To help Ontarians navigating the difficult realities in the wake ofCOVID-19 the Ontario government has announced an expansion of onlineand virtual mental health supports including Canadian Mental HealthAssociation’s BounceBack program.
BounceBack is available now freeof charge to help people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety stressand other mental health challenges associated with the pandemic.
Grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) BounceBack is a guidedself-help approach that is a proven effective way to help people aged15 and up who may be feeling low stressed out worried depressedirritable or angry.
BounceBack participants receive telephonecoaching skill-building workbooks and online videos to help themovercome mild-to-moderate symptoms and gain new skills to regainpositive mental health.
BounceBack offers different guided self-help workbooks that include titles such as Understanding Worry and StressOvercoming Sleep Problems Changing Extreme and Unhelpful Thinking WhyDo I Feel So Bad? and 10 Things You Can Do to Feel Happier StraightAway.
BounceBack is not a crisis service or counselling program but a life-skills course that helps participants develop coping techniquesso they can overcome challenges now or in the future. BounceBack coaches are extensively trained in the delivery of the program and are overseen by clinical psychologists. The main responsibilities of BounceBackcoaches are to foster skill development provide motivation and monitorprogress. BounceBack telephone coaching is available in more than 15languages.
To receive telephone coaching clients must either bereferred by a health care practitioner (family doctor nursepractitioner) or they may self-refer as long as they’re connected with a primary care provider. It’s important that primary care providersmaintain responsibility for their clients’ overall well-being duringtheir time in the program as BounceBack coaches are not counsellors ortherapists.
“We’re living in an unprecedented time amid thisCOVID-19 pandemic and we’re thankful that the provincial governmentrecognizes the effect this widespread uncertainty can have on everyone’s mental health” said CMHA HKPR’s chief executive officer Mark Graham.“We encourage everyone in our community who may be struggling at home to access BounceBack or any of the other expanded mental health servicesthe government has announced.”
To learn more about BounceBack visit bouncebackontario.ca or call 1-866-345-0224.
