The Provincial Government is providing $175,000 in funding to the Ruah Counselling Centre in St. John’s to provide grief and suicide loss support.
Ruah is a non-profit community counselling agency that provides counselling to individuals, couples and families, and educational and supportive groups to people 16 years of age and older.
Ruah receives thousands of requests for service each year from people seeking assistance through counselling, psychoeducational groups, workshops and community support.
Board members and staff are registered clinicians who provide evidence-based care to people seeking support for a variety of mental health and substance use needs, including anxiety, depression, trauma, suicide loss, stress and anger.
Workshops for schools and community agencies on topics, such as anxiety and conflict resolution, are also provided. The organization regularly accepts referrals from government departments and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services’ Eastern Urban Zone through the Psychiatric Assessment Unit at Waterford Hospital and the Doorways program.
Services provided by Ruah align with the department’s commitment to transform the provincial mental health and addictions system, reduce incidents of suicide and prevent and reduce alcohol-related harms through actions detailed in the final Towards Recovery Evaluation Report; the Provincial Alcohol Action Plan, Reducing Harms and Costs in Newfoundland and Labrador; and Our Path of Resilience: An Action Plan to Promote Life and Prevent Suicide in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Quotes
“The Ruah Counselling Centre provides a valuable service to numerous people each year who are seeking help with mental health and substance use needs. We’re delighted to help support the centre financially so they can provide grief and suicide loss support groups provincially.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
“As a non-profit, community counselling agency, Ruah strives to provide accessible, timely, and professional mental health and wellness services to those who need them. We are so pleased to collaborate with other agencies and, especially, to work with the Department of Health and Community Services to strategically deliver essential services in the areas of grief and suicide loss. This funding will help us to continue to be responsive to the needs of the individuals, families and communities we serve in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Amelia O’Dea, MSW, RSW
Executive Director, Ruah Counselling Centre
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