Thank you, Karen.
That's such a great question. As an organization that provides services to women with respect to employment, settlement and language services, it's something that typically does not get disclosed, because there is, as mentioned in Karen's opening remarks, this strong stigma around.... They don't even know how to label what they are feeling. It doesn't get disclosed, because they don't even know how to talk about it. It's something that is to be kept hidden. There is intense shame that comes with that. It's not even considered a priority. When they come to us with employment needs or language needs, all of that is just suppressed and is typically not disclosed unless there is a strong rapport built between the client and their respective counsellor, coach or employment coach.
That's why at Achēv we try very hard to instill the idea of wellness as beyond physical. That is an important aspect of your life and touches every aspect of your life. If you want to be successful integrating into the workforce, you have to look at that piece. Oftentimes it is not disclosed, and because we are not mental health service providers ourselves and not experts in that arena, unfortunately, we rely on informed referrals for these women who might be in those situations.