a petition urging the province to fund psychological support for all Albertans.“Since August, we have experienced double-digit increases in the number of people who are coming to Cornerstone in search of low-fee counselling,” said Sheila Stauffer, executive director of Cornerstone Counselling in Edmonton.“In speaking with colleagues in the not-for-profit and charitable counselling sector across Alberta, we are finding our current funding sources are not sufficient to meet this rapidly escalating mental health crisis.”A group of psychologists is advocating for greater access to mental health services.
The initiative began in 2019, and the government was open to discussions, but when the pandemic hit, those talks stopped, the group said.