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Mental health and addiction impact people from all communities and all walks of life. There is growing awareness that prioritizing our mental health and supporting individuals through mental health and addiction challenges is important. 

Each community has its own needs, and BC’s system of care provides a broad range of pathways and approaches to finding help. For members of the South Asian communities in BC, that means culturally competent and community-led initiatives in the Lower Mainland and beyond.

There are lots of groups dedicated to providing support to South Asian communities, from small volunteer teams to larger initiatives run by health authorities. Here are some to check out!

Organizations

BC’s strongest asset is the people.  As proof of that, there are several community-led groups across the province dedicated to helping people with mental health and addiction challenges. The groups listed below are specifically dedicated to working with and for South Asian communities in BC. If you’d like more information or would like to get involved, visit their websites!

South Asian Health Institute (SAHI)

SAHI aims to support the health needs of South Asians through culturally relevant outreach, with a focus on partnerships and community engagement.

SAHI offers support in healthcare system navigation, resources in various South Asian languages, and volunteer opportunities to empower and improve the wellness of South Asian communities in the Fraser Health region. Visit their website to learn more about SAHI and join their WhatsApp groups to receive information on health topics. 

South Asian Metal Health Alliance (SAMHAA)

The South Asian Mental Health Alliance is a non-profit community group that aims to promote mental health and wellness for all members of South Asian communities in BC. SAMHAA was founded to reduce stigma and raise awareness about the importance of mental health.

Students Overcoming Substance Use Disorder and Addictions (SOUDA)

Students Overcoming Substance Use Disorder and Addictions was founded to help bridge the gap and support racialized communities during the toxic drug crisis. An initiative of SAMHAA, they provide outreach and advocacy for members of the South Asian communities in BC. Visit them on Facebook or Twitter to stay in the loop.

Sher Vancouver

Sher Vancouver provides social supports to queer South Asians and their friends and families in Metro Vancouver. They offer counselling, peer support, referrals and resources, as well as outreach and workshops. Check out their website to learn more about their work or to listen to their podcast!

Services

A number of services and programs designed specifically for South Asian communities are offered by community groups, health authorities, and other organizations. Many of them are based in the Lower Mainland, where much of the South Asian population in BC resides, and some may also offer virtual supports. 

Roshni Clinic

The Roshni Clinic, operated by Fraser Health, provides support services to men and women (19+) in South Asian communities dealing with alcohol and substance use concerns. Services include consultation, intake, counselling and medication-based treatment. They provide services in English, Punjabi and Hindi, with a strong focus on cultural context and community-specific issues.

Path to Freedom

Path to Freedom is a live-in addiction treatment facility in Surrey that offers culturally tailored supports. The staff speak Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu as well as English, and the program provides individual/group therapy, peer assessment, family counselling, and aftercare planning to help people reintegrate into the community.

South Asian Community Hub

The South Asian Community Hub connects with people in English, Punjabi and Hindi to offer support for individuals and families in South Asian communities. They help people access harm reduction supplies, withdrawal management services, and treatment programs, as well as other social supports such as income supports, food banks and counselling. 

DIVERSEcity Substance Use Counselling

DIVERSEcity Community Support Services offers a wide variety of culturally sensitive social support services in a number of languages, including Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. They have mental health counselling options for families and youth, as well as a special drop-in group for migrant workers. They also offer substance use counselling. Visit their website for more information on their broad range of programs.

Archway Support Groups

Archway Community Services provides many different programs through its Abbotsford Addictions Centre, including support groups specifically for South Asian men in recovery and another for South Asian women’s wellness. The first group aims to provide support for people who are trying to take back control of their lives and move away from addiction, while the women’s group has a broader focus, including self-care, stress management, healthy relationships and parenting tips. Services are available in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. Contact the centre to learn more, or visit their website to browse through their services!

Moving Forward Family Services

Moving Forward offers free and low-cost counselling options to people across BC, with a focus on supporting under-served communities. They offer coaching in life skills, relationships, substance use challenges and parenting, as well as counselling for trauma, stress, anger, substance abuse, grief, loss, depression, anxiety and more. 

Moving Forward also hosts virtual and in-person workshops and support groups in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Bengali, including support groups for addiction. View their web calendar to see what’s coming up.

Resources

Looking for materials to read and share? A number of organizations have translated their materials into Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.

Resources on the Toxic Drug Supply Crisis from Fraser Health

The South Asian Health Institute offers downloadable materials about the toxic drug crisis, including handouts, posters and videos in a number of South Asian languages to help you learn more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic drugs. SAHI has also developed a set of videos in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu as part of their toxic drug crisis campaign, with the goal to debunk myths and address the stigma that exists around substance use. You can check out all the videos here!  

HealthyMindsBC Parenting Supports

HealthyMindsBC is a program run by the Ministry of Children and Family Development to help parents and caregivers help the kids in their lives with things like stress and anxiety. They have downloadable resources for parents of kids of all ages, available in Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi as well as in many other languages.

Multilingual Supports

Interested in finding supports available in multiple languages? Visit our page of multilingual supports to learn more. You can view this content in Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi.  

The resources and services in this article are intended to serve South Asian communities in BC, but other services may also provide culturally competent care in a variety of languages. You can always call the mental health support line at 310-6789 (no area code), anywhere in BC—they provide service in multiple South Asian languages. And if you’re looking for a specific type of service not on this list, you can also try calling 8-1-1 for advice from a nurse. They’ll provide an interpreter in your preferred language if you ask. Just say the English name of the language you need to the first operator you speak to. For example, say “Punjabi” instead of “Pajabi.”