News

By: Aleena Halliwushka
Senior Manager, Home and Community Care

In Durham, Ontario, a team of two registered nurses (RNs) works in VON’s Wellness in Independence (WIN) community mental health program. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), “in the aftermath of the pandemic, requests for mental health support for adults has increased nearly 50 per cent, and more than 100 per cent for child and youth.” 

The WIN program provides case management, ongoing assessment, intervention, treatment, counselling and referrals to other services. Our WIN nurse, Linda, took me out for a ride-along and she had a full day planned with clients who were facing a variety of challenges and needs.

Linda’s role in the WIN program can be emotionally draining and during our visits I could feel how complex our clients’ challenges are. I watched Linda encourage clients to live independently. She checks in with them, encourages them to reach out to various supports, and helps them navigate the system. She combats social isolation during these visits. 

Our clients struggle with housing, food insecurity, substance abuse, relationship issues, school systems, developmental disabilities, hoarding and transportation. And that is not all. I reflected on how people cannot be healthy if basic needs are not met. When you witness firsthand someone having to decide about whether to buy diapers for their children or food for the table it really puts life into perspective. Linda isn’t going to solve all these complex problems for her clients, but the relationships and trust that she forms do make a difference. Even when her clients faced extreme adversity, Linda was able to make sure they got out of bed in the morning; she asked them if they had a shower, and even gave them a reason to smile. 

There is a demand for mental health programs in all areas. WIN is the type of program that I dream of being spread and scaled. It is community-based, it is client-centred and it works towards VON’s mission to help people live in their homes and communities by delivering the caring support that they and their families need.