Provincial funding boosts counselling services at Vernon agency

The Independent Living Vernon Society will benefit from more provincial funding to provide low and no-cost counselling to people in the North Okanagan.

The society is one of 49 agencies in B.C. to receive extended funding to continue its community counselling service, part of a $4.2 million provincial government investment.

Announced Thursday, Jan. 27, the funding builds on investments the province has been making since 2019 to reduce barriers to mental health supports for British Columbians. During the pandemic, more funding was provided to more community counselling organizations to help them offer their services virtually.

Since 2019, the province says more than 100,000 counselling sessions have been provided as a result of the funding.

Independent Living Vernon helps people with various disabilities and provides peer support programs, one-on-one advocacy and skill development and refers people to government programs and community services.

“Having accessible mental health supports is so important for people to get the care they need,” said Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu. “Independent Living Vernon provides those direct supports to people here in our community, and I sincerely appreciate their work. With this extended funding, they’ll be able to continue providing these services to people in need.”