Family Service Saskatchewan website connects people to free, immediate counselling
Family Service Saskatchewan has started a website offering quick access to free counselling and mental health services for people across Saskatchewan.
“I think all of the uncertainty that people have been experiencing over the past year has created a lot of anxiety which has escalated a lot of issues for people,” said Christa Daku, chair of Family Service Saskatchewan.
“Sometimes people just need someone to talk to. Just having that support and validation for what they’re experiencing is really, really crucial to someone’s wellbeing.”
The service is for anyone 12 and up looking for help with a wide range of issues including stress, depression, anxiety and family conflict.
Through Rapid Access Counselling, people can connect with qualified counsellors for a free, immediate and brief counselling session ranging from 50 minutes to an hour.
“By offering brief and solution-focused style therapy, individuals can come in simply for one or two or three sessions, it just depends on their need. And we know that a lot of people just need some tools to be able to carry on when they have a little hiccup in their life,” Daku said.
OPENING DOORS IN RURAL AREAS
She said Family Service Saskatchewan can also help connect people who have more significant issues to a long-term counsellor in their community.
Family Service Saskatchewan has been offering Rapid Access Counselling in over 23 communities since 2019 in partnership with 11 agencies.
In addition to walk-in sessions, it now offers virtual and telephone counselling sessions due to the pandemic.
Daku said this option has also helped them reach more people in rural communities who may not have the same access to service as those in urban centres.
“We wanted to be able to open the doors up to those who are rural. We know that most of Saskatchewan is rural, so just providing the opportunity,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.