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Bridging the mental health support gap

Supporting Wellness and Growth is bridging a gap within the Lakeland, by offering counselling services to those in need of mental health support.

Supporting Wellness and Growth is bridging a gap within the Lakeland, by offering counselling services to those in need of mental health support.

After hearing the difficulties a friend was facing when it came to connecting with counselling services within the Cold Lake area, Kate Kolskog owner and director of Supporting Wellness and Growth, decided to make the trek from Calgary to Cold Lake so she could start offering her service to residents.

“Current services were either over subscribed, leading to long wait times, or the level of specialization required for treatment was non-existent,” explained Kolskog, adding this was driving residents to larger centres.

Since coming to Cold Lake in September 2016, Kolskog has increased her services by adding two registered psychologists into the mix. Each week, one of the psychologists is on hand for four days helping the 20-24 clients being served.

On Tuesday, March 14, Kolskog reached out to the City of Cold Lake in search of $70,000 in funding over the next two years, so she and her fellow psychologists could continue to offer their service in Cold Lake.

The support from council would help Kolskog afford the trip to and from Calgary, with the most costly expense being plane tickets and car rentals. Currently, this trip is costing $8,200 monthly per psychologist. The $70,000 would also help with the cost of expanding their services.

Supporting Wellness and Growth specializes in depression and anxiety, clinical mental health and diagnostics, PTSD, trauma, marriage and family therapy, substance and addictions counselling, and psychological assessment, among others.

In November, the group conducted a survey to examine the access to mental health services in Cold Lake. In total, 68 per cent of respondents stated they have accessed or attempted to access mental health support. Eighty-four per cent of those who contacted mental health services in Cold Lake felt that their concerns weren't addressed within a timely manner.

“The need for this kind of service in our community is vital… They're stampeding to their doors. People in our area are suffering, and they need to talk to someone who is qualified,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “We knew that within the community, mental health in the Cold Lake Hospital is being taxed to its maximum capacity.”

The request will be back before council at a future meeting for a decision. Should funding be denied, Supporting Growth and Wellness would have to cut back on their visits to Cold Lake.

“I am very passionate and compassionate about giving anyone the opportunity to have their mental health needs met. We go to doctors every single day and don't fear we are going to lose our job or that there is a stigma attached. When we see a mental health professional, we worry every day that a stigma is going to be attached to us,” Kolskog expressed.

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