Mental Health Counselling Services Expanded

ellis_website_headshot1

The availability of mental health counselling services is getting expanded across the province.

Mike Ellis, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, says they’re providing $6.75 million over two years to Counselling Alberta to provide virtual mental health counselling services.

“We heard very loud and clear from folks, especially in rural Alberta, that access to affordable and accessible mental health services very much was a challenge. In partnership with Counselling Alberta, everybody in Alberta now will have access to affordable and accessible mental health services and they’re virtual so you can get counselling and therapists. This will help individuals, parents, families, youths and groups.”

Ellis says investing in improving mental health services is a “top priority” for the provincial government.

“Folks don’t realize that we spend probably over a billion dollars in just mental health and addiction services annually. During the pandemic, we invested $53 million dollars which is more than any other province. We even created what is known as the youth mental health hubs to provide access for youth, especially in rural Alberta.”

We talked to the Minister on the Trending 55 Hot Seat, you can hear that full discussion below.

– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom