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‘Reducing the stigma just really helps’: Mental health services available for Windsor-Essex residents 

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Bell Let’s Talk Day continues to highlight mental health organizations that create positive change across Canada.

Mental health professionals in Windsor-Essex continue to welcome all conversation, saying Bell Let’s Talk Day creates an amplified platform to share important information to the community.

“Bell Let’s Talk Day is extremely important for us,” said Michelle Rocheleau, operations manager at the Youth Wellness Hub Windsor-Essex.

“Our youth are struggling and being able to have these conversations and having so much of the community just backing such a large program really just makes it so much easier for people to access the services that they need.”  

The Youth Wellness Hub connects young people in Windsor-Essex with mental health care and other supports in a one-stop shop for youth mental health and wellness. 

“Mental health has just skyrocketed. We get youth almost daily coming in with suicidal thoughts. Having those conversations or reducing stigma just really helps in the long run,” Rocheleau explained.

“We offer services to youth 12-25. A really nice part about this program is that it's all free. All walk-in based. They come in. They say what they need help with, and we make it happen.”

“These are going to be long-standing challenges for us,” said Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare president and CEO Bill Marra. 

Marra said the pandemic exacerbated the demand for mental health programs, noting he’s optimistic about the work being done.  

“The mantra for this year is change,” Marra said, “And it really is around an action that we can all take. Really acknowledging a colleague or a family friend, taking care of our own health and our own self-awareness.”

“It's about change. It's about kindness. It's about being there for someone and sometimes it's not about providing expert advice. It's just being present. Sometimes those of us that are really challenged will need some expert support. So we do that here at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.”

Marra explained there’s an array of services available to anyone at any age seeking or needing mental health care. https://www.hdgh.org

“There are services available but we need to do more and recently we’ve been working with our first responders,” Marra said. “We need to find a better solution to the emergency room challenge we’re facing. We can’t sustain what is happening there now. People are either not being seen for hours at a time or they’re simply not getting the service they require. So we’re developing an urgent care concept that we’re hoping will be endorsed by our local community partners to improve the system.”

Marra noted, “this has to be something that everybody gets their head around whether you are directly impacted or not. We all know someone.”

The Canadian Mental Health Association also offers a range of services to help people in Windsor-Essex.

CHMA programs and services are listed online or call referral services at 519-973-4435.

The Ontario government also has resources online.

Other mental health resources on the CMHA website:

AbilitiCBT | an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) program that you can access from any device, any time.

Family Services Windsor-Essex | Counselling Services

BounceBack | a free, guided self-help program that’s effective in helping people aged 15 and up who are experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression, or maybe feeling low, stressed, worried, irritable or angry.

Wellness Together Canada | Get connected to mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional.

Stop Doomscrolling: Freedom App | Freedom is an app and website blocker for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Chrome so that you can block websites and apps and stay focused. Since so many of these apps are built to keep us hooked, this will give you the chance to take back your time. For example, I am slightly hooked on Twitter, so with Freedom I can block the Twitter app for a set amount of time while I’m trying to get work done. It’s easy to use and you can block apps across all your devices.

Try Meditation: Headspace App | The Headspace app makes meditation easy. There are hundreds of guided meditations to help relieve stress or get better sleep. Plus, you’ll find super-short meditations that you can do if you’re having a busy day and only have a few minutes to spare. There is also an SOS mode if you need help immediately, which are 3-minute sessions if you’re feeling overwhelmed, panicking, or losing your temper.

Return to the Workplace: A Psychological Toolkit for Heading Back to Work | A guide to support the mental health of individuals as they plan safe transitions back into their workplaces and to help employers as they develop policies and procedures for supporting staff returning to the workplace sleep.

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