Here at United Way Central NB, we acknowledge that there isn’t just one easy solution to alleviate mental health issues, something that impacts 1 in 2 Canadians. That’s why we invest in multiple mental health initiatives, to provide our community with wrap-around support. To combat the negative effects of mental illness in our community, UWCNB funds the CHIMO Helpline, which provides immediate services for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. We also provide funding to Family Enrichment & Counselling Services to allow for subsidized counselling services for adults and youth in the Fredericton region, as well as Capital Region Mental Health & Addictions Association (CRMHAA), which provides awareness, support, and advocacy for mental health.
This wrap-around approach is critical to ensuring solutions and supports are sustainable. A helpline provides immediate life-saving assistance in a crisis but doesn’t provide long-lasting therapeutic coping and healing techniques, which is where the counselling services come in. Neither of the prior two supports would be as accepted or utilized without the important awareness and advocacy work that CRMHAA provides. Investing in the United Way Community Fund means investing in a holistic approach to tackling our community’s most prominent challenges.
About a beneficiary of the funded Subsidized Adult Counselling program via Family Enrichment & Counselling Services:
“A former client, who had accessed services through a previous United Way Grant, required services again to help them cope with overwhelming anxiety that was impeding their ability to live an independent life. The client is a senior who lives on a fixed income. Because of their past experience, they reached out to resume counselling, knowing they would be able to afford services. The client has been able to overcome some of the barriers they have been experiencing and is well on their way to gaining back their independence.”