I am writing in response to the comments you recently made to The Canadian Press regarding the availability of community-based mental health service providers that colleges and universities can rely upon to support students facing mental health issues without an extended wait time.
Family Service Ontario acts as the voice of its 46 Family Service agency members to create a network across Ontario providing quick access walk-in psychotherapy and appointment-based brief structured psychotherapy from over 120 storefronts to more than 250,000 Ontarians a year who seek help with mental health, trauma and addictions issues.
Highly qualified, trained graduate-level psychotherapists provide evidence-based services in over 20 languages on a sliding payment scale; however, no one is ever turned away or denied services due to an inability to pay.
As well, Family Service agencies treat everyone—including children, youth, adults, seniors, couples and families—and are LGBTQ+ friendly and accessible to all with physical disabilities.
Family Service agencies are currently providing these services when and where people need them most—in their own communities—and they are affordable and accessible to everyone.
I encourage you to visit https://familyserviceontario.org/members-directory/ to see the agencies spanning the province from Fort Frances to Ottawa and from Timmins to Windsor that are wellestablished and available right now to support students without an appointment, diagnosis or referral.
Additionally, I welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly to answer any questions you may have about how Family Service Ontario and its members can work with you to make sure students know where they can get help to deal with mental health issues and to assist in easing the financial burden on colleges in Ontario.