Responding to needs for addressing issues of family, drug abuse and mental health issues among the growing Sikh community in Canada, WSO launches the much-needed Sikh Family Helpline.

Brampton, Canada – Responding to the growing needs of psychological, psychiatric and family counselling amongst the Sikh population in Canada, the World Sikh Organization of Canada has expanded its sphere of activities by launching the Sikh Family Helpline across Canada on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, 2017.

As stated in the press statement of WSO, the Sikh Family Helpline, available at www.sikhfamilyhelpline.com is a peer-to-peer non-emergency helpline servicing the Sikh community in Canada in Punjabi and English. The Sikh Family Helpline’s mission is to promote health and wellness for individuals and families in the Sikh community by closing current gaps in access to resources and increasing community awareness and activism, says the release.

The helpline number is Call 1-800-551-9128 and is supported by community partners such as Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS) and Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin.

The Sikh Family Helpline is expected to work with volunteers, institutions, and partners within and outside the Sikh community to facilitate community building and to provide crucial social services, with special attention to cultural tradition, immigration experience, and language access.

As spelt out by WSO, individuals calling the Sikh Family Helpline will be prompted to leave a voicemail with their name and safe number or email to contact them, and the issue they are facing. Calls will be returned within 24 hours from a blocked and private number. All calls and conversations will be kept strictly confidential, except in situations deemed an emergency or where children are at risk.

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WSO President Mukhbir Singh said today, “we are proud to be launching the Sikh Family Helpline.  We heard from the community that having culturally sensitive resources and access to counsellors who understand the cultural nuances of the Sikh community is essential and we believe this initiative will help connect members of the community in need with those existing resources.”