May 5 to 11 is Mental Health Week in Canada and the Delta branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association wants residents to know they are there to help.
"We're part of one of the oldest non-profits in Canada," said executive director Judy Gray, adding the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has been around since 1918.
Family members of people dealing with mental illness formed the Delta branch in the early 1990s.
In the beginning, the branch offered a support group for families of people who had a mental illness. It was a peer-led group and from that, Gray said, the association became aware more education around mental health and illness was needed.
"We try to stay on top of what's going on in the community," Gray said.
The family support group continues today, but it has been joined by a myriad of other programs, including a regular depression/bi-polar support group and the only support group in the Lower Mainland for people with obsessive compulsive disorder. People come from all over Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to attend the group's sessions, said Alison Martin, one of the program facilitators.
Many of the programs are aimed at youth and teens.
The longest-standing education program is Headstrong: What the health is going on? That program has been ongoing since 1993 and is aimed at educating Grade 10 students about mental health. "The big thing about that program is it is facilitated by young people," Gray said.
The association also offers a therapeutic arts program for children six to 12, Building Capacity in Our Children uses a creative arts process and relaxation/meditation to help kids develop their creativity, critical thinking and self-awareness.
"Children at that age don't always know how to verbalize what may be causing them distress," she said. The program teaches kids how to build the capacity to "roll with the punches."
Other programs include Gardening and Gleaning for Mental Wellness, which gets participants into the garden to make a connection between healthy food and a healthy mind as well as distributing gleaned fruit and vegetables to those in need in the community. Living Life to the Full program is aimed at giving youth, teens and young adults life skills to help themselves.
"One of the things we really like to focus on here is wellness," Gray said.
The Delta branch has a few paid staff members but relies heavily on volunteers to keep the office running and to offer an ever-growing list of programs. "We have a really limited budget," Gray said. "We put it all into the programs."
Last year, CMHA Delta volunteers put in 4,000 hours and the office dealt with almost 2,500 calls and visitors.
The small yet cheerful office in Ladner is overflowing with resources for people looking for a little help.
"We're here to help people understand where they may go for help," Gray said.
Staff and volunteers are also taking part in this year's Ride Don't Hide event on June 22 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, which raises money to support women and their families.
For more about Canadian Mental Health Delta, call 604-943-1878 or visit www.delta.cmha.bc.ca.
