CHICOUTIMI, QC, Jan. 28, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk
today announced a donation of $225,000 to Fondation de ma vie for the
refurbishment of 5 psychiatric departments at 3 hospitals in
Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean. Bell's donation, along with a $75,000 investment by the Fondation, will have a
meaningful impact on patients and their families in the region,
enhancing the support available close to home.
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to work with Fondation de ma vie to
help improve access to mental health care closer to home for those
living with mental illness in Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean," said
Karine Moses, Bell's Vice Chair,
Québec. "Our combined investment will help create spaces that are
more welcoming to the people receiving treatment and their
families. An environment where patients are treated with dignity
leads to improved outcomes."
The donations from Bell Let's Talk and Fondation de ma vie will
be used to refurbish the 3 psychiatric departments at the Hôpital
de Chicoutimi as well as those at the Hôpital d'Alma and Hôpital de Roberval, creating a calming, welcoming
environment that provides comfort and support to those receiving
mental health services. Both patients and caregivers will
participate in planning the improvements, including workout and
relaxation rooms, the refurbishment of dining rooms and common
areas, access to open-air areas, and safe and welcoming spaces for
meeting with families.
"This investment will improve the daily lives of our patients
during their hospitalization in every department in the region,"
said Dr. Laurent Coulloudon, the
Regional Head of Psychiatry for the Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean Centre
intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS).
"These new developments will make our psychiatric care
environments more inviting and stimulating."
While Bell's donation will support the renovations at the 3
hospitals, Fondation de ma vie's investment of $75,000 will increase the range of mental health
services offered. This will provide for an additional 5
self-management groups led by community mental health organizations
throughout the region, for a total of 17 annually. In collaboration
with Fondation Équilibre, funds will also be dedicated to
implementing further projects by mental health groups in the
Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean region to help maintain and develop quality
services with respect to treatment, social rehabilitation and
reintegration into society.
"This project reflects a collaborative vision among all our
foundations, made possible by the innovative approach and the
opening of Fondation de ma vie, said Julie
Lavoie, Director of Mental Health and Addiction and the
Youth Program at the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean CIUSSS. "We all share
common belief in recovery and access to services in our region to
meet the needs of patients and make a difference in their
lives."
"This major investment is the latest in a long-standing
partnership between Bell Let's Talk and Fondation de ma vie, one
that will certainly have a significant impact on mental health
patients and their families in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean," said
Jean-François Girard, Chair of the Board of Fondation de ma vie.
"It is also a first for our region, bringing all 4 regional
foundations together to support such a large-scale project, and a
source of great pride."
Bell Let's Talk Day is tomorrow
Tomorrow, January 29, is the 10th anniversary Bell Let's
Talk Day, and Fondation de ma vie, Fondation Équilibre, Fondation
Hôtel Dieu d'Alma, Fondation du
Domaine du Roy and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean CIUSSS join Bell in
inviting everyone to take part in the conversation on mental
health. Bell will donate 5 cents to
Canadian mental health programs for each of these communications on
January 29, at no extra cost to
participants beyond what they would normally pay their service
providers for online or phone access:
- Talk: Every mobile and every long distance call made by Bell
wireless and phone customers
- Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers
- Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring
the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and every Bell Let's Talk Day
video view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Facebook: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at
Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and every 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 every
Bell Let's Talk Day video view
- YouTube: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at
YouTube.com/BellCanada
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 1,000 organizations providing
mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals,
universities and other care and research organizations. To learn
more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
About Fondation de Ma Vie
Since Fondation de ma
vie believes that the best care is the care you receive closest to
home, its mission is to contribute to the accessibility and
proximity of the health care provided to the people and families of
Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean, with the aim of preserving greater
regional autonomy. Fondation de ma vie works in partnership
with the CIUSSS and local organizations to add to the synergy and
cohesion of local care networks, particularly for the most ill and
most vulnerable people in its territory.
About Fondation Équilibre
Fondation Équilibre's
mission is to provide financial support to mental health
institutions and organizations in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
region in order to maintain and develop quality services with
respect to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration into
society.
About the Fondation Hôtel Dieu d'Alma
The Fondation de
l'Hôtel-Dieu d'Alma helps to
maintain and develop quality health and social services through the
acquisition of specialized instruments and equipment with
cutting-edge technology for Alma's
hospital and the CLSCs and CHSLDs in the RCM of Lac-Saint-Jean
Est.
About the Fondation du Domaine-du-Roy
The
Fondation du Domaine-du-Roy's mission is to collect donations in
order to help improve the services provided by the
CIUSSS-Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean-Hôpital in Roberval.
Media inquiries:
Caroline Audet
Senior Manager, Media Relations
Bell
514-391-9794
caroline.audet@bell.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
Nathalie Gagné
Major Donations and Communications Advisor
Foundation de ma vie
418-545-4980, ext. 327
nathalie.gagne@fondationdemavie.qc.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada