• Posted 14-Sep-2020

Mental health support services for Immigrants

The Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region & South Simcoe (CMHA-YRSS) has introduced an initiative known as the Newcomer Health and Wellness Program (NHWP) which is targeted at providing adequate and sophisticated mental health services for new immigrants above the age of 12 who are moving into Canada.

The CMHA-YRSS is a national non-profit organization which operates within York Region in the Greater Toronto Area. About $2.2 million has been channeled into this program by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The CMHA-YRSS argued that the immigrants have a positive health attitude upon arrival but due to cultural differences and the exposure to a totally new and different system, these immigrants obviously break down mentally.

The NHWP was launched in August 2020 can boast of a wide range of mental health services including but not limited to trauma analysis and management, psychotherapy and counselling including family, marriage and individual counselling, promotional training activities centred on improving mental and physical health as well as other related mental health services.

The NHWP bears in mind the uniqueness and cultural diversity of each immigrant and therefore provides mental health services based on the individual background of the immigrants.

The IRCC has provided the CMHA-YRSS with up to three years funding and there is also a possibility of providing an additional two years funding. Thus, the capacity of the community will be developed in line with this project to ensure that adequate support is provided to the immigrants.