanders that villagers had carried away the bodies before they could be identified, his own men turned him in. Nine of them testified against him.

“I’m actually proud of everything that happened to me,” Mr. Lorance declared on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” on Monday, his first media appearance since being pardoned by President Trump.

“It is awesome to have you here,” said Pete Hegseth, a co-host of the show and an Iraq war veteran, slapping his guest on the thigh.

“I’m so happy to be an American,” Mr. Lorance said.

Chief Gallagher was charged after nearly a dozen members of his platoon demanded that action be taken against him, even though they were threatened with career retribution for doing so. Two SEAL snipers told investigators that Chief Gallagher shot a girl walking on a riverbank with other girls.

He was charged with shooting indiscriminately at unarmed civilians and stabbing a prisoner in 2017. Chief Gallagher was found not guilty of those crimes. A military court did find him guilty of posing for photos with a teenage captive’s dead body. Mr. Trump reversed the demotion that resulted from that conviction.

The president also pardoned Major Golsteyn of the Army Special Forces. In 2010, according to investigators, Major Golsteyn — then a captain — killed an unarmed Afghan detainee and buried his body in a shallow grave. He later returned to dig up the body so that it could be incinerated. He admitted to the killing on Fox News in 2016. The pardon ends any military investigation into what happened.

“These are men who went into the most dangerous places on earth with a job to defend us, and made tough calls on a moment’s notice,” Mr. Hegseth said on Fox this year, before mentioning Chief Gallagher, Major Golsteyn and Mr. Lorance. “They’re not war criminals, they’re warriors who have now been accused of certain things that are under review.”

Of course, all war criminals fancy themselves warriors who had to make tough calls, facing the judgment of people who couldn’t possibly understand their actions.

The president has the undisputed power to pardon. Indeed, he should use it more often in cases where guilt or a fair trial are in genuine doubt. But that power cannot be exercised without a cost, in this case injury to the morality of a nation that once held its own to account.

The commander of the Navy SEALs tried to salvage some honor by formally ousting Chief Gallagher from the elite unit and removing the iconic “Trident” pin from Chief Gallagher and three of the officers who oversaw him. Mr. Trump intervened again on Thursday to stop the ouster. The Navy, insisting that it has a responsibility to maintain professional and moral standards, is forging ahead to remove Chief Gallagher from the unit.

The United States military — and its civilian commander — doesn’t have the luxury of simply asserting that it is morally superior to its enemies. It needs to be morally superior, which means abiding by the rule of law, not some sense of American exceptionalism that presumes that monsters cannot exist in our midst.

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freenewstoday · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/01/28/now-is-not-the-time-to-change-strategy-on-tackling-gambling-addiction-advocate-says/

Now is not the time to change strategy on tackling gambling addiction, advocate says

HALIFAX — Gambling Awareness Nova Scotia has been shut down.

It was an organization devoted to gambling prevention, addiction awareness and research, but the Department of Health and Wellness has decided to change its strategy on tackling gambling addiction.

In a statement to CTV Atlantic, the department said those efforts will now be lumped in with “other mental health and addictions issues.”

Some question the timing of the decision, during the pandemic, including gambling addictions advocate Don Bishop, who is watching the situation closely.

“Our youngest son took his own life at age 32,” Bishop said.

Bishop’s son, Eric, was addicted to VLT gambling.

“We weren’t looking for sympathy we were looking for action,” said Bishop.

Bishop became an anti-gambling advocate and he does work in New Brunswick and nationally.

Treating problem gambling is something that requires government assistance, government help, and counseling, says Bishop.

The Department of Health and Wellness also said “services to support problem gambling will continue to be available for those who need it.”

But Bishop is against the notion of a generalized approach.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a prescription of one size fits all,” he said. “It takes person-to-person contact and each one of these people has a different story. Each had a different set of problems.”

Psychologist Dayna-Lee Baggley declined to offer an opinion on the closure, but she did say it comes at a time when COVID-19 has forced people to stay home.

“We know that we know that we know mental health resources, and we need them now,” Baggley said.

The result has brought increases in anxiety, eating, drinking, and online gambling.

“It’s really important that we keep in mind how stressful COVID is and the effect that has on us,” Baggley said.

And that effect, says Baggley could last a long time.

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 4 years ago

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“Global uprisings in response to anti-Black police brutality have prompted demands to defund policing and reinvest in communities. Public health professionals recognize the connections between racism and community well-being. But it is not just policing agencies that have a systemic racism problem, Canadian prisons do too.

Prisons are densely packed. Social distancing and adequate hygiene is impossible. Advocates suggest depopulating carceral facilities to reduce harm and save lives.

The Ontario government recently announced it would funnel $500 million into corrections — despite anticipating a $20.5 billion deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Saskatchewan government also recently announced it would spend $120 million to build a remand centre expansion at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, while predicting a $2.4 billion deficit.

These developments are regressive. It is time to look at alternatives to imprisonment and set our sights towards prison abolition.

As soon as COVID-19 spread to North America, health professionals, scholars and activists expected widespread outbreaks in prisons. Advocates pleaded for governments to release prisoners.

One province, Nova Scotia, heeded this call.

Nova Scotia’s approach

In Nova Scotia, the judiciary, corrections, crown and defense counsel, along with community organizations, collaborated to cut the provincial prison population in half. As of June 16, Nova Scotia’s jail for women had only eight prisoners. This resulted in only one case of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia’s prison system.

Prisons that did not heed the warnings of experts — like those in Ontario, B.C. and Québec — saw widespread outbreaks.

We spoke with Coverdale Executive Director Ashley Avery, who reports the people they support are mostly arrested for public intoxication, homelessness and mental health crisis. These are areas where imprisonment should not be the answer.

Abolition is a creative project that replaces punishment, widely considered ineffective in reducing violence. Instead, transformative approaches prioritize health and well-being.

Decarceration is the effort to limit the numbers of people who are detained behind bars, either through minimizing who is sent to carceral facilities in the first place or through creating avenues to release people already in custody.

Every decarcerated person requires housing, adequate income and health services. In Nova Scotia, community groups (Coverdale Courtwork Society, Elizabeth Fry and John Howard) report it costs them $150 per person per day to keep a decarcerated person housed in a hotel with legal, health and other services. Compare this with $255 per day to keep someone in a provincial jail.

Prison expansion is a step backward

The mass incarceration of racialized communities in Canada’s prisons reflects the country’s racial profiling and over-policing of Black and Indigenous people. Decarceration offers a direct way to address the systemic oppression Canada has imposed on Black and Indigenous peoples.

More than 30 per cent of Canadian prisoners are Indigenous (they are five per cent of the Canadian population), and 9.6 per cent are Black (they are 3.5 per cent of the population). Indigenous women account for 42 per cent of women in federal custody.

Black people are six times more likely to be street checked in Halifax, and more likely to be charged than white people for the same behaviour.

Indigenous confinement has been described as “a national travesty” by the Correctional Investigator of Canada and “the new residential schools” by criminologists. African American literary and cultural historian Saidiya Hartman calls it the “afterlife of slavery.”

Very few releases

Eight hundred people in the federal prison system tested positive for COVID-19. Several prisons had massive COVID-19 outbreaks, and two people have died.

While the federal government claimed it had released hundreds, in reality there is only evidence that it released one person.

Minimum security prisoners could have been released. Those close to parole could have had board appearances expedited. The elderly and unwell could have been released on compassionate grounds. Prisoners in Mother Child programs, where young children live with their imprisoned mothers, could have been relocated to their communities. None of this happened.

The recent announcements about Ontario and Saskatchewan investing more dollars into prisons come amid pressing need for investments in health. Despite its promise, Nova Scotia’s decarceration initiative is at risk of imminent defunding.

Time for change

The federal Black Caucus called for public investments in non-carceral community justice strategies. Indigenous leaders in British Columbia called for the release of as many people as possible, with support plans for housing, financial aid and community safety. Sc’ianew First Nation (Beecher Bay) Chief Councillor Russ Chipps wants William Head prison closed and the land returned to First Nations.

Abolition may sound like a radical new idea, but people have been working toward it for decades. Black feminist theorists including Angela Davis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Mariame Kaba helped put this vision into practice by providing language, organizations, initiatives and resources.

We can defund police and prisons instead of ticketing people for being outside, snitching on our neighbours, tearing down tents, criminalizing people in mental health and addictions crisis and profiling Black and Indigenous Peoples.

Prisons are too broken to reform. If Canada is serious about dealing with racism, then the abolition of both policing and prisons is the way forward.” - Martha Paynter, Linda Mussell, Nataleah Hunter-Young, “If Canada is serious about confronting systemic racism, we must abolish prisons.” The Conversation. July 6, 2020. Photo is a still from the documentary ‘Conviction’ (2019) depicting women prisoners in Nova Scotia.

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jasonlawson0 · 4 years ago

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B.C. RCMP commander in Kelowna calls for more nurses during wellness checks

KELOWNA, B.C. — The spotlight on how police respond to mental health calls has prompted an RCMP commander in B.C. to push for the expansion of teams that pair an officer and a nurse.

Chief Supt. Brad Haugli of the southeast district said Thursday that the police and crisis program has been effective in de-escalating situations involving people in crisis and helped ease the referral process when treatment is necessary.

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Police and crisis teams operate in Kamloops and Kelowna in partnerships with the Interior Health Authority.

"My goal is to greatly expand this needed service at existing locations as it is not always available, and introduce it into as many of our communities as possible," Haugli said in a statement.

Similar partnerships between police and health-care providers exist in Vancouver, Surrey, Prince George and several other Canadian cities, including Toronto, Calgary and Halifax.

Haugli has sent a letter to Interior Health indicating his desire to expand the program and Karen Bloemink, vice-president of clinical operations, said the health authority would follow up.

"We have a high commitment to working with our partners to improve and streamline the ability to access services in a way that's easier for individuals," Bloemink said in an interview.

However, she said Interior Health has no plans to expand the police and crisis teams.

"Our mental health nurses are highly skilled and quite valuable resources in our system," she said.

"It's not the most effective use of scarce health-care resources, especially when we know there's such a significant demand for mental health services for the whole population."

Bloemink said Interior Health is focused on preventative measures aimed at improving overall mental health and access to urgent care and other support services.

"We're hoping that we can influence the mental health of individuals in a broad sense and then have our crisis response programs overlaid on top of that."

Bloemink said Interior Health has crisis phone line and teams of nurses and social workers, which often collaborate with RCMP detachments during incidents relating to mental health.

"They're available to advise that kind of thing and we feel that there may be an opportunity for us improving in terms of process and how we work together."

But enhancing a single service, such as the police and crisis teams, wouldn't effectively address the complex situations that health-care providers and police face, said Bloemink.

Haugli also cited the case of a University of British Columbia nursing student for his decision to try and expand the use of police and crisis teams.

The RCMP has said a police and crisis team in Kelowna was not on duty when an officer responded to a request to check on the well-being of nursing student Mona Wang in January.

In a statement of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Wang alleges she was injured during the check by Cpl. Lacey Browning, who took Wang into custody under the Mental Health Act.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit has been proven in court and statements of defence filed by Browning, the Attorney General of Canada, and British Columbia's minister of public safety and solicitor general deny any wrongdoing. All three are named as defendants in the case.

Surveillance video from Wang's apartment building shows a female officer dragging the student face first down a carpeted hallway and into an elevator. The officer then briefly steps on Wang's head while waiting for additional first responders in the lobby.

The RCMP has not identified the officer shown in the video, which was disclosed by court order as part of the civil lawsuit.

Haugli said when the video was shared with senior management at the Kelowna detachment a code of conduct investigation was started and it will be sent to an external police agency for review.

"Once this is complete, the investigative findings will be shared with Crown counsel for their review and determination if a criminal charge should be advanced," he said, adding that the officer has been placed on administrative duty.

Haugli said he wants to establish a platform that allows police to access health information in real time when a nurse is not available to respond to a mental health call.

Calls related to mental health have increased across the southeast district, he said, and the number of people being taken into custody under the Mental Health Act has also increased. There was a 21 per cent jump in calls between 2016 and 2019, with 15,099 calls last year, he said, and this past May saw the highest-ever number of calls in a single month with 1,456.

— By Brenna Owen in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2020.

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halifaxwebdesign · 1 year ago

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Online Counselling Services Halifax NS

SMB Online Counselling Services Halifax NS offer experienced online counselling services that are on a one-on-one basis online “virtually” rather than in person counselling.

For anyone dealing with mental health issues, our counsellors are dedicated to providing a safe space in which to discuss your issues from the privacy of your own home. SMB Counseling Services act as a secondary pair of eyes and ears to help bring some perspective to any mental health issue that you may be experiencing.

So for anyone having problems dealing with crowds or have issues traveling to our offices in Bedford, this method provides an excellent online counselling solution for the general public. Contact us today to book and online counselling session.

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Our qualified mental health counsellors in Halifax are trained to help reduce some of the tension that may be preventing you from living your best life.

Engaging with a mental health counsellor in Halifax or Bedford NS may lead to increased insight for the individual seeking treatment for any mental health issues.

Our experienced online mental health counselling services in Halifax will help individuals or couples seeking treatment a deeper understanding of their thoughts, behaviors and mental health problems. The counselling services we provide help uncover any triggers that may be causing current mental health challenges.

Online Counselling Services Halifax

SMB Online Counselling Halifax offers personalized virtual counselling services online from the privacy of your own home rather than traveling to our offices in Bedford Nova Scotia.

Our virtual counselling services in Halifax are for any individuals, groups or couples experiencing mental health issues that having been causing issues. Unlike group therapy SMB online counseling in Halifax focuses solely on the unique needs and concerns of each individual from the privacy of a secure online internet connection.

Our online mental health counsellors have been fully trained to uphold the highest standards and professionalism while offering mental health therapy. In this virtual online setting, you will find the best, secure, and most professional mental health therapy in the province of Nova Scotia. Book a mental health therapy session in person if that is more to your liking.

Our online counselling services Halifax is also available to anyone living in other parts of Nova Scotia including Bedford, Hammonds Plains, Dartmouth, Sackville and Cape Breton.

Book an online counselling services Halifax appointment with one of our professional mental health counsellors today at SMB Counselling Services (902) 266-3311.

#counselling services #mental health counselling #online counselling #therapist #mental health therapist #therapist halifax #mental health nova scotia #mental health halifax

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mynigguh · 5 years ago

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Best Lawyers In Canada

Dawn Devoe

General counselor, World Vision Canada, Toronto, Ont. Devoe is World Vision's primary legal advisor for the Child for Sale advocacy campaign aimed at ending child labor and human trafficking. As lead counsel for the Canadian discussions regarding World Vision's partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, she has represented the organization at global partnership meetings in South Africa, Kenya, and the Philippines. This partnership accounts for over $30 million of annual food help programmed through World Vision Canada. With jobs in almost 100 countries throughout the globe, Devoe manages a busy legal department and has managed to stay flexible and nimble. What Republicans needed to say: Wonderful lawyer and individual. She not only has a love for the legislation, but also cares deeply for others and shows that in her job. Outstanding legal counsel, very inventive problem solver, able to integrate legal and taxation legislation into a beneficial remedy to all parties.

Lorne Waldman

Waldman & Associates, Toronto, Ont. Waldman is a great defender of refugees, immigrants, and human rights. He has won a variety of important victories, including health care for refugees in Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care v. Canada and a female 's right to wear the niqab whilst making her citizenship oath in Ishaq v. Canada with his partner Naseem Mithoowani. In addition, he contended at the Supreme Court of Canada at J.P. v. Canada and G.J. v. Canada, that Canada's anti-human smuggling provisions must include asylum seekers participating in mutual aid. In addition to Peter Edelmann, he acted on behalf of the CBA from the Harkat case before the SCC in 2014. On the global stage, he symbolizes Mohamed Fahmy (along with Amal Clooney), the Canadian journalist working for Al Jazeera. He has also been a vocal opponent of Bill C-51 and changes to Canada's citizenship legislation. What Republicans needed to say: Lorne reminded us all, particularly today, to preserve democracy and to maintain the rule of law.

Orlando Da Silva

President, Ontario Bar Association, Toronto, Ont. Da Silva's heartfelt public confession of a very long and profound depression and attempted suicide has opened discussion on mental health over the legal community like never before. Even though there's a deep-rooted stigma against mental illness facilitated by a dominance of type A personalities, Da Silva's brave leadership has helped develop technical support programs for attorneys who battle in silence. Like that wasn't sufficient, Da Silva has gone one step farther and asked attorneys to call him personally if they need assistance. His supporters underline that Da Silva's efforts are critical in a business that promotes bravado and frequently mistakes mental illness for a personal weakness. What Republicans needed to say: Mr. Da Silva's bravery in grounding increasingly acknowledged mental health problems in the legal profession in his personal expertise will advance these concerns among lawyers and lead to positive ends.

Fred Headon

Assistant general counsel, labor and employment law, Air Canada, Montreal, Que. As chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's Futures Initiative, Headon has contributed more than 25 presentations to lawyers, law students, professors, librarians, law firm staff, and regulators in Toronto to Buenos Aires, Victoria to Halifax, in person and online. The Futures report was released in August 2014 and its own recommendations place Headon squarely in the midst of several important discussions on topics essential to the profession. He continues to direct the Futures steering committee because it now turns its guidelines into actions. Headon is an integral part of the discussion about the future of the profession and he was the first in-house counsel to become the president of this CBA. What voters had to say: Brings energy and decency and the smarts to what he does.

Alice Woolley

Professor and associate dean-academic, University of Calgary Faculty of Law, Calgary, Alta. Woolley is a true changemaker in the area of technology and law in addition to law regulation. She has been a valuable member of the Canadian Bar Association's integrity and professional responsibility committee. Her job with the CBA Futures job as an ethics and regulatory issues staff member is really making a mark at the legal community. Woolley is also responsible for sweeping educational modifications as chairwoman of the committee that developed and adopted significant curricular changes at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law, which focus on the technical elements of legal instruction and will come into effect in September. What voters had to say: Leading expert on legal profession and integrity; when she talks, people listen. Alice is a visionary. Teaching law students in a way that will prepare them for a 21st century clinic is of crucial importance to the future of the profession.

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4pillarshalifax · 4 years ago

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Benefits of Invasive Debt Consolidation (Tips For Restructuring with minimal credit impact)

In a perfect world, debt consolidation of any kind wouldn’t be needed. We would all have everything we needed and have healthy bank accounts to go along with them. There wouldn’t be any life events that negatively impact finances, and even if they did occur we would all be adequately prepared for them. We would be able to go to bed and sleep soundly, knowing that our bank accounts had sufficient cushion.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t work this way. With sudden job losses, family issues, medical issues, separation, unexpected expenses such as car repairs, home repairs, etc all get in the way of us being financially secure. In a world where so much can go wrong, it is easy to understand why someone would have to invasively consolidate their debt. Many see this is as a negative action but it often provides struggling consumers the chance to actually get ahead of their debt instead of living a life wherein the best case they can afford to make minimum interest payments only, or in a worst-case can’t even afford those.

Invasive debt consolidation is any debt consolidation method that impacts credit. These are typically credit counselling, informal proposals, consumer proposals, and bankruptcy.

What are the benefits of invasive debt consolidation?

Freed up cashflow

By far the largest advantage of invasive debt consolidation is its ability to free up a massive amount of cash flow. This, of course, is situationally based but to give you an example, our average client has just shy of $50,000 of unsecured consumer debt. The payment on this would range, on average, between $1,000-$1,500 per month depending on the interest rates and the term of the debt. It isn’t uncommon to see this drop by at least 50% and that is a very high estimate. Our clients are seeing an average payment of $225 per month, post-restructuring. To be fair, the client most likely couldn’t afford the $1000-1500 per month to begin with so a consumer isn’t usually actually ‘saving’ $775-$1,275. But even if it were 1/2 of that amount (which is what we see) a client saves typically ~$350-$650 per month?

Now, what does this allow you to do? With that type of savings you can:

Save a healthy emergency fund within 1-2 years.

Within 5 years have $21,000-$39,000 saved towards a down payment for a home.

Get debt-free faster!

Do the things you actually want to in life.

And the list could go on and on.

I need to reiterate that these are averages. This means that some people pay less, and some people pay more. Some people free up more cash flow and others free up less cashflow.

Reducing how long it takes you to pay your debt off

Take a look at your credit card statement. Usually, on the right-hand side of the statement you will see a line that says how long it will take you to pay off the account if you only make the minimum payment. This number is usually shocking. It isn’t uncommon to see 20-30 years, depending on interest rates, minimum payment requirements, etc.

All invasive debt consolidation plans will see your unsecured debt paid off in 5 years or less. Comparing that to a credit card which, when paying minimum payments only, can take 20+ years it is easy to see the advantage.

Mental Health Benefits

If you’ve felt the mental stress and sometimes even physical pressure in relation to your debt you know how hard it is to be in deep debt. Consolidating your debt is the best way to reduce this stress. I cannot express the number of times I have personally witnessed an extremely positive change in someone’s mental health and attitude as they journey through their debt restructuring process with us.

This has occurred too many times now for it to be a coincidence (Several hundred times at this point). A client’s first appointment is extremely negative ‘I feel like i’ll never get out of debt��, ‘I only work to pay bills’, ‘I feel like a failure because I can’t give me kids what they deserve’, ‘I try so hard to be good at money but bad things keep happening to me’, and the list goes on and on. When you compare that to their aftercare appointments it is usually filled with confidence and an extremely positive attitude towards their money and more importantly, their life.

I have seen multiple business owners experience a downturn in business – when looking at when the declines began it usually begins with when their debt started to accumulate. Interestingly enough, once their debt is taken care of their revenues typically begin to increase again (And at a very fast rate, I might add).

Funny how much our mental health is impacted negatively by debt and how we can turn that around to be a positive impact.

A True Reset

This one is kind of a combination of all of the above. Depending on your personal situation, invasive debt consolidation can truly result in a ‘Reset’. You may have experienced a series of unfortunate events that caused your debt, you may have gone through separation, medical issues, poor money management, etc none of it matters. It may change the solution you choose and the way it is structured but it doesn’t change that a solution is available to you and that you can obtain the relief you need.

Tips for restructuring with minimal credit impact

In all honesty – the truth of the matter is that invasively restructuring debt will nearly always cause a credit impact. What is important to understand is that the benefits to restructuring (listed above) FAR outweigh the fact that your credit will be impacted. Understanding why is an article for another day but for now if you are struggling with debt but are unsure about the true impact on your case, please reach out.

Regardless of that, here are a few tips to ensure that you minimally impact your credit:

1. Work with a company that has a proper credit rebuilding program. Credit rebuilding is something that takes more than a couple of sessions. For example, we offer a minimum of a 12-month credit rebuilding program that is delivered via online training as well as in-person appointments and is customized to every client’s situation and goals.

2. Make sure you explore ALL invasive debt consolidation options. We’ve written extensively on all of them: Consumer Proposal, Bankruptcy, Credit Counselling, and Debt Settlement or Informal Settlement. It is impossible to make an educated decision when you don’t know every option!

3. Get the help you need as soon as you know you need it. Going years with frequent missed payments will certainly look worse to creditors in the future than an isolated incident.

As always if you are considering debt consolidation please reach out to us. The last thing we want is for you anyone to struggle with debt.

This article was written by David Moffatt. A Senior Debt Relief Specialist with 4 Pillars Halifax. 4 Pillars has assisted in creating plans that have helped save Canadians over $1 Billion dollars of consumer and tax debt since 2002. We believe that no consumer should have to struggle with the stress of overwhelming debt. Our debt restructuring strategies can help you cut your debt by up to 80% with less than 3% of our clients ever getting into deep financial difficulties again.

We are proud members of the Canadian Debtors Association. We work for you, not your creditors.

If you are struggling with debt please reach out. It hurts to continue to suffer financially. 4 Pillars Halifax services Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville and the entirety of HRM.

The post Benefits of Invasive Debt Consolidation (Tips For Restructuring with minimal credit impact) appeared first on 4 Pillars Halifax.

source https://www.halifaxdebtfreedom.ca/benefits-of-invasive-debt-consolidation/

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atlanticcanada · 2 years ago

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This clinic helps men who use violence. The N.S. mass shooting inquiry says we need their approach

Founded in 2017 as a non-profit, the Peoples' Counselling Clinic in Halifax offers pro bono mental health services.

from CBC | Nova Scotia News https://ift.tt/Q4qvDoJ

#nova scotia #news #politics #canada #atlantic canada #CBCNS

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vsplusonline · 5 years ago

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Coronavirus: Are call centre employees from Canada’s banks allowed to work from home?

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/coronavirus-are-call-centre-employees-from-canadas-banks-allowed-to-work-from-home/

Coronavirus: Are call centre employees from Canada’s banks allowed to work from home?

Only one of Canada’s six big banks says it is developing plans to allow some customer services employees to work from home instead of in crowded call centres — the type of enclosed spaces with over 50 people that public health officials have urged Canadians to avoid in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Global News reached out to the six major Canadian banks — TD, the Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, Scotiabank, CIBC and National Bank of Canada — to find out what they were doing to protect the health of thousands of call centre employees who are responding to inquiries from their customers.

All six said they have been providing essential services and dealing with high call volumes ever since the COVID-19 pandemic triggered tens of thousands of layoffs and a shutdown of multiple businesses and offices across the country.

The crisis has also prompted a flood of transactions as well as requests for emergency loans and other financial advice, the banks told Global News.

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READ MORE: TD call centre employee in Halifax tests positive for COVID-19

But none of the six big banks provided detailed explanations why their call centre employees — who don’t need to meet with clients face to face — are being asked to work from offices with dozens of colleagues at a time when the federal, provincial and territorial governments are asking Canadians to avoid gathering in crowds that could speed up the spread of COVID-19.

While many other businesses have scrambled to provide employees with tools needed to work from home, the banks are not facing any mandatory rules to protect employees, other than to ensure they are kept physically distanced.

Instead, federal public health officials have promoted voluntary guidelines for businesses, including banks, to follow in call centres and other workplaces.

RBC was the only other bank that said it was starting to allow some customer service employees to work remotely and that it was “working diligently to securely enable even more call centre staff to work from home.” RBC didn’t provide details about where and how that would be done.

2:03 Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau urges Canadians to continue COVID-19 prevention efforts over long weekend

Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau urges Canadians to continue COVID-19 prevention efforts over long weekend

Toronto-Dominion Bank said it would be allowing all staff at a Halifax call centre for TD Insurance to work from home after staff were informed on March 27 that one of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19.

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TD told the Halifax employees in an internal email, sent on March 30 and obtained by Global News, that it hopes to have all TD Insurance employees at that call centre working from home “over the next few weeks.”

The message was prompted by the news that one employee had tested positive for COVID-19, leading to a deep clean of the third floor of the call centre where that employee worked and forcing 15 close contacts to self-isolate.

An employee who Global News agreed not to name in order to protect their job said roughly 100 people were still working at the call centre as of April 1, and had not been following the proper health guidelines.

“We often see the people, even supervisors, are not respecting the social distancing in the office,” the employee said.

READ MORE: Halifax contact centre employee calls for temporary closure after COVID-19 diagnosis at workplace

The internal email said 182 employees of that Halifax call centre were already working from home. A TD spokesperson told Global News that common areas at the facility were closed and the remaining staff were split between four floors to “enhance physical distancing.”

But TD did not indicate any similar plans would be underway for any of its bank call centre employees.

A COVID-19 case was also identified at a CIBC call centre in Halifax in late March. A CIBC spokesperson said it had conducted a deep clean of the premises, where an employee told Global News over 100 people worked on each floor before physical distancing measures were put into place.

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Measures in place

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Public health officials across Canada have said that Canadians must aggressively practice physical distancing and remain at home as much as possible in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent it from overwhelming hospitals.

The CEOs of the six banks and several smaller financial institutions have publicly agreed they have a role to play, and have urged other businesses to follow suit.

The banks all told Global News they are taking measures to protect call centre workers. These include reconfiguring workspaces within their call centres to keep staff apart, in line with health officials’ guidelines to stay at least two metres away from each other.

4:16 Coronavirus outbreak: Federal ministers respond to Ipsos poll on social distancing

Coronavirus outbreak: Federal ministers respond to Ipsos poll on social distancing

But one labour expert was skeptical about whether the measures go far enough to protect the employees in the workplace or on their commute, for those taking public transit.

“To make a flat declaration that you’re essential and therefore you’ll arrange things and we’ll have to be confident that those arrangements will be safe — I mean, let’s hope they’re right, but it’s kind of a big leap,” said Mark Thompson, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.

TD, Scotiabank and National Bank said they have split up teams between different floors, or different locations altogether, to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

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None of the banks beyond RBC and TD indicated working from home was even an option for these workers.

READ MORE: 4 things not to do while working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMO said it needed to maintain some onsite staff “to support critical operations.” Scotiabank also called its call centres “critical.” Neither bank provided detailed explanations of those critical operations, or why they couldn’t be performed from home.

A spokesperson for RBC said a “number of considerations” are factored into allowing an employee to work from home, “including employee health and well-being, technology and business continuity, along with the need to respond to our clients.”

When pressed by Global News, National Bank and CIBC declined to explain why its call centre employees needed to do their jobs in the office.

The six banks said in addition to physical distancing measures, enhanced cleaning guidelines have also been introduced at all call centres for staff to follow.

The banks offered varying details about steps they were taking to clean and disinfect their call centres.

2:41 Coronavirus outbreak: Dealing with screen fatigue during the pandemic

Coronavirus outbreak: Dealing with screen fatigue during the pandemic

BMO said all call centre facilities, personal spaces and common areas are cleaned multiple times per day. CIBC said workstations are now cleaned at the beginning and end of each shift, while cleaners are also present during the day.

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TD said the cleaning and sanitizing of all premises have been increased, and are stocking spaces with hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes.

National Bank would only say they were promoting “basic hygiene measures” like hand washing and cleaning of surfaces. Scotiabank said they have increased sanitization and deep cleaning measures at all locations. RBC also said they have “enhanced sanitization.”

The banks are also increasing their perks for call centre staff. BMO, RBC, Scotiabank and CIBC have introduced a $50 daily stipend for each of those staff members for every day they work onsite.

CIBC has thrown in free parking. Scotiabank is stationing nurses at all call centres “to provide in-person wellbeing support for mental and physical health concerns.”

TD and CIBC are offering up to 10 paid days for anyone impacted by the pandemic, including those who are unable to secure childcare. TD is also providing free counselling.

National Bank did not say if it was offering similar incentives to its employees.

READ MORE: More Canadians afraid of becoming sick with COVID-19: poll

Only National Bank and TD would share where their call centres are located and how many people work in them. National said it has “five main teams working in different sites” across the greater Montreal area, for a total of 1,000 employees. The spokesperson would not confirm exactly how many sites were being operated, or how many employees were working in each site.

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TD said they have call centres in Moncton, N.B., Montreal, London, Ont., Ottawa and Markham, Ont., though did not share how many employees work in each, or if more than one site was operated in a single city.

The other banks did not share where their call centres are located, or even if they’re located in Canada.

In 2013, CBC reported RBC was replacing some of its Canadian staff with temporary foreign workers from India, leading to a public apology from the bank. RBC eventually walked back the plan, committing to only hiring foreign workers if Canadians aren’t available to fill that job.

Can government step in?

Along with health care, transportation, government centres and media, banks and other financial institutions have been declared essential services by the federal and provincial governments, and should therefore continue to operate.

The federal finance department referred questions about remote work for call centres to Health Canada, who in turn forwarded the query to Employment and Social Development.

In a statement, a department spokesperson said employers have been told to create or update existing hazard prevention programs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of any changes to those plans.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Finding social distancing loopholes not worth the risk, experts say

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“We recognize that many employers who are able to continue their operations during the COVID-19 crisis are going above and beyond standard health and safety measures, and are doing everything possible to accommodate reasonable requests from employees,” the statement read.

“We all have a role to play to help flatten the curve.”

Thompson, the UBC business professor, says no matter how many precautions employers may take, they’re still “taking a chance” and posing a risk to both employees and the public at large by keeping workplaces open.

He admits that banks could be worried about security breaches in not moving call centres to home, as they deal with sensitive information to confirm callers’ identities.

But he says he’s still “surprised” that a solution hasn’t been found amid months of warnings and weeks of efforts to ramp up social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19.

1:39 How to be productive while working from home during a pandemic

How to be productive while working from home during a pandemic

“We’re still waiting to see if these efforts work, but we should be doing as much as we can,” he said. “[The banks] are obligated to provide a safe workplace.

“If just one person contracts this disease … I guess we’ll find out then what steps they’ll take.”

Employment Canada said requirements for businesses to have all employees work from home is a provincial matter. So far, no province has made such an order, although Alberta has now made it mandatory for businesses to practice physical distancing, threatening fines for those who disobey.

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All of the provinces and territories have placed restrictions on gatherings that have led to the closure of businesses and public spaces closures, with exceptions for businesses and organizations that offer essential services.

Many provincial governments who responded to Global News said as long as workplaces, including bank call centres, can maintain physical distancing, they can continue to stay open and operate.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Canadians should expect weeks or months of social distancing, Trudeau says

“If social distance can’t be maintained, the business must limit the number of customers or clients on its premises to no more than five people at a time,” a spokesperson for Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 response said in an email, citing that province’s social distancing guidelines.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health said banks are considered an “allowable business service” in the province, along with health care, law enforcement, transportation and the media.

“We cannot speak directly to the relationship between banks and their call centre employees,” a spokesperson said.

A statement attributed to New Brunswick Labour Minister Leigh Watson said any employee concerned that their employer is violating the Employment Standards Act by forcing them to work in unsafe conditions can file a complaint with the province, or through WorkSafe.

0:57 Coronavirus outbreak: Canadians’ actions today will determine where we are a month from now

Coronavirus outbreak: Canadians’ actions today will determine where we are a month from now

Yet British Columbia’s COVID-19 Joint Information Centre said all employers “should support their employees to work from home whenever it is possible,” and “ensure there are no more than 50 people working in the same confined space.”

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“Employers have a responsibility and an obligation to maintain a healthy and safe workplace for their workers,” a spokesperson said.

In March, the CEOs of all six banks signed an open letter, published in the National Post, along with roughly 100 other Canadians business leaders who urged employers to “immediately shift focus to the singular objective of slowing the pace of transmission of this coronavirus.”

“Enable your employees to practice social distancing. Facilitate work-from-home for all non-critical business functions,” the leaders stressed.

“Understand that your employees are looking to you for leadership and trusted information in turbulent times.”

— With files from Global’s Alexa MacLean and Graeme Benjamin

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tumbledsom · 5 years ago

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End of funding forces closure of Halifax walk-in mental-health counselling service - TheChronicleHerald.ca

End of funding forces closure of Halifax walk-in mental-health counselling service – TheChronicleHerald.ca

End of funding forces closure of Halifax walk-in mental-health counselling service TheChronicleHerald.ca

from “”mental health” OR “mental disorder” OR “psychiatry” OR “mental illness” OR “psychiatrist” OR “psychotherapist” OR “depression” OR “bipolar” -“the depression”” – Google News https://ift.tt/2tYOAp9

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#""mental health" OR "mental disorder" OR "psychiatry" OR "mental illness" OR "psychiatrist #Mental Health

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jessicakehoe · 5 years ago

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Where to Find Affordable Mental Health Therapy and Counselling Across Canada

According to Health Canada, 1 in 3 Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime. That’s a lot of people, and while there’s no shortage of therapists and counsellors across the country, the process of finding the right one for you can definitely be disheartening. Not only are wait times long (in Ontario, it’s often six months to one year), but rates can seem outrageous (a visit to a psychologist can set you back more than $200 for an hour), and a price tag should never be a barrier to getting help.

With that in mind, we’ve narrowed down some places that offer affordable mental health therapy and counselling across Canada’s major cities.

Toronto

Hard Feelings This unique, non-profit business—founded by social worker and counsellor Kate Scwoen—not only provides low-cost services and support by a welcoming community of counsellors, but also features a warm storefront that sells books, resources and other self-care items. (Even if you aren’t looking for counselling, a trip to this Christie Pits establishment is a must if you’re looking to help someone or yourself.) Individual counselling prices are determined by client and counsellor (based on what the client can afford, of course), and can range from $50 to $80 a session. Hard Feelings also limits the number of sessions per patient to 12, to ensure its counsellors can see as many people looking for help. (hardfeelings.org)

Affordable Therapy Network of Toronto Like its name says, this network consists of Toronto-based therapists that offer affordable counselling. There are plenty of therapists/counsellors across the city to choose from, and this is a great resource to finding someone who works for you. These professionals offer rates as low as $50 an hour, as well as free phone consultations to ensure the right fit. (affordabletherapytoronto.com)

Montreal

Argyle Institute Offering services in several languages for a wide range of mental health issues, this Westmount centre—which has been around since 1982—welcomes all walks of life, no matter your financial situation. According to Argyle, its mission is to provide counselling at rates tailored to each individual: “Our philosophy is that no one should be denied service because of a potential inability to pay.” (argyleinstitute.org)

Vancouver

Gordon Neighbourhood House In partnership with City University—a non-profit university that provides education in counselling—this Vancouver community centre offers free (yes, free!) counselling. While counsellors are interns, they are supervised, so you are in good hands. (gordonhouse.org)

Tapestry Counselling Centre Tapestry’s rates aren’t as affordable as most of the counselling centres on this list, but it does offer some group therapy sessions for a “donate what you can” fee. If you’re budget conscious, but willing and able to pay a mid-range price, this Vancouver centre may be a good choice for you. (tapestrycentre.ca)

Calgary

Serenity Now Foundation If you’re looking for a place that welcomes walk-ins as, as well as set appointment times, Serenity Now is worth checking out. During Mental Health Week in 2018, the centre offered walk-in counselling at reduced rates, which led to a positive response that encouraged Serenity Now to keep the initiative going. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you will be seen, but there’s no harm in giving them a call with any questions beforehand. (serenitynowwellness.ca)

Living Well Counselling Services While Living Well doesn’t have the lowest rates, it does have a large roster of counsellors that offer sliding scale appointments; each patient’s financial situation is assessed, and they are charged a fair and affordable price in accordance with that set of numbers. It may seem unfair to some, but the system ensures that each patient pays what they can afford without underpaying the counsellor. (livingwellcounselling.ca)

Edmonton

Community Counselling Centre This Edmonton centre offers what they deem the “most generous” sliding scale appointment rates, ranging from $20 to $140 per hour. CCC is also known for its fairly quick turn-around when it comes to booking (usually within 1 to 2 weeks), so you can breathe a sigh of relief. (communitycounsellingcentre.ca)

Insight Psychological Sliding scale rates are popular in Edmonton, and Insight Psychological is another centre to offer discounted prices. What really sets Insight apart though is that the majority of its counsellors offer both in-person and online sessions. So if you’re too busy, or not feeling up to making the trip one week, you can work out a time to meet on Skype instead. (insightpsychological.ca)

Halifax

Insight Counselling Services Halifax counsellor Julia Smith provides valuable tools for coping with anxiety and depression during her hour long sessions. Her rates are lower than the standard, but certainly aren’t as reduced as the rest on this list, so keep that in mind if booking. (insightmentalhealth.ca)

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halifax-Dartmouth Branch CMHA is great at creating a sense of community and encouraging group healing. They don’t provide individual therapy sessions at the Halifax-Dartmouth branch, but they do offer social groups that promote healing through communication, art and empathy. If you’re looking for a place to talk to others who are experiencing feelings similar to your own, it may be a great option. (cmhahaldart.ca)

Ottawa

Capital Choice Counselling The reviews for Capital Choice are glowing, and it’s not just for its one-on-one counselling, but for its educational contributions. Capital Choice is all about starting a conversation and teaching people the tools to create stronger mental health. For those showing financial need, sessions with an intern counsellor can be arranged for $70 or less. Should you wish to pay more, an experienced counsellor charges $150. (capitalchoicecounselling.com)

CFS Ottawa CFS Ottawa provides all patients with the sliding scale system, so you will always be paying an amount best suited to you. That being said, if you would like to try a free service first, CFS offers walk-in sessions that are funded by a local health network. What makes it stand out, however, is definitely the groups it offers, many of which are free and specifically aid marginalized communities who are facing more barriers to mental health access. (cfsottawa.ca)

Emergency/crisis resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis reach out to one of the following 24/7 emergency resources or call 911. Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS): 1-833-456-4566 Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

The post Where to Find Affordable Mental Health Therapy and Counselling Across Canada appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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