Quesnel is getting a full-time five day a week mental health clinician.
They will work out of an office that used to house the Community Policing Access Centre on Anderson Drive in West Quesnel.
Doris Hocevar, a Community Wellness Manager who was hired to identify the psychological impacts that resulted from the wildfires in 2017, was the driving force behind this position.
In making a presentation to City Council last night, she noted that she identified some gaps in service…
“A lack of outreach services. One of the interesting pieces that showed up was having a community navigator to assist people in finding timely and accessible resources. And the need for Councillors or individuals with qualifications to support individuals who have been evacuated. Another gap that emerged was when people were in accommodations, feeling isolated, feeling alienated, again those things related to trauma informed care.”
Hocevar said the Canadian Mental Health Association will also be providing mental health first aid training,and there will be an opportunity for the clinician to train a peer volunteer to then work with other peers.
She said there are already three candidates for the mental health clinician.
Hocevar said the funding is for two years and she will keep stats on how many people are helped, something that Councillor Laurey-Anne Roodeburg really liked…
“I think for future opportunities and considerations of maintaining that position here, whoever it’s through, whether it’s Northern Health or whatever, I think once they start to understand the need in this community, because it’s not just the results of the fires, the whole mental health piece is a lot to do with some of the other issues that are happening in our community, this is a mental health period, it can be anything and everybody, so i think that’s huge.”
The city is supplying the space at no charge and is also putting in 5 thousand dollars to outfit the new office.
The hours of operation will be from 9 am to 5 pm.