An increase in provincial government funding for mental health walk-in counselling has allowed the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) to expand that service to five days a week and add a second location.
SIGN, a Yorkton-based social service agency serving east-central Saskatchewan and a member of Family Service Saskatchewan, has been providing the free counselling service two days per week since February 2018, primarily through its self-generated funding sources.聽
The province announced in its budget in March that it has allocated $1.2 million for 11 agencies to provide walk-in counselling in 18 new communities across the province.
鈥淲alk-in counselling services like the ones being provided at SIGN in Yorkton offer a welcoming, supportive environment where people can take their first step towards improved mental health,鈥 Minister for Rural and Remote Health Greg Ottenbreit said.聽
鈥淥ur Government understands the value of walk-in counselling services and realizes the positive impact they have on people experiencing mental health issues. We are committed to working with organizations like SIGN to expand these services across the province so more people can get the mental health help they need.鈥
The provincial funding also allows for expanded service in five communities that previously offered the counselling as part of a pilot project, including Yorkton.
"The provincial funding will allow us to expand the service from its current two clinics to five clinics a week," SIGN executive director Andrew Sedley said. "We have found, since we started the service, that there is a huge need for this type of walk-in, unscheduled counselling."
SIGN will be providing the free service every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 noon to 5 pm at SIGN on Broadway Room 107, every Tuesday from 2 pm to 7 pm at the Yorkton Public Library starting July 2, and every Thursday from 2 pm to 7 pm at SIGN on Broadway. The service is available to all individuals, couples and families to help address their concerns.聽
Walk-In counselling is a free, immediate and accessible form of brief counselling. People can drop in for free services without an appointment, similar to the medical walk-in clinics. The services are provided by qualified counsellors, who also help people to connect to the community and health services they may need.聽 聽
SIGN was one of five participants in a two-year pilot project conducted by Family Service Saskatchewan to study walk-in counselling. Evaluation of the project shows that when people have access to immediate services, they can begin to feel better in just one session. 聽
A majority of people arriving at walk-in counselling were in distress and needed services immediately, and 71 per cent of participants required only one session with a counsellor. Two-thirds of those seeking counselling indicated they had nowhere else to turn.
Family Service Saskatchewan is a network of 12 family-serving organizations in Saskatchewan, including SIGN. It has collaborated to create a rapid response mental health service in approximately 20 rural and urban communities across Saskatchewan, working in collaboration with Saskatchewan Health Authority.