WELLINGTON COUNTY – The local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is looking out for the mental health of front-line healthcare workers and has developed a website specifically for them.
Here4Healthcare.ca has a specialized care team that can connect with healthcare workers who may suffer from the strain and worry of daily life as COVID-19 rages on.
The website prioritizes health care workers and links them to free psychiatry, psychotherapy, support groups and online virtual care and resources.
“We anticipate that as the crisis worsens, there will be more need for this service,” said Alison De Muy, director of strategy and community engagement with CMHA Waterloo Wellington.
“I think we were all going on adrenaline at first. Now those workers may be feeling worn out.”
De Muy said many healthcare workers are choosing to stay away from their families in an effort to protect them – and that is wearing too.
CMHA Waterloo Wellington worked with the Counselling Collaborative of Waterloo Region and Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington, as well as many other public and private providers, to be able to respond immediately to the needs of front line care workers.
“We moved quickly to be able to redeploy our staff and the resources of our partners to have this up and running in anticipation of a large need,” stated Helen Fishburn, executive director of the local branch, in a press release. “There is no wait to access care if you are on the front lines of COVID-19 and need support.”
De Muy said the website launched last week and the uptake has been “manageable” so far, adding her agency will reach out to staff at long-term care homes and residences as well.
“I think this is the greatest health crisis we will ever see in our lives. What may last longer than COVID-19 are the mental health issues that develop during this time,” De Muy said.
“So, this is like PPE for mental health. We really need to shore up workers in the healthcare system right now. They need this support, and we need them.”
