Photo courtesy of Canadian Mental Health Association

By Scott Roblin

Mental Health

CMHA reporting local drop in people in crisis reaching out for help

Aug 12, 2020 | 6:11 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association say they are seeing a concerning trend when it comes to people in crisis during the pandemic.

According to executive director of CMHA Southeast Cori Fischer they have seen a sharp drop off in the number of people in crisis reaching out to access help.

“People aren’t reaching out when they should be and they need to be,” said Fischer. “This is an extremely stressful time, it’s an extremely anxiety-riddled time. None of us have a whole lot of control over what’s happening and that loss of control is extremely stressful.”

CMHA say the pandemic has brought on a whole host of mental health challenges for the community, with health and financial worries becoming more prevalent.

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This comes as Medicine Hat Police say they’ve investigated three suicides in the city over the last four months.

For those who feel like they have no options left, Fischer said it’s vital that contact is made with a 24-hour help line or a mental health professional.

“They’re waiting for you to call,” said Fischer. “So, it’s not that you have to feel like, ‘Oh, it’s 2:30 in the morning and I don’t want to bother anyone.’ They’re waiting so that’s always an option, making sure that you’re phoning and connecting. If you’re not comfortable talking with a professional please find a friend, please find a family member, someone that you can talk to and say, ‘I’m overwhelmed at this point and I don’t know where to go from here.’”

Mental health funding

Some help in regards to mental health support is on the way from the provincial government for first responders across Alberta.

The province has committed $4.5 million over the next three years to fund mental health initiatives specifically for police, fire, and EMS workers.

“Our first responders deal with a lot of really complex issues out there and it’s a difficult thing for them to do,” said Medicine Hat Police Service chief Andy McGrogan. “I’m glad that the government actually recognizes it and that they actually are investing in our people.”

The money will be provided in forms of grants to local non-profit organizations who work to improve mental health for first responders.

Fischer said she hasn’t heard yet whether the Canadian Mental Health Association will be a recipient of that grant money, but is hoping to undertaking new programming to assist first responders.

“The Canadian Mental Health Association across Alberta has been working with OSI-CAN, which is Occupational Stress Injury in Canada,” said Fischer. “We’ve actually been working with them to see about getting support groups here in Medicine Hat and in various other communities across Alberta. That support group is very specifically facilitated by a first responder or a veteran.”

MHPS has ramped up its mental health programming in the past few years, including contracting a psychologist specifically to address issues local members are having.

For McGrogran, it’s awareness that is greatly needed for a segment of the population who deal with increased levels of post-traumatic stress.

“Nothing just happens, you flip the switch and everybody has a healthier, different way of looking at it,” said McGrogan. “But, I really think with supportive communities, supportive organizations, the first responders and the people out there in the muck dealing with the people that we deal with are getting the help they need.”

According to the province, there were 450 Worker’s Compensation Board claims by first responders between 2014 and 2018 in relation to post-traumatic stress injuries.