Nova Scotia has announced a major funding initiative to support community-based mental health and addictions programs, with $13.8 million being distributed over three years to 23 organizations across the province. The funding comes through the Office of Mental Health and Addictions’ Community Wellness Grant Program.
Alison O’Handley, executive director of Healthy Minds Cooperative in Dartmouth, expressed her gratitude for the multi-year commitment, noting that this new funding model will allow her staff to focus more on providing care rather than spending significant time on paperwork. In the past, the organization had to dedicate several months each year to reporting and applying for grants, which often diverted attention from direct service delivery. “Having that commitment over three years as opposed to year to year or six months at a time is huge for organizations like us,” O’Handley said.
Her organization will receive $565,980 over the three-year period, more than double its usual annual funding. This will allow them to expand services and reduce the administrative burden on staff. “Community groups have spent a lot of time filling out grants and paperwork, being more concerned with applying for funding than actually providing care to Nova Scotians,” said Brian Comer, the province’s minister of mental health and addictions, during the announcement in Dartmouth on Thursday.
The grants, which are designed to enhance mental health and addiction services, provide eligible organizations with up to $250,000 per year for up to three years. The funding aims to support a range of initiatives and will benefit various community programs throughout the province.
One notable recipient, Eating Disorders Nova Scotia, will receive the maximum grant of $750,000 over three years. Executive director Shaleen Jones expressed appreciation for the increased support, which nearly doubles the funding the organization has received in previous years. She highlighted that the three-year funding commitment would enable her team to resume in-person programming, a critical service that had been suspended since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This new funding initiative reflects the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to improving mental health and addictions services and ensuring that community-based organizations can continue providing vital care to Nova Scotians.
