Joint $1 million gift to the
Strongest Families Institute
WINNIPEG, Jan. 15, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk
and the Manitoba government today
announced a joint gift of $1 million
over 5 years to the Strongest Families Institute (SFI) to expand
mental health services for children, youth and their families
throughout Manitoba.
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to support our partners at the
Strongest Families Institute as they bring their experience in
helping young people who struggle with mental health issues to
Manitoba," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Working
together with the Manitoba
government, we are helping more families get access to the care and
support they need through a successful model that will make a real
difference in their lives."
"When families need help, they need it right away. The Strongest
Families Institute has a proven track record of providing mental
health care to children and youth that is effective,
family-centered, timely and accessible to those living in rural and
remote areas," said Cameron Friesen,
Manitoba Minister of Health,
Seniors and Active Living. "We thank Bell Let's Talk for raising
awareness of mental health issues and for its support of this new
program in Manitoba."
SFI is an award-winning organization delivering evidence-based
programs for children, youth and families dealing with mild to
moderate mental illness and other health issues. Its unique
distance coaching approach, which offers support for families day
or night and in the privacy of their own homes, is also the only
program of its kind in the country with a no-waitlist policy for
families with children and youth.
"Strongest Families was designed to remove barriers to care so
families receive help when and where they need it. Our skill-based
approach has shown to be highly effective in reducing mental health
issues early in life. We thank the Manitoba government and Bell Let's Talk for
this generous gift so our SFI team can help children, youth and
families in Manitoba lead happier
healthier lives," said Dr. Patricia
Lingley-Pottie, president and CEO of Strongest Families
Institute.
Approximately 1,000 families are expected to benefit from the
service over the next 5 years. Services will be available in both
English and French when SFI formally launches its programs later
this month.
In 2017, Bell Let's Talk and all 4 Atlantic
provinces partnered to support child and youth mental health
across Atlantic Canada with a
combined gift of $2 million to
SFI.
Bell Let's Talk Day is January
30
Everyone is invited to join the conversation on
Bell Let's Talk Day by sending messages of support across multiple
platforms to drive both awareness and action in mental health.
Bell will donate 5 cents to
Canadian mental health programs for each of the following
interactions, at no extra cost to participants beyond what they
would normally pay their service provider for online or phone
access:
- Talk: Every mobile call and every long distance call made by
Bell and Bell MTS wireless and phone customers
- Text: Every text message sent by Bell and Bell MTS wireless
customers
- Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring
the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and Bell Let's Talk Day video
view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at
Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at
Instagram.com/bell_letstalk
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and video
view
To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Total Bell Let's Talk Day interactions since the first event in
2011 stand at 867,449,649 and are expected to exceed 1 billion on
January 30. Bell's funding commitment
for mental health, including the company's donations based on Bell
Let's Talk engagement and its original $50-million donation to launch the initiative, is
now $93,423,628.80 and expected to
surpass $100 million on January 30.
About Strongest Families Institute
Strongest Families
Institute (SFI) is an award-winning, charitable organization that
was founded in Nova Scotia and is
internationally recognized for its effective evidence-based
programs for children, youth and families dealing with mild to
moderate mental health and other issues impacting health and
well-being. They provide timely, accessible care to families by
teaching skills through a unique distance coaching approach –
supporting families, in the comfort and privacy of their own home.
Strongest Families provides family-centered care that is customized
to their needs with programs designed to support children and youth
from 3-17 years of age. For more information, please visit
www.strongestfamilies.com.
About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental
health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma,
Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its
launch in September 2010, Bell Let's
Talk has partnered with more than 900 organizations providing
mental health services throughout Canada, including major donations
to hospitals, universities and other care and research
organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media Inquiries:
Morgan Shipley
Bell MTS
204-391-2849
morgan.shipley@bellmts.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
Pam MacKinnon
Strongest Families Institute
902-442-9520
pmackinnon@strongestfamilies.com
SOURCE Bell Canada