During the largely virtual meeting on Tuesday night, Perth town council unanimously voted to establish an Employee Mental Health fund. This is a $5000 fund to be used to self-insure for town employee mental health expenses. This fund is in addition to the current coverage available under the Great West Life employee benefit plan.
Councillor MacPherson noted that he was particularly glad to see this “long overdue” addition being made to the employee benefit package.
Mayor Fenik noted that the impact of Covid-19 on mental health was going to be felt for years to come. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reported that over 50% of Canadians are experiencing a worsening of their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic; this number rises to 80% among essential workers. To access free mental health resources in Ontario, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-support-people