Ongoing support, services benefit adults with mental-health issues
Press Release
Sept. 8, 2025
NANAIMO – Adults living with mental-health challenges will continue to have access to low- or no-cost counselling services to help them get well.
“When someone takes the courageous step of reaching out for mental-health support, services must be there for them,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “Over the past six years, thousands of people across B.C. have received low- and no-cost counselling, many for the very first time. With this investment, we’re ensuring that people can continue to find affordable, life-changing mental-health care when they need it most.”
Since the Province launched low- and no-cost counselling services in 2019, organizations have provided more than 362,000 counselling sessions, with 72,000 people accessing counselling for the first time.
Government is investing $6.7 million to continue providing free or low-cost adult mental-health or addictions counselling services. Forty-four community-based organizations in all health authorities in the province, including urban, rural and Indigenous communities, will receive funding to provide supports.
The Community Action Initiative (CAI), which is a non-profit organization that provides grant and training opportunities for organizations across B.C., administers the funding through the Community Counselling Fund. Since 2019, the Province has invested more than $43 million in counselling capacity in communities. The most common needs this year have been trauma, grief and loss, isolation, and economic hardship.
“The Community Action Initiative has been proud to partner with the Province of B.C. to provide grants and capacity building for non-profit organizations that provide counselling services,” said Julia Kaisla, executive director, CAI. “As a result, community members from all across the province have gained new skills and supports to move forward in their lives, and in their healing. This has undoubtedly reduced the burden on our health-care system and has enhanced community health and capacity.”
Community counselling provides flexibility for counsellors to meet clients through outreach, in-person counselling or through virtual supports. In some community agencies, counsellors connect people to other services and supports, such as housing, employment insurance, addictions treatment or attending appointments with them.
Providing counselling services is one part of government’s work to build a full continuum of mental-health and addictions care that works for everyone. In addition, the Province continues to add and expand care, including early intervention and prevention, treatment and recovery services, supportive and complex-care housing and more.
Quotes:
Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island –
“There’s strength in diversity, so we’re offering a range of mental-health counselling. To meet people where they are, today we’re investing in community counselling services in Nanaimo and across B.C. Counsellors will also connect a person to vital housing, employment and addiction treatment to support mental health.”
Chief Mike Wyse, Snuneymuxw First Nation –
“We are thankful for our partnership with the Province and the Community Action Initiative, which helps us sustain safe and relevant community mental-health supports that honour our ways of healing.”
Learn More:
For more information about CAI, visit: https://caibc.ca
Learn more about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C.: https://gov.bc.ca/BetterCare
Two backgrounders follow.
Contact:
Ministry of Health
Media Relations
250 952-1887
BACKGROUNDER 1
How people are benefiting from affordable community counselling services
Below are first-hand stories of people who have benefited from affordable community counselling services across the province. In most cases, the person’s name has been changed or their initials were used to protect their identities.
S.C.
S.C. is an Indigenous man from the Nisga’a Valley. He is a multi-generational trauma survivor from his parents being in residential school. He is also a survivor of Indian day school, survived sexual abuse and violence. He was a youth worker in his hometown when the RCMP came to his work to tell him that they had arrested a man who was his elementary school teacher and was being charged with sexual abuse. S.C. ended up charging his former teacher as well. That same year S.C. had another visit from RCMP, this time to let him know that his father was killed in police custody. He started drinking heavily, trying to cope with all the pain. He lost his job because of this. He came to Vancouver and found himself in the Downtown Eastside and started using crack cocaine. He hit bottom and got into recovery, tapped into culture and spirituality and started coming to counselling. S.C. attended talking circles, smudging and drum making. S.C. has finally found forgiveness for all, including himself. He is now four years into his sobriety. He has completed his adult education diploma from Native Education College and was on the dean’s list. Currently, he is in his third year of university.
Client 1
One client began receiving services while in active addiction. With counselling support, the client began their recovery journey and was able to receive a referral to attend treatment due to this [counselling] program. Currently, the client has turned their life around and is sober for more than a year with steady employment, has a strong relationship and social life, and is doing well. The client said this program helped them beyond what they imagined was possible and completely changed the trajectory of their life.
Client 2
Another client engaged in counselling to seek support, while she transitioned from a bed-based substance-use treatment program to their home community. The client stated that the ongoing counselling helped her to maintain abstinence even during a brief period of homelessness. She is now housed, has found employment after a period of job seeking, started a new relationship, and reported an increase in self-confidence and stability in her life.
Alexandria
Alexandria, an Indigenous woman in her mid-30s with three school-age children, experienced a series of deaths, several of which were quite traumatic in nature. She sought counselling after each subsequent loss, eventually completing three rounds of services, each eight sessions in length. Rather than attempting to move past the grief, Alexandria instead found her own ways of maintaining meaningful relationships with the deceased. She described herself as being frozen and so collected herbs in the forest so she could thaw herself with tea. She saw the pain etched on her hands, so she cleaned them in the lake. She felt overwhelmed, so she cried and let others cry with her. She felt shame, so now shares her experiences with her children so shame can’t have the same hold on them.
Contact:
Ministry of Health
Media Relations
250 952-1887
BACKGROUNDER 2
2025-26 community counselling grant recipients
Fraser Health Authority
- Archway Community Services Society, Abbotsford
- Cythera Transition House Society, Maple Ridge
- Deltassist Family and Community Services Society, Delta
- DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, Surrey
- Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, New Westminster
- Fraser House Society, Mission
- Kinghaven Peardonville House Society, Mission
- Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Community Services, Maple Ridge
- Moving Forward Family Services Society, Surrey/provincewide
- Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia, Surrey
- SHARE Family and Community Services, Port Moody/Coquitlam
Interior Health Authority
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Cariboo Chilcotin Branch, Cariboo Chilcotin
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Kelowna Branch, Kelowna
- Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society, 100 Mile House and communities in the South Cariboo region
- Circle of Indigenous Nations Society, Kelson, Castlegar, Trail, Nakusp and Grand Forks
- Family Tree Family Centre (Kamloops Family Resources Society), Kamloops
- Independent Living Vernon Society, Vernon
- Lillooet Friendship Centre Society, Lillooet
- Metis Community Services Society of B.C., Kelowna
- OneSky Community Resources, Penticton
- Yellowhead Community Services, Thompson Valley
Northern Health Authority
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Northern B.C., Prince George and northern communities
- Central Interior Native Health Society, Prince George, Hazelton, Gitsegukla, Kitwanga, Fort Babine, Lake Babine, Witset, Takla, Tlazten, Binche, Nakazdli, Yekooche
- Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society, Smithers, Houston
- Prince George Native Friendship Centre, Prince George
- Quesnel Women’s Resource Centre, Quesnel
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority
- Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC, DBA Gordon Neighbourhood House, Vancouver
- Canadian Mental Health Association – North Vancouver and West Vancouver
- Family Services of the North Shore, North Shore
- Jewish Family Services, Vancouver
- S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Vancouver
- REACH Community Health Centre, Vancouver
- Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, Sechelt
- Turning Point Recovery Society, Richmond, Vancouver, North Shore
- Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture, Vancouver
- Watari Counselling and Support Services, Vancouver
Vancouver Island Health Authority
- Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society, Esquimalt
- Hiiye’yu Lelum (House of Friendship) Society, Duncan and Cowichan Valley
- Kwakiutl Band Council, Fort Rupert
- Pacific Centre Family Services Association, Victoria and Colwood
- Peers Victoria Resources Society, Victoria
- Salt Spring and Southern Gulf Islands Community Services Society, Salt Spring
- Snuneymuxw First Nation, Nanaimo
- Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees, Victoria, Vancouver Island
Contact:
Ministry of Health
Media Relations
250 952-1887
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