Soldiers’ Memorial puts $20,000 grant towards mental health training

Soldiers' Foundation (Soldiers' Memorial Hospital)

Soldiers' Memorial Hospital is putting a $20,000 grant towards mental health training and education for staff.

According to the Orillia hospital, the Bell Let's Talk Community grant will better equip hospital staff with additional training while strengthening mental health support and services to the area.

"This generous funding from our partners at Bell is being used to train our Community Mental Health clinicians in specialized trauma treatment modalities," says Brandon Lewicki, the Mental Health Services program manager at the hospital.

Lewicki went on to say that their goal is to increase the accessibility of trauma-related treatments for clients in Orillia and surrounding areas.

"There is a gap in service for those that require these treatments and who otherwise wouldn't have the financial means to access them," said Lewicki.

The hospital noted that it has already begun implementing Bell's gift to provide cognitive behavioural therapy accreditation and trauma and addictions training for the hospital's social workers and dual diagnosis training to all front-line staff.

"Bell Let's Talk is pleased to support Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital's training in evidence-based CBT, trauma and other mental health treatment programs for front line staff," said Mary Deacon, the Chair of Bell Let's Talk.

Jan. 26 is Bell Let's Talk Day.

Throughout the day, the company will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every time an applicable text, local or long-distance call, tweet, TikTok video uses the hashtag #BellLetsTalk.

Bell will also provide 5 cents for every Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video.

The company says there is no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access.