Ottawa earmarks funding for mental-health supports for Indigenous communities during COVID-19 – The Globe and Mail
The federal government announced $82.5-million to be spent this year on urgent mental-wellness support in Indigenous communities in response to the added burden of COVID-19.
Recent Statistics Canada studies have highlighted mental-health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the country, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said on Parliament Hill on Tuesday as he unveiled the new funding.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the situation,” he said.
There had already been a growing demand for mental-health counselling and support before the pandemic, Mr. Miller said. He noted that Hope for Wellness, a help line for Indigenous people across the country, received 3,602 calls and chats from individuals seeking assistance from January to April, 2019, while there were more than 10,000 in the same period this year.
