The Ontario government has announced an expansion of online and virtual mental health supports, including BounceBack, to help Ontarians navigating the difficult realities in the wake of COVID-19.

BounceBack is a free, guided self-help program that’s effective in helping people aged 15 and up who are experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression, or may be feeling low, stressed, worried, irritable or angry.

Participants receive telephone coaching, skill-building workbooks and online videos to help them overcome these symptoms and gain new skills to regain positive mental health. To receive telephone coaching support, clients must either be referred by their primary care provider (family doctor, nurse practitioner) or psychiatrist, or they may self-refer as long as they’re connected with a primary care provider. For those who are not quite ready for coaching, our online videos can provide helpful tips.

BounceBack is not a crisis service, psychotherapy or counselling, but a life-skills program that participants work with to develop coping techniques so they can overcome challenges now or in the future. Typically, participants take three to six months to complete the program.

If BounceBack is right for you, get started with more information for Youth (15-18) or Adults (19+).

If BounceBack isn’t the right support you need, find a local CMHA branch, other provincial mental health supports, or try these mental health tips to help you manage during COVID-19.

Read a message from Logan Kanapathi, MPP for Markham-Thornhill.

 

Laughter really is the best medicine!  

Check out over 2,500 Cartoons & Comics or suddenlysenior.com for wide variety of funny Senior jokes or Reader’s Digest 150 Funniest Jokes of All Time.

Read the the Mayor’s latest statement here.

93% of you voted Yes.  7% voted No.

Do you agree with Mayor Scarpitti’s call for mandatory masks?

“As you age, you may find yourself or someone you love becoming a bit more forgetful, or maybe you keep misplacing things. While frequent forgetfulness or severe memory loss may be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease, some forgetfulness is a normal part of aging. While it’s not preventable, there are things you can do to slow down the brain aging process.

Keeping your brain active, much like your body, is very important at all times of life. By solving brain games and puzzles, you’re working out your brain and reducing your brain age”.  Check out a list of over 50 best brain games for seniors.

Amid the doom and gloom of the pandemic, Actor/Director, John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place, Jack Ryan) launched the YouTube Channel, “Some Good News” from his NYC home back in March, highlighting good news stories from around the world. Episodes include Front line workers, everyday people and celebrity guests like Oprah Winfrey, John Stewart, Stephen Spielberg and even NASA astronauts from the International Space Station.

There IS always GOOD in the world!  Watch all 8 uplifting episodes here.

As per today’s announcment, York Region will remain in Stage 1 until further notice.  See Reopening Ontario for details here, including the list of Regions allowed to move on to Stage 2 this Friday.