June 26, 2008 | PDF
Canadian Mental Health Association launches new program in the Interior to support emotional well-being of people with chronic conditions
Five Interior-region branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)—100 Mile House, Kamloops, Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vernon—are the first to launch a new two-year program to help people with chronic physical conditions better cope with low mood and anxiety.
The program, Bounce Back: Reclaim Your Health, will be delivered in close collaboration with primary care practices and is funded by a $6-million grant from the Ministry of Health Services, first announced during Mental Health Week last year. Around one in three British Columbian adults suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes or heart disease, and about a third of this group are affected by low mood or anxiety problems.
“We’re so pleased to introduce Bounce Back because we know it can really help people living with chronic conditions feel better and get more out of life,” says Dawn Dunlop-Pugh, Executive Director of CMHA’s Salmon Arm & District branch. “It’s not uncommon for people with chronic conditions to feel anxious or depressed. Added on top of an existing health condition, these feelings can lead to worsening health, impacts on daily living, and an overall lower quality of life. We see Bounce Back as providing tools to help people ‘reclaim their health.’”
Bounce Back focuses on self-help skills to improve emotional well-being. The program offers two forms of help. The first is a DVD which provides practical tips on managing mood, healthy living, building confidence and activities, and problem solving. The second is a guided self-help program to build on the techniques from the DVD, with telephone support from a ‘community coach.’ The whole program can be completed in several weeks and is done from the comfort of a person’s home.
“Integrating strategies to address chronic health conditions that are accompanied by mental health conditions makes British Columbia one of the first jurisdictions in the world to take this approach to improve the well-being of patients,” said Health Services Minister George Abbott. “We are spending more than $1.1 billion to support mental health and addiction services across British Columbia – a 30 per cent increase in funding since 2001.”
Bounce Back will begin providing service in 100 Mile House, Kamloops, Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vernon and surrounding areas starting July 1, exclusively through referrals from primary care practitioners. Other BC communities will introduce Bounce Back in the fall of this year and spring 2009. CMHA estimates that close to 50,000 people will be able to access Bounce Back interventions once the program is fully in place.
“We know from the research that the self-help techniques in Bounce Back work. We also know guided self-help works even better. One of the most exciting parts of Bounce Back is how community agencies, in partnership with health authorities and primary care, are directly involved in supporting and empowering individuals to acquire skills to improve their mood and quality of life,” says Dunlop-Pugh.
For more information on Bounce Back, visit www.bouncebackbc.ca and talk to your family doctor.
CMHA is a charitable association which promotes the mental health of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness through public education, community-based research, influencing of public policy, and direct services and supports. CMHA BC Division has more than 55 years of service to British Columbians and is part of a network of 20 CMHA branches across BC and part of a national voluntary association that is Canada’s oldest mental health charity.
Provincial Media Contacts
Sarah Hamid-Balma
Communications Director
Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
1-800-555-8222 ext. 225
Michelle Stewart
Communications Director
Ministry of Health
250-812-5571 (Cell)
250-952-1887 (media line)
Local Media Contacts
100 Mile House
Maggie Patterson-Dickey
Executive Director
CMHA 100 Mile House Branch
250-395-4883
Kamloops
Doug Sage
Executive Director
CMHA Kamloops Branch
250-374-0440
Kelowna
Shelagh Turner
Executive Director
CMHA Kelowna Branch
250-861-3644
Salmon Arm
Dawn Dunlop-Pugh
Executive Director
CMHA Salmon Arm & District Branch
250-832-8477
Vernon
Sandy Rysen
Executive Director
CMHA Vernon &District Branch
250-542-3114
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