Thursday, October 18, 2012
Canadian Mental Health Association - London-Middlesex Branch
Wait List Clinic Receives Canada Post Community Foundation Grant
The Wait List Clinic (WLC) has been operating at CMHA London-Middlesex since January of 2012. At this time we are incredibly grateful to announce that we have been the recipient of a grant from the Canada Post Community Foundation. Thanks to the generous support that has been provided by Canada Post, the WLC will continue to provide services in the London & Middlesex area for an additional year.
The timing for the receipt of this grant could not be better: wait lists for community mental health services in London are significant and they continue to grow. This prevents individuals from receiving much needed assistance when they are most receptive to getting help. This delay in accessing support increases the suffering on behalf of the individual as well as their loved ones, and adds to their decline in function.
However with the support of The Wait List Clinic, individuals can receive 1:1 counseling and support, to help alleviate the stress and loneliness that individuals may experience while waiting for the services that they need. Under the supervision of clinical psychologists, Dr. Felicia Otchet and Dr. Bill Newby, supportive counseling is provided by trained, supervised university student volunteers. Dr. Felicia Otchet, who developed the idea for the clinic, states “The Wait List Clinic was designed to teach interested students from a variety of academic backgrounds some basic, supportive counselling skills and to pair them with clients on mental health waiting lists who are seeking additional supports while they wait. Psychologists and student peers observe the sessions while they are happening, via a video feed, to insure a high quality service and a great educational experience. Clients benefit, students benefit, and the agencies involved benefit, as they can be kept aware of clients’ progress and changing needs, and know that the folks waiting for their service are being supported. It is a very efficient, effective mental health service that is about as win, win, win as you can get.”
The WLC operates at CMHA London-Middlesex on Monday and Tuesday evenings, from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Appointments can be booked directly at the clinic or during regular operating hours at CMHA London-Middlesex. As stated by CMHA L-M Executive Director, Michael Petrenko, “The provision of WLC services at CMHA L-M is a perfect fit with our agency values.
Through our Intake and Assessment program, we see a large number of individuals and this number continues to increase. It is wonderful to be able to offer the support of the WLC to these individuals so that the burdens and anxieties that are often experienced with waiting for service can be alleviated. We sincerely wish to thank Dr. Otchet and her team for their continued facilitation of this much-needed initiative.”
For more information about the Wait List Clinic please contact the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), London-Middlesex Branch at 519-434-9191.
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