Mental Health Week: Ottawa Valley’s Robbie Dean Centre founder says resources must meet need

When it comes to the matter of discussing the importance of mental health, very few are more qualified to talk about the subject than Monique Yashinskie.

She is well known in the Ottawa Valley as the founder of The Robbie Dean Centre, named after her late son who suffered in silence with poor mental health until it was too late to help him. Yashinskie never imagined that she would be in such a position but her loss has prompted her to dedicate her life to helping others avoid the tragedy that has forever changed hers.

When asked about the telltale signs, she shared her insight recently with myFM:

During Mental Health Week we see increased attention paid to the issue in mass media as a means of bringing awareness, but what concerns Yashinskie is the lack of viable resources  in place once need is established:

The question of how The Robbie Dean Centre can help a person in need is one that Yashinksie is often asked and she stresses that no two people are alike in their situation, so careful assessment at the intake stage is critical:

The focus of the Robbie Dean Centre has shifted somewhat over the years to include people of all ages and backgrounds who require help. The demographic seemed to widen to older individuals for reasons that make a lot of sense in the grand scheme of things says Yashinskie:

Another interesting aspect of the shift in demographic is the increased number of seniors who are in need of assistance. What used to be a subject that the older set tended to keep to themselves is now becoming more widely talked about which allows for earlier detection of need:

Yashinskie concluded the discussion with a nod to the many staff members and volunteers without whom the centre simply could not exist:

For more information please go to their website at www.robbiedeancentre.com or call (613) 629-4243.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency: call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Suicide Crisis Helpline (all ages) 988 (free)
Distress Line (all ages) 1-866-676-2080 (free)
Crisis Line (age 16 and over) 1-866-996-0991 (free)

(Written By: Richard Evans)