Bell Let's Talk supports renovations at 5 psychiatric departments in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

CHICOUTIMI, QC, Jan. 28, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk today announced a donation of $225,000 to Fondation de ma vie for the refurbishment of 5 psychiatric departments at 3 hospitals in Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean. Bell's donation, along with a $75,000 investment by the Fondation, will have a meaningful impact on patients and their families in the region, enhancing the support available close to home.

"Bell Let's Talk is proud to work with Fondation de ma vie to help improve access to mental health care closer to home for those living with mental illness in Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean," said Karine Moses, Bell's Vice Chair, Québec. "Our combined investment will help create spaces that are more welcoming to the people receiving treatment and their families. An environment where patients are treated with dignity leads to improved outcomes."

The donations from Bell Let's Talk and Fondation de ma vie will be used to refurbish the 3 psychiatric departments at the Hôpital de Chicoutimi as well as those at the Hôpital d'Alma and Hôpital de Roberval, creating a calming, welcoming environment that provides comfort and support to those receiving mental health services. Both patients and caregivers will participate in planning the improvements, including workout and relaxation rooms, the refurbishment of dining rooms and common areas, access to open-air areas, and safe and welcoming spaces for meeting with families.

"This investment will improve the daily lives of our patients during their hospitalization in every department in the region," said Dr. Laurent Coulloudon, the Regional Head of Psychiatry for the Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS). "These new developments will make our psychiatric care environments more inviting and stimulating."

While Bell's donation will support the renovations at the 3 hospitals, Fondation de ma vie's investment of $75,000 will increase the range of mental health services offered. This will provide for an additional 5 self-management groups led by community mental health organizations throughout the region, for a total of 17 annually. In collaboration with Fondation Équilibre, funds will also be dedicated to implementing further projects by mental health groups in the Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean region to help maintain and develop quality services with respect to treatment, social rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

"This project reflects a collaborative vision among all our foundations, made possible by the innovative approach and the opening of Fondation de ma vie, said Julie Lavoie, Director of Mental Health and Addiction and the Youth Program at the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean CIUSSS. "We all share common belief in recovery and access to services in our region to meet the needs of patients and make a difference in their lives."

"This major investment is the latest in a long-standing partnership between Bell Let's Talk and Fondation de ma vie, one that will certainly have a significant impact on mental health patients and their families in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean," said Jean-François Girard, Chair of the Board of Fondation de ma vie. "It is also a first for our region, bringing all 4 regional foundations together to support such a large-scale project, and a source of great pride."

Bell Let's Talk Day is tomorrow
Tomorrow, January 29, is the 10th anniversary Bell Let's Talk Day, and Fondation de ma vie, Fondation Équilibre, Fondation Hôtel Dieu d'Alma, Fondation du Domaine du Roy and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean CIUSSS join Bell in inviting everyone to take part in the conversation on mental health. Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these communications on January 29, at no extra cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service providers for online or phone access:

• Talk: Every mobile and every long distance call made by Bell wireless and phone customers
• Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers
• Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk
• Facebook: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and every use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
• Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at Instagram.com/Bell_LetsTalk
• Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
• YouTube: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at YouTube.com/BellCanada

About Bell Let's Talk
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is focused on 4 key action pillars: Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in September 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered with more than 1,000 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About Fondation de Ma Vie 
Since Fondation de ma vie believes that the best care is the care you receive closest to home, its mission is to contribute to the accessibility and proximity of the health care provided to the people and families of Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean, with the aim of preserving greater regional autonomy. Fondation de ma vie works in partnership with the CIUSSS and local organizations to add to the synergy and cohesion of local care networks, particularly for the most ill and most vulnerable people in its territory.

About Fondation Équilibre 
Fondation Équilibre's mission is to provide financial support to mental health institutions and organizations in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region in order to maintain and develop quality services with respect to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

About the Fondation Hôtel Dieu d'Alma 
The Fondation de l'Hôtel-Dieu d'Alma helps to maintain and develop quality health and social services through the acquisition of specialized instruments and equipment with cutting-edge technology for Alma's hospital and the CLSCs and CHSLDs in the RCM of Lac-Saint-Jean Est.

About the Fondation du Domaine-du-Roy 
The Fondation du Domaine-du-Roy's mission is to collect donations in order to help improve the services provided by the CIUSSS-Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean-Hôpital in Roberval.

Media inquiries:

Caroline Audet
Senior Manager, Media Relations
Bell
514-391-9794
caroline.audet@bell.ca 
@Bell_LetsTalk 
@Bell_News

Nathalie Gagné
Major Donations and Communications Advisor
Foundation de ma vie
418-545-4980, ext. 327
nathalie.gagne@fondationdemavie.qc.ca 

SOURCE Bell Canada