This article originally appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of the Ontario Medical Review magazine.
BounceBack® is a free, evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program designed to assist primary care providers in providing support to adults and youth 15+ who need help managing low mood, mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry.
Funded by the Ontario government and managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), a trained BounceBack® coach will help participants learn skills to improve their mental health in up to six telephone sessions over three to six months. The coach is there to help motivate and support clients as they work through a series of CBT workbooks that are personalized to their needs.
While BounceBack® coaches are working with your clients on their individual workbooks, they remain primarily under your care. The coaches will inform you if your clients have been accepted into the program and will provide you with information on their progress.
Coaches are extensively trained by the clinical psychologists in the delivery of the BounceBack® program. They also receive ongoing support from the clinical psychologists who are responsible for making clinical decisions around eligibility and next steps at any time a participant discloses they are at risk of suicide.
CMHA branches are offering alternative service delivery during COVID-19. Find your local CMHA branch.
For more information on the BounceBack® program or to learn how to refer patients, email bounceback@ontario.cmha.ca, or call 1-866-345-0224 or 905-430-1768.