The District of 100 Mile House and Cariboo Regional District are committing $70,000 each from COVID-19 Safe Restart grant monies to address a doubling in mental health support requests since March 2020. The contributions will support programs and staff attraction and retention with the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre (CFEC) and Canadian Mental Health Association Cariboo Chilcotin branch for a year.
“Mental health services in the South Cariboo have yet to recover from the demands put on them by the 2017 wildfires and job losses from mill shutdowns,” notes 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall. “And the longer we experience the impacts of the pandemic, the greater the need. The bottom line is they need help.”
Following the 2017 wildfires and evacuations, the CFEC saw a 120% increase in demand for its services. Mill closures and unemployment have also contributed to this trend. Mental health caseloads saw another marked increase with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, with public health agencies noting a rise in reports of substance abuse, domestic violence, and economic hardship.
“The Cariboo Regional District is proud to match the $70,000 contribution of the District of 100 Mile House toward mental health supports in the South Cariboo,” said CRD Chair Margo Wagner. “The Board recognizes the challenges all our residents are facing right now, along with the agencies and mental health professionals providing these important services.”
The funding will help address a backlog in service requests which currently sees a 45-day waitlist to access a counsellor in the South Cariboo region.
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