As an Intensive Community Case Manager and Social Worker here in New Brunswick, the work we do, is deeply human and deeply complex.

Each day involves walking alongside individuals facing homelessness, trauma, addiction, poverty, and mental illness. Many of our clients are navigating systems not built for their realities, under-resourced systems, overstretched, and often fragmented.

In New Brunswick, mental health barriers are significant and persistent. Some of the things I see and deal with every single day, include:

Long waitlists for counselling, psychiatric services, and addiction treatment.

Geographic isolation makes accessing care difficult in rural and remote areas.

Stigma, particularly in small communities, prevents people from seeking help.

Lack of emergency, transitional housing, and affordable housing, especially for youth, unhoused adults, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and veterans.

Limited culturally competent and trauma-informed care which leaves many without services that truly meet their needs.

Despite these challenges, we continue to advocate, coordinate care, and hold hope. We help clients navigate housing, access health care, attend court dates, reconnect with family, and believe in their own worth again. It’s not just about paperwork or referrals, it’s about building trust in a world that has too often let people down.

Social Workers and Case Managers in this field carry stories, grief, trauma exposure, and small victories every day. We do this work not because it's easy, but because people deserve support, dignity, and the chance to heal.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to recognize not only the individuals who are struggling, but also the frontline workers who walk beside them. I see you and we got this!

Let's keep pushing for systems that truly support mental wellness for all New Brunswickers.

#MentalHealthAwareness #NBStrong #SocialWorkMatters #HousingIsHealthcare #CommunityCare

Kate Hovey, 2025