Building Community
Mount Seymour United Church is committed to supporting the mental health of our community.
In that respect, we have identified a gap in the availability of counselling for those suffering from mental health challenges, particularly given the limitations on the extent to which counselling is covered by public or private insurance plans.
To assist in remedying this problem, Mount Seymour United Church has created a pilot project with a commitment of $35,000 to fund various initiatives over the next year. The program will be assessed at the end of the year, with the intention of continuing based on the amount of interest the program attracts.
Seminar Program
In conjunction with other community organizations, Mount Seymour United will be putting on a seminar series on mental health-related topics.
Seminars will be held in person at Mount Seymour United Church. No registration is needed.
Counselling Vouchers
Mount Seymour United Church will provide a voucher for 8 free initial counselling sessions to applicants who qualify for the program.
Mount Seymour United Church will prioritize applicants who (1) live on the North Shore, (2) have limited financial resources, and (3) have urgent mental health needs.
There is no need for applicants to be members of Mount Seymour United Church, nor is it mandatory that they attend Mount Seymour United Church once approved (although we would always provide a welcome for them).
Applicants may identify the counsellor they wish to work with before making their application. Alternatively, Mount Seymour has a list of approved counsellors as well. Mount Seymour will review the proposed counsellor’s qualifications and rate charged to make sure they are acceptable.
To ensure that the applicant attends the funded sessions, a $50 Refundable Security Deposit is required. The deposit will only be forfeited only if any scheduled sessions are missed.
After the 8 sessions are complete, the applicant may re-apply for further financial support with the counsellor’s agreement, although priority will be given to ensuring that the greatest number of people receive assistance.
Resource Information
Mount Seymour will maintain a list of mental health access points and resources. That list can be accessed here [link]. This list of resources should be helpful to applicants in terms of identifying potential counsellors and services.
