Mental Health Unit

Mental Health affects 1 in 5 people. Early support and intervention improves the outcomes for the individual.

What is Mental Health?

We all have mental health. Mental health involves finding a balance in all aspects of life, including: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

MNCFN Social and Health Services, Mental Health Unit, operates under the Family Support Unit and offers many services, including:

• Individual counselling
• Group counselling
• Family counselling
• Mental health workshops
• Information sessions
• Culturally-appropriate services for all ages

Mental Health Workers can help you:

• Regain balance in your life
• Learn skills to manage depression and anxiety
• Develop coping strategies needed in times of stress
• Process grief and loss
• Develop anger management and emotional regulation skills
• Boost your self-esteem
• Provide crisis and trauma counselling

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but any of the following may be cause for concern:

• a growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
• feeling sad or irritable for more than two weeks
• excessive fears, worries and anxieties
• having strong feelings of anger
• feelings of extreme highs and lows
• major changes in eating or sleeping habits
• having many physical ailments that have no clear cause
• thinking about harming or killing onself
• spending more time alone or avoiding others
• having strange beliefs not based in reality (delusions)
• hearing or seeing things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
• confused thinking
• substance abuse
• not admitting to having obvious problems

Getting Help

If you are worried that someone you know may have a mental health or substance use problem, it is important to encourage him or her to get help. Here are some places and people that may offer assistance:

• Family service agency
• Community mental health agency
• Counsellor or therapist
• Family doctor
• Community health centre
• Religious or spiritual leader
• Workplace Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Telephone helplines
• Hospital
• Settlement agency (if the person is an immigrant or refugee)

Meet the Mental Health Team

Adult Mental Health Worker

The Adult Mental Health Worker is trained in Indigenous Studies and Social Work. She has extensive training in crisis support and grief. She has experience working one on one, facilitating groups and running workshops on mental health topics.

Children’s Mental Health Worker

The Children’s Mental Health Worker is trained in counselling, art therapy and expressive arts. She has 10 years of knowledge and experience providing individual and group counselling to children facing emotional, behavioural and social problems.

Setting Up an Appointment

All intakes to the Mental Health Program at MCFN Social and Health Services are coordinated by the Program Liaison Worker, who can be reached at 905-768-1181 ext. 224.