(Tyler Marr/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

mental health help

P.A. among communities with walk-in mental health service

Aug 13, 2019 | 5:09 PM

Just getting people in the door is huge.

That’s the response from a mental health advocate to expanded free walk-in mental health services in Prince Albert.

Louise Zurowksi, the executive director of Catholic Family Services (CFS), was speaking following the announcement by the province that 18 more communities are joining a scheme that offers walk-in service to anyone looking for help. This can include for stress, depression, anxiety, family conflict and urgent mental health needs.

“Once you’ve got them in the door, then you can begin to work with them,” she said, noting before the additional funding, many people found themselves having to join a waiting list of up to five weeks.

“We now have the luxury of saying to clients ‘We do now have a walk-in counsellor,’ so we can set them up with a long-term situation or they can come in and see the walk-in counsellor and often their issues can be resolved in one of two sessions,” she said.

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A typical session lasts about an hour and Zurowski said often a walk-in client can simply wait for the person ahead of them to be seen. She stressed however that urgent critical situations could be dealt with by one of their other four counsellor.

CFS was offering the extra walk-in counsellor at its offices at 1008 First Avenue W. for a number of weeks already even before Tuesday’s formal confirmation of the extra funding which is expected to be provided on an annual basis.

“You know people just can’t fathom that it can take four or five weeks to get an appointment [with a regular counsellor] so now even if our walk-in counsellor is booked for the day, they can come back the next day or even later that week. It’s still a lot better than waiting up to five weeks,” she said.

The walk-in service is available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding said in a media release the expanded walk-in service would mean people getting local help and connections to any ongoing supports they may need to manage their mental health.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow