Facing mental illness is painful for families. It undermines their ability to cope with everyday living.
Friends for Mental Health guides families towards new paths in learning to live with mental illness. We listen and counsel, we provide information and referrals, we offer self-help and respite, and we promote public awareness. Flexible and responding to changing needs, Friends for Mental Health works in collaboration with other professional mental healthcare providers. We are a non-profit, bilingual organization serving primarily the West Island of Montreal.
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Services Offered
Psychosocial Intervention (counselling) * Counselling The main objective of the counselling is to provide counselling to families and friends having a loved one affected by a mental illness. We offer short to mid-term follow-up to families, couples, and individuals (both adults and children), who are helping a person with mental illness. A team of counselors provides services required to meet specific needs of families and their situations. In order to minimize the stress and disorganization resulting from the illness of a loved one, our interventions are proactive. We are aiming for a change or resolution of crisis situations. We work at establishing and preserving emotional stability in families and promoting maximum autonomy of all members, including the ill person. Our services are particularly helpful during difficult periods such as a first psychotic episode, relapse, family crisis, or in the case of a long lasting stagnant situation. The ill person can be invited to participate in the family meetings as long as it does not interfere with the main treatment of that person, or the support provided to the caregivers.
Fees and Payment
This is a registered charity.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual LGBTQ
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono
If You Call, Please Let Us Know How it Went:
Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.