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Media Release

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. receives federal investment of $1.2 million to improve mental health services for postpartum women and their families in the Tri-Cities

Posted date: December 7, 2022

Vancouver, BC – Asian and South Asian immigrant women and their families will have better support for mental health challenges thanks to a new S.U.C.C.E.S.S. program funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

On Dec. 7, Wilson Miao, Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre, on behalf of Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced $1.2 million in new funding for the program at a media conference held at S.U.C.C.E.S.S. headquarters.

“I want to thank S.U.C.C.E.S.S. for their ongoing work to bring awareness to maternal mental health and reduce the stigma around getting mental health supports,” MP Miao said.

The project is called the “Tri-Cities Wrap Around Model for Maternal Mental Health in Immigrant Families.” It aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health while equipping the community with tools, skills, knowledge and support that will result in resilient, healthier families, as many families are still struggling to overcome the social disruption and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will be led by S.U.C.C.E.S.S.’ Multicultural Early Childhood Development team, with members providing 1 to 1 and group support to families with children under six years of age from Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi and Korean-speaking communities.

In addition, the Tri-Cities Local Immigration Partnership will organize training on mental health-related topics to help other community service providers deliver mental health support in culturally-appropriate ways. The funding will also enhance referral processes from physicians/midwives to community supports such as mental health support services for diverse immigrant communities. The project will be guided by a steering committee that includes diverse immigrant families.

“On behalf of the communities we serve, I’m grateful for the Government of Canada’s investment in the mental health of Asian and South Asian immigrant women and their families in B.C.,” said Queenie Choo, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. “We have been providing culturally-appropriate individual and family counselling services and mental health help lines for many years and we understand the stigmas that still prevent people from seeking help. Working directly with postpartum women will enable us to better connect them to community supports and ensure no one falls through the cracks.”

This announcement is part of a $100 million investment provided in Budget 2021 to support projects that promote mental health and prevent mental illness in populations disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will run until March 31, 2024.

Program information

Immigrant families with children under age six who live in the Tri-Cities can contact Centina Lowe at [email protected] or 604.468.6006 to get connected with our team.