Federal funding supports new online mental health resources for Canadians during pandemic

The federal government has given $7.5 million to Kids Help Phone in order to provide more support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kids Help Phone, School Mental Health Ontario, and Jack.org have launched the new COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub.

“We’ve already received over 4,000 visitors, that are spending about three minutes on the site on average. So it’s obviously struck a cord with young people,” said Jesse Hayman, the vice president of Jack.org.

2:25 Mental health and COVID-19: Things to watch out for, for you and your child’s well-being

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• Self-isolation and your mental health
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Hayman believes this resource hub will be able to fill a huge gap that is currently happening with youth, due to social distancing and a change in their daily lives.

There has been an increase in service demand of more than 300% over the last two weeks, said Hayman.

This resource hub is a multimedia platform and contains social media posts, videos, and direct links to support services for youth that require extra assistance.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.