A UWindsor staffer and grad is one of the faces of a local campaign to ease the burdens of those facing a mental health challenge.

The Windsor-Essex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has named student awards outreach co-ordinator Cessidia DeBiasio (BSW 2015, BComm 2018) an ambassador for its Sole Focus Project, which seeks to raise funds towards mental wellness education and awareness.

“I am a huge supporter of storytelling and the power it has on mental, emotional, and physical well-being,” says DeBiasio. “At a time when many are feeling isolated, let us use storytelling to close the gap between people, establish inclusive mental health initiatives, and create stronger and healthier relationships with ourselves and with others.”

The association provides treatment to an average of 2,000 clients each year in Windsor and Essex County, and notes education is not fully funded by the province, but is essential to shifting the tide of mental health stigma.