The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families is starting to see an increase in calls. Executive Director Greg Lubimiv says use of the system was down 20 to 25 percent in the first six to seven months of the pandemic. He says in September and October of 2020 they were about even with the number of cases they had before COVID-19 and now numbers have started to increase.
Lubimiv thinks that people were more focused on the basics (like getting toilet paper and washing hands) to be able to pay attention to their mental health. He adds once summer and school came, that changed and he believes we haven’t seen the worst of it yet. The Executive Director of the Phoenix Centre thinks we will see the real mental health and stress impacts of COVID-19 later this year (2021).
Lubimiv also gave credit to the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC) for helping reduce the number of patients attending emergency care including mental health and addiction crisis.
Once businesses are able to re-open and counsellors can meet face-to-face again, Lubimiv expects the Phoenix Centre to offer a blend or virtual and in-person options based on what works best with certain individuals.
The Phoenix Centre can be reached by phone at (613) 735-2374, email, their website or on social media.