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By Tiffany Goodwein

help is available

Mental Health: Where to get help in the city?

Sep 4, 2020 | 7:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- As a string of suicides continues to grip our city, there have been lots of questions as to where to get help if you or someone you know is struggling.

Stacey Steele, a registered provisional psychologist in Medicine Hat says support options are available and the types of support vary from 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency to counseling sessions that are available through public health or through a private practitioner.

“Here in Medicine Hat as part of our public healthcare, you can go to addictions and mental health at the provincial building downtown. To access that right now you call 403-529-3500, and call let them know that you want to speak to an intake worker and let them know what is going on with you, that you are in crisis. From there, an intake worker will either talk to you right then or call you back,” Steele said.

In a public service announcement issued Friday afternoon, AHS said addictions and mental health staff will be on hand this long weekend to provide extended support.

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The clinic will be open for drop-in services from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 5 to Monday Sept. 7 at the provincial building at 346 3 Street SE.

A counselor will also be available through the phone and can be reached by dialing 403-529-3500.

Group counseling sessions are also available through AHS via zoom. Gift of Hope and Living Sober are group counseling options offered twice a week for those struggling with anxiety, depression, and addiction. More information can be found by contacting the staff at AHS addictions and mental health at 403-529-3500.

Private counseling options are also available in the city for a fee. Currently, the provincial rate for counseling services is set at $200 an hour, but some offer services at a reduced fee.

A list of private counseling practitioners in Medicine Hat can be found here.

Aside from traditional counseling methods, Steele says family, friends, and community groups can also help when it comes to mental health and receiving support.

” I would encourage people to reach out to their natural supports within their own network, whether that’s through the church, school, even their employer workplace, if their employer has an EAP program they can connect with a therapist or even crisis support there. If they don’t have an EAP program, just talk to somebody, talk to someone you trust.” she said.

A family doctor, according to Steele can also assist in providing support.

” Our PCN (Palliser Primary Care Network) has behavioral health consultants that work with people for specifically anxiety and depression and strategies they can use to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and feel better,” she said.

Helping children understand suicide and addiction

The Medicine Hat Counselling Collective will be hosting a children’s healing circle Sept. 12 at noon at the King Edward Crosskill building at 619 2nd Street SE.

The purpose of the event is to provide support for children who have experienced loss related to suicide. Children participating will get the chance to ask questions about suicide, and addiction and receive information from a registered psychologist in an age and developmentally appropriate manner.

” What we know from a crisis management standpoint is that immediacy is important and I think there is a real fear that if we talk about certain issues that people especially children will be more vulnerable to doing those things but what we actually see is that this can actually help prevent those things from happening,” Ana Schlosser , registered provisional psychologist said.

Parents are asked to attend with their children to learn more about how to talk to their children about suicide, with the hopes of it continuing the conversation in an effective way.

For parents already receiving questions about the deaths in the community Schlosser says there are some things parents need to remember when talking to their kids.

” One of the biggest things I think you can do to help a child understand something like this is just hold space for them to talk. A lot of times they aren’t actually asking questions but because we as adults get dysregulated, we have a tendency to want to explain or have answers, children oftentimes just need to talk. The other thing I would probably suggest is we only answer what they have questions about, that we don’t overshare, over provide information. So being really clear about, what question do you have?,” Schlosser said. noting that children are very resilient but they still need the space to articulate their feelings without a sense of judgment or shame.

More information about the event can be found on their Facebook page.

Interested participants are asked to RSVP on Facebook.

Direct family members of those who died by suicide will receive first priority for the event.

More information can be found here.