The Community Services Recovery Fund was a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits as they focus on how to adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.
The Swan Valley Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) provides services to the Parkland and Pas region of Manitoba. Historically, almost all of CMHA Swan Valley’s services — from supported housing and self-help for mental health and well-being programs, to an overnight emergency shelter — were offered in person.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed.
“We very quickly had to adapt,” says Rod Seib, the main facilitator and public educator of Swan Valley’s ‘Helping Others through Peer Education’ (HOPE) Learning Center. “We were doing in-person courses, and then when that pandemic suddenly hit, we weren’t able to do that.”
Like elsewhere in Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic showed significant gaps in the social safety net; a 2024 report shows that 41% of Manitobans feel that improving healthcare was their top election priority in 2023, while a 2020 report found that more than half of Manitobans surveyed think that COVID-19 negatively impacted their ability to access mental health care provided by psychologists.
“It definitely was a learning curve for us, as it was for so many,” says James Wigley, the CEO of the CMHA Swan Valley. He adds that, as a service-providing organization, the branch wasn’t legally mandated to close during lock-downs. “We were really blessed.”
CMHA Swan Valley receives funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund
CMHA Swan Valley’s programming grew throughout the pandemic — particularly its housing and community outreach programs, which assist individuals struggling with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders to continue their rehabilitation and recovery journeys.
Seib says that when he came into his role seven years ago, the organization didn’t have the resources to centralize its data, coordinate services, or to make sure records were accurate. “Internally, we needed software to be able to ensure staff are managing their case notes, so that we weren’t dropping the ball on stuff,” Seib says.
The lack of data management became even more challenging as demand for services increased during the pandemic. As a result, Wigley and the team applied for Community Services Recovery Fund: a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and non-profits adapting their organizations for pandemic recovery.
With CSRF funding, the team have been able to begin building an information management tool that tracks the people in their programs, their needs, and asking “how can we work together better, in terms of providing those supports?” Seib says.
He adds that while it’s still “early days” — the team is still collecting paper records and entering data digitally — “we’re seeing the benefits of having a program to be able to coordinate all of the services we provide for the clients we serve.”
CMHA Swan Valley also used the funding to move 25 courses from its HOPE Learning Centre online; including programs focused on personal recovery, mental health, and wellbeing. By offering their courses remotely during the pandemic, Seib says, CMHA Swan Valley was not only able to continue serving its usual clients — it was also able to reach more northern, remote communities who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access the learning centre.
“We’re very thankful for having been approved for [funding],” Seib says.
CMHA Swan Valley expands its reach
Beyond the pandemic response, CMHA Swan Valley is now integrating Manitoba’s central CMHA region under its umbrella, expanding its reach and impact. The team has also launched a youth support program, supporting individuals aged 15 to 29 who have experienced the foster system, ensuring they are set-up with housing, and employment, and helping to build the life skills needed in adulthood.
“Our vision for CMHA, is a Manitoba where mental health is honoured as a universal human right,” Wigley says. “That’s an incredibly powerful statement, and that is what we are working towards every day.”
Seib adds: “we want to be there for people when they need that help. To keep that vision safe, the goal is to have support, whatever it is, available to anybody, whenever they need it, wherever they need it.”
