A first mental health support program will be created for French-speaking artists and cultural workers in the Atlantic region. A real lifeline, says the academic creative actress Stéphanie Bélanger.

The pandemic has not only hit artists and cultural workers hard financially, but also psychologically. The Acadian Association of Professional Artists of New Brunswick (AAAPNB) launched the Bouée program for the cultural community in Caraquet on Wednesday. Executive director Carmen Gibbs explains that the organization regularly receives calls from artists in need, especially when the emergency relief efforts related to the pandemic are suspended.

“We got out of these difficult calls. We felt that they were demotivated, discouraged and exhausted, then for obvious reasons they lived in dire need. I remember saying at a team meeting if we had a project this year that we could do to do some useful work, this is it.

Like other cultural workers, Stéphanie Bélanger has experienced a lot of fear during the pandemic. The Caraquet-area artist, who works in theater and circus arts, has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety.

“It led to severe depression and I sought help for that and then I was followed by a psychologist and a psychiatrist for a few months.”

However, for several months now, as her psychologist has gone on maternity leave, she has not had access to the services of a therapist for her psychological follow-up. So she finds herself on a waiting list. Unless a person has the financial means to turn to private relief services (quite expensive, around $120 per session), it’s really difficult to get provincial care, the artist notes. .

“Often you have to stand almost on the edge of the abyss to be taken seriously. I really respect everything that has to do with psychological support. A chance there is that support that was there, but a follow up on the other side is more complicated, they are all in demand, there are long waiting lists.

For them, the AAAPNB’s new program is a lifeline. “It will allow me to track my condition,” confides the artist, who signed up for the program immediately after the announcement.

A time-limited program

With a budget of $280,000 through June, the program unfolds in multiple parts: individual therapy, support group, themed workshops, and art therapy. All services are confidential and offered free of charge, says Gibbs. They are aimed at French-speaking artists, cultural workers and their families from the four Atlantic provinces. It is not necessary to be a member of the AAAPNB. The organization works with a mental health service provider who works in French. The organization has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association of New Brunswick for group sessions to destigmatize mental health. They also recruited art therapists for the art therapy component. Stéphanie Bélanger believes that art can certainly help to overcome fears.

She would have liked to have had it sooner, but better late than never, she says.

Carmen Gibbs states that during the pandemic, no government relief fund would have allowed them to receive funding to set up such an initiative. The funds available were mainly intended for emergency relief measures. It was only later that the association was able to submit an application for funding to the Department of Canadian Heritage in order to set up its funding project. The program, which is scheduled to expire in June 2023, is fully funded by the federal government.

“Although we made the request before April 1st, we didn’t get the answer until August.”

From August they worked on setting up the program. “So we are introducing it today (Wednesday). We have already registered people from today.

The program offers, among other things, access to therapists or the reimbursement of therapy costs carried out by the beneficiary.

“Everything there is free. If people don’t have a therapist, they can turn to Homewood Health (provider) and they have a bank of French speaking therapists across Canada.”

Carmen Gibbs recognizes that mental health issues are not necessarily resolved in a few months and would have liked to have extended the Bouée program beyond the month of June, but the organization was unable to negotiate a longer period.

“Luckily we had the amounts requested so we can be quite ambitious. We have little time to give them but enough time to collect data to try to influence a more sustainable program.”

more prejudice

Stéphanie Bélanger knows several artists who have faced psychological problems.

“We talk a little bit about it, but I would say it takes time to assume and agree to talk about it. It’s taboo for so many reasons. We’re constantly being told to be strong, and then mental health issues often come with the stigma that it means you’re weak.

She protests this preconceived notion, arguing that living with fear is extremely difficult and requires strength.

“I think I’m strong enough to be able to stop today. I think it’s important to talk about it, not be afraid to ask for help because it’s super important, and not judge.

All information about the Bouée program is available on the website www.bouee.ca