Are you concerned about your mental health and well being? 
There is a new program available in BC that can help,
and is available to you from the comfort of home.  

I’ve heard about Bounce Back. What exactly is it?
Bounce Back: Reclaim your Health is a new program designed to help adults experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety that may arise from stress or other life circumstances. Bounce Back offers two forms of help. The first is a DVD, entitled Living Life to the Full, which provides practical tips on managing mood, healthy living, building confidence and activities, and problem solving. The second is a guided self-help program in which a community "coach" provides telephone support in a structured program to improve your emotional well-being. This part of the program involves three to five telephone sessions with a Bounce Back coach, which you can do from the comfort of your home.

How can I get access to the Bounce Back program?
Your primary health care provider will suggest Bounce Back to you if he or she feels you would benefit from the program. Primary health care providers include family doctors, practice nurses, and others working in family practice settings. Family practice offices will have copies of the DVD to give to appropriate patients during a regular visit. To access the guided self-help program with telephone support from a community coach, you will need a referral from your primary health care provider. This referral is important to make sure that the health care professionals that know you best can match your needs with the right approach.

What is a Bounce Back community coach?
The role of the coach is to teach you new skills, to help you stay motivated, to answer your questions, and to monitor how you’re doing. They’ll also be the ones to give you materials at the right stages to help you complete the Bounce Back self-help program step by step. Because Bounce Back coaches are not mental health specialists, they don’t provide therapy. Coaches are trained in the delivery of a specific program known to be effective in relieving anxiety and depression and are supervised by registered psychologists. If your doctor refers you to Bounce Back, your coach will contact you by telephone immediately after you’re referred and regularly over the next several weeks as you work through the program.

Does Bounce Back work?
Although Bounce Back is a new program in BC, it is based on research evidence which shows that simple skills and techniques are effective in helping people to combat low mood and to worry less. On the basis of similar programs elsewhere, we’re confident the program can give you the tools to help you help yourself feel better.

Is Bounce Back free for me?
Yes, all Bounce Back programs materials and services are free to patients.

If you’re interested in taking the Bounce Back program, please talk to your family doctor.