No doubt, COVID-19 is causing everyone to adapt to changes in unforeseen ways, including us at the community Wellness Centre. We had to postpone two talks on mental health that were planned to take place last March: Stress & Anxiety: Managing Through Understanding and Stress & Anxiety – Helping Children Through Understanding. If you might be interested in attending one of these talks someday in the future, you can still register. Please let us know if you’re interested so that we can add your to the list of participants.
So what are we doing to care for your mental health in this highly unusual time of COVID-19? Read on!
Online mental health resources
We are now turning our focus to mental health resources available to you in English. If you feel you are in crisis or would simply like to know how to take good care of your mental health in these unusual times, we hope these resources will help.
Crisis care
If you are in a crisis or need immediate assistance
- Crisis Services Canada call 1-833-456-4566 (Canada), 1-866-APPELLE (Québec) for 24/7 Help Line;
Crisis Text Line: Text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults, 686868 for youth - Jeffery Hale Community Services Mental Health Services in English call 418-684-5333 ext 1580 available from 8:30 – 4:30 pm
- Info Social 8-1-1 24/7 Help line
- Kids Help Phone 24/7 hotline 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
Tel-jeunes Text, call or email 24/7 Youth Hotline - Domestic Violence 24/7 Hotline 1-800-363-9010
- Hope for Wellness online Counselling Service for Indigenous Canadians immediate crisis intervention or Help Line 1-855-242-3310
General tips and tools to care for your mental health
- Government of Canada
Wellness Together Canada online portal will direct you, depending on your self-assessment results, to self-guided online and mobile tools (apps), two online peer support communities (Big White Wall, I CAN SFI) and a free one-to-one counselling (Homewood Health) service for adults.
- Québec Government
Info sheet – Stress, Anxiety and Depression Associated With the Coronavirus
Info sheet – My child is worried about the pandemic, what can I do to provide support?
Info sheet – I am in bereavement for one or more people who lost their lives in the pandemic
- Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC): mentalhealthcommission.ca
Mental health and wellness articles, guides, webinars, infographics and crisis training are all churning at the MHCC.
Infographic – Coping With Stress, Anxiety, And Substance Use During Covid-19
Crisis Training- Caring for Yourself, Caring for your Team, Caring for Others
Video – Staying Resilient During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Guide – Mental Health First Aid COVID-19 Self-Care & Resilience
Tips on talking to someone in crisis during COVID-19
Caregiving in the era of COVID-19: What to expect, and how to cope
Choosing sources of information
Webinar – Best Practices for Supporting the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers During Covid-19
Q&A –First Responder COVID-19 Resource
- Canadian Mental Health Association: cmha.ca
Explore practical advice, articles and information to help you #GetReal about how you really feel for this 2020 Mental Health Week and all year around. During Mental Health Week 2019, the Community Wellness Centre shared resources in English, hosted a live talk on sleep (resources available here), a virtual talk on stress and 7 activities thanks to the involvement of passionate community volunteers. In collaboration with the local CMHA Quebec branch in February 2020 the Community Wellness Centre hosted a Living Life to the Full 4-week workshop in English.
Video – CMHA’s tips for managing COVID19 anxiety
Video – CMHA’s tips on talking to someone in crisis during COVID-19
Pandemic pushing your anxiety buttons?
Caring for children in the COVID-19 crisis
Working from Home During COVID, With and Without Children
Tools for people aged 70 and over and caregivers
Online course – Bounce Back Online to help people manage low mood, stress, and anxiety.
- Ami-Quebec: amiquebec.org
If you are a person living with a mental illness or a family member or friend of somone living with mental illness, Ami-Québec offers a range of over-the-phone support groups and workshops in English. Support groups are facilitated by people with lived experience, either as a caregiver or having lived with mental illness, support groups help you develop a healthy perspective on mental illness, explore coping strategies, and learn about support services and resources in the community. Workshops cover a variety of topics and are designed for three audiences: those living with mental illness only, those living with mental illness and their family or friends and for family and friends of those living with mental illness only. You may call for inquiries at 514-486-1448.
Upcoming Ami-Quebec support groups
Upcoming Ami-Quebec workshops
Ami-Québec audio recordings and videos of past talks
- World Health Organization: WHO.org
The World Health Organization is the reference for information on COVID-19 but also holds some interesting golden nuggets for explaining COVID-19 to your child and breaking down harmful or stress-inducing myths.
My Hero is You, e-storybook for children on COVID-19, published March 31, 2020 available in 37 languages
Mythbusters
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. This is a reliable resource for FAQ about mental health during a pandemic, offers a free online peer-to-peer discussion forum where you can offer support, encouragement, and share your experiences with managing your stress and anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers tips on coping followed by three stress tests you can take free of charge.
Strategies to maintain your mental wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic
Dealing with isolation and supporting a loved one
Stigma and prejudice: it’s impact and how you can reduce it
- Miscellaneous
Video- Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Guide to Self-isolation
Infographic – Kids Help Phone 12 instant stress busters
My Workplace Mental Health’s coping with social distancing and working from home
Online activity – Kids Help Phone Worry Rockets
Web Application – The Well Can App is a free hub for mental health resources and tools in English or French to help all Canadians maintain positive mental, physical, social and financial health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
