Bell Let’s Talk announces $300,000 donation to support St. Mary’s Department of Psychiatry
Dan Gabay, President and CEO of the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Donald M. Bastien, President of St. Mary’s Board of Governors, Lionel Carmant, Minister Responsible for Social Services, Curtis Millen, Chief Financial Officer of BCE and Bell, Arthur J. Wechsler, Chair of St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors, and Cynda Heward, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation hold a cheque for Bell Let’s Talk’s $300,000 donation
On January 22, 2024, a press conference was held in St. Mary’s new Centennial Headquarters to announce a $300,000 donation from Bell Let’s Talk to support expanding mental health services in St. Mary’s Department of Psychiatry.
Curtis Millen, Chief Financial Officer of Bell and BCE, was there to present Bell’s gift, along with fellow Foundation Board members Arthur J. Wechsler, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Donald M. Bastien, President of St. Mary’s Board of Governors.
The donation will fund an innovative program called GRASP (“Giving Resources and Support to our Patients”/”Groupes de ressources d’aide et de soins aux patients”). The program consists of group psychotherapy sessions that will allow up to 8 patients to be treated at a time – thereby improving timely access to care to a greater number of patients, in addition to breaking social isolation.
Led by Dr. Vanessa Delisle, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry, GRASP was created in response to an ever-growing demand for psychiatric services since the outbreak of COVID-19. In fact, patients could currently wait between 6 and 24 months on average before receiving psychotherapy in the public health system. By offering group sessions, the program is expected to significantly reduce wait times for patients seeking vital mental health care.
Lionel Carmant, Minister Responsible for Social Services
Lionel Carmant, the Quebec Minister Responsible for Social Services, was in attendance and reiterated that the CISSS had pledged $500,000 to renovate St. Mary’s inpatient psychiatry ward. The endowment was confirmed during last year’s St. Mary’s Ball.
We could not be more pleased with these significant investments in St. Mary’s, which is a demonstration of your confidence in all we do today and for our collective commitment to community healthcare for the next century.
Donald M. Bastien
About Bell Let’s Talk
The largest-ever corporate commitment to mental health in Canada, Bell Let’s Talk is focused on four key action pillars: Anti-Stigma, Care and Access, Research, and Workplace Leadership – and is part of Bell for Better. Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 1,500 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities, local community service providers, and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Video clips such as these, created by Bell Let’s Talk, were played during the press conference to raise awareness around mental health issues.
“Let’s create real change: Suicide (15s)”
“Créons de vrais changements : suicide (15s)”
