Professional skills training is helping prepare as many as 45 people for jobs as crisis-response and mental-health workers in the Lower Mainland.

The new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) project focuses on training immigrants, Indigenous people, people with barriers to employment and people with disabilities.

“People with lived experience overcoming barriers bring insight and empathy to their work,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “They also can be personally encouraging to those they are assisting and are often more reflective of the communities being served.”

The Province is providing more than $500,000 to Self Rise Training Society to train people through the Crisis Response and Mental Health Worker training project over three intakes.

“This professional training is key to ensuring we have skilled workers addressing the current mental-health crisis in our province,” said Andrew Mercier, Parliamentary Secretary for Skills Training. “This program aligns with our Future Ready plan, which is helping more British Columbians gain the skills, knowledge and workforce connections they require to be successful in a changing economy.”

Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said: “It’s important that when people need mental-health support that support is available in their community. By training people as crisis-response and mental-health workers, our government is making vital supports available when and where people need it.”

Participants will receive 20 weeks of occupational, employability and essential skills training; three weeks of on-the-job work experience with employers; and one week of followup support to assist in their job search. Participants will also receive in-demand skills training and industry-recognized certification to secure employment throughout the sector. In addition, participants will also learn communication and computer literacy skills, as well as reading, writing and problem-solving skills to help adapt to working environments and connect with co-workers.

“The program has been very successful to date, and the diversity of participants reflects the need for more crisis-response and mental-health workers in B.C.,” said Sebastian Saboori, executive director, Self Rise Training Society. “We look forward to continuing in this partnership, providing opportunities within this growing sector and equipping the next generation of crisis-response and mental-health worker with the skills needed to succeed.”

The third intake begins on Nov. 14, 2022, and runs until April 28, 2023. People interested in learning about this or other CEP projects can contact their local WorkBC centre.

“I enrolled in the Crisis Response and Mental Health Worker program in March 2021, and I can say that it was the best decision that I made. I had amazing instructors who made my time enjoyable and encouraged me throughout the course, and upon graduation, I started working as a mental-health clinician,” said Linda Amoah, graduate of the Crisis Response and Mental Health Worker training program.

This announcement is part of StrongerBC’s Future Ready plan. Future Ready is making education and training more accessible, affordable and relevant to help businesses grow and prepare British Columbians for the jobs of tomorrow.

Quick Facts:

• Funding for the project is provided through the Project-Based Labour Market Training stream of WorkBC’s CEP.
• CEP investments are targeted at projects that support an inclusive economic recovery.
• CEP projects support B.C. job seekers’ training and work experience, and help businesses and communities address labour market challenges.
• Through CEP, the Province invests $15 million annually in communities throughout B.C.

Learn More:

Learn how CEPs are helping local communities: www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/Community-and-Employer-Partnerships.aspx

Learn how WorkBC can help find British Columbians jobs that are right for them: www.workbc.ca/rightforyou

Find your local WorkBC centre: https://www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/WorkBC-Centres/WorkBC-Centres-Listing.aspx

Self Rise Training Society: https://selfrise.ca/