The Windsor-Essex COVID Care Coalition has launched a counselling support line to provide timely, safe and responsive telephone counselling to people who are having difficulty coping during the pandemic.

The 24-hours a day, 7 days a week support line is offered in English and French.

The telephone support service offers professional counsellors who are members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and who are experienced in providing personal counselling services.

Officials says talking with a counsellor can help reduce feelings of sadness, anger, fear and anxiety that have developed as a result of, or been intensified by the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“When we are dealing with a pandemic situation there’s so much uncertainty still at this point in time and what can happen is that people can start to feel heightened response, whether it’s heightened despair or heightened sadness or heightened sense of their symptoms of depression “ said Beth Anne Ternovan, Manager of the Counselling Program, Family Services Windsor-Essex.

”It behoves us to have a support line available for Windsor and Essex residents to help people at this point in time before things become more severe in terms of people’s overall well being and mental health.”

To access the helpline, people can call 519-946-3277 or 1-877-451-1055.