An article published in the August 21st edition of The News:
By Jennifer Vardy Little
STELLARTON – For Dale Robinson, a new directory to mental health services in the county is a dream come true.
Robinson is the president of the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. More and more frequently, Robinson picks up the phone and finds someone on the other end who needs to know where to turn.
Now, the answers will be at his fingertips.
“The questions I get most often from people looking for services is where do I go and how can I access what’s available,” Robinson said.
“Now I have a tool to make finding those answers easier. I know my copy will be permanently on my desk.”
Robinson is talking about The Compass, a new mental health resource and directory developed by the Pictou County Health Authority in conjunction with the two community health boards.
The book features information about mental health, like how to recognize depression in teens, understanding seniors’ mental health, addictions and differentiating between sadness and depression.
It also features a complete directory of the services available in the county.
The book is the last of seven initiatives suggested by the community health boards in the community health plan released in 2006.
The book has undergone several revisions and was presented to local groups to get feedback on what the book should include. Thanks to those sessions, the book was further expanded to include topics like post-partum depression.
Carolyn Hemmings, a member of the Pictou West Community Health Board, says she feels blessed to have been involved with the project.
“This book is going to mean a lot to a lot of different people,” she said during the launch of the book at the Nova Scotia Community College on Thursday.
“People can go to the directory and know exactly where to turn to to get help.”
The book is free and will be available at doctors’ offices, pharmacies and departments at the health authority. People can call 752-7600, ext. 3316, to get their own copy of the directory.
