New 'Wellbeing' website helps B.C. residents find mental health supports based on issue and identity

Vancouver -

A new B.C. government website is providing a roadmap for accessing mental health and substance use supports.

The website, wellbeing.gov.bc.ca, from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, provides information on services for children, youth, adults, parents and caregivers, seniors, Indigenous persons, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, people who use drugs, service providers and post-secondary students.

"People seeking mental health and substance use supports have told me finding information is hard, and they don't know where to start," said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in a news statement.

A series of drop-down menus on the "browse supports" page allows people to specify what issue they need help with (e.g. drug use, family violence, depression, etc.) and what kind of support they’re seeking (e.g. counselling, hotline, virtual services, culturally safe care, etc.). Yet another dropdown asks for details about the user’s identity or social position, which includes options such as "Person who uses drugs," "child or youth," "First Nations person," "parent or caregiver" and more.

The guide is particularly helpful for those who are seeking help for the first time and need extra guidance about what’s available to them, says Alison Gear, family peer engagement co-ordinator for Foundry BC, which provides mental health services to young people.

"It's like a roadmap - a really good first step for anyone who wants to see what services are out there for them," she said in a statement.