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Isolation is at an all-time high, not only with our se- niors, but people who have been at home for quite some time." The Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK), which pro- vides child and youth mental health services in Halton, has also seen an increase -- from six calls per day in March 2020 to a current aver- age of 36 calls per day. They also noted referrals are up 52 per cent since the pandemic began. ROCK board chair and Halton police Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie attributed the surge to an increase in pa- rental stress levels, which he said greatly interferes in children's quality of life. Faced with the pandemic and an increased call vol- ume, both ROCK and Dis- tress Centre Halton have adapted to better serve the community in its time of need. Thanks to a United Way grant, Clancy said the dis- tress centre was able to hire an additional staff member. The charity is also train- ing more volunteers. At present, roughly 200 people volunteer for Distress Centre Halton. "The Halton community really stepped up and we in- creased our capacity to take calls and to be that safety net of the community," said Clancy. She also said the bulk of her people are now working remotely, which she said has increased their ca- pacity to take more shifts and more calls. Because of the pandemic, Wilkie said, ROCK's service delivery was completely re- programmed to embrace and deliver virtual services and improve system navigation. "Our walk-in clinics are all virtual and we increased the hours of these clinics. We provided over 10,797 virtual sessions between just March 17 and Aug. 31 (of 2020)," he said. ROCK has also recently hired additional staff. When asked what resi- dents can do to improve their mental health, Clancy said residents should reach out and talk to someone, noting they can call Distress Centre Halton if they don't feel com- fortable speaking with fami- ly or friends. Getting exercise, going outside for a walk and eating healthy were other recom- mendations. Wilkie said engaging in activities that bring joy is very important right now. He also suggested finding new ways to connect with people, such as through a virtual book club or other virtual activities. The board chair warned to be aware of changes in youth behaviour, which may include spending more time in their room or on their de- vices, not socializing with friends, sleeping more or be- ing irritable. "While we ex- pect these behaviours to have increased during CO- VID, they may also be indica- tors of depression," he said. "It's important we talk to our loved ones in a way that opens doors for conversations about their feelings, letting someone know you've noticed and that you care is a great first step to open that door. If you have concerns or ques- tions about a loved one's men- tal health, it's important to reach out to a professional who can help or give you ad- vice. It's important to remem- ber we are not in this alone." STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With the ongoing pandemic intensifying mental health issues and in conjunction with Bell Let's Talk Day (Jan. 28), we wanted to explore how local organizations are handling things and what's being done to help the growing number of people in need. NEWS Continued from page 1 RESOURCES BOOSTED, ALTERED TO MEET DEMAND Deputy Police Chief Roger Wilkie, who is also chair of ROCK, and vice-president of finance and operations for ROCK, Aretha Perkins, are facing an increase in demand for their agency's services. Graham Paine/Metroland ALARMING STATISTICS • Halton police responded to 3,081 mental health related calls, 3,523 intimate partner violence calls and 692 calls related to suicide/attempted suicide in 2020. • In 2019 police responded to 3,051 mental health calls, 3,326 intimate partner violence calls and 762 calls related to suicide/attempted suicide. Support resources available: Distress Centre Halton can be reached at 1-833-924-1946 or at https://www.dchalton.ca. ROCK can be contacted at 289-266-0036 or through its 24-7 Crisis Line at 905-878-9785 or at https://rockonline.ca. Additional resources can be found at https://www.halton.ca/ For-Residents/Public-Health/ Mental-Health.