Care to Speak here to listen to stressed out health-care workers

Photo: Contributed

Burnout, stress, and anxiety have been impacting all health-care professionals long before the pandemic, and they are only continuing to exponentially impact the health-care system.

Health-care professionals’ mental health has always taken the back seat, so it is necessary—now more than ever—to help support all health-care professionals in B.C. No matter their views, Care to Speak offers health-care workers confidential, unbiased mental health support both by phone at 1-866-802-7337 (PEER) and online at caretospeak.ca.

Care to Speak is a service provided by Canadian Mental Health Association in partnership with SafeCare BC and supported by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. It is not affiliated with any union or employer. There is no intake process, and health-care workers can get free support in minutes. This peer support service includes facility administrators, care aids, medical office administrators, doctors, nurses, chiropractors, physiotherapist and others. Health-care workers are then supported by a peer supporter who has experience in health care.

Care to Speak is available Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

With the program’s continued success, Care to Speak will be available to those who work in the social services sector starting in January. Service users for that sector will then be supported by a peer who also works in social services.

Care to Speak is always looking for remote peer support volunteers who have experience in the social services or health-care sector. Training begins in January 2022.

For more information or to apply, visit the Care to Speak website here.