In the midst of a youth mental health crisis, youth ambassadors are stepping up to help their fellow young people within Wellington County.
Started by The Grove Wellington Guelph, Youth Wellness Hub in 2021, youth ambassadors fulfill a variety of different roles within the organization, but their main priority is providing relatable mental health services for youth.
“We can connect to a lot of different things going on,” said Cachzmiera Wisniewski, a youth ambassador who has been with the program since its inception.
Wisniewski said she learned about a similar model of youth care through school, and started doing research about it and found out about The Grove Hubs. Driving from Fergus to Guelph, she said she would pass by the building and point it out to her partner, saying she would one day work there.
“Everything just aligned with what I want to see and my goals for the future for the community as a whole, just that idea of early and preventative intervention,” said Wisniewski.
Youth ambassadors are paid, temporary placements partially supported by the Canada Summer Jobs grant. Out of the 13 youth ambassadors currently working at The Grove Hubs, 75 per cent returning members to the program.
Fran MacDonald is a site lead at The Grove – Erin Main Place Youth Centre and youth wellness and operational sustainability director at East Wellington Community Services. She said youth ambassadors take on a variety of tasks within The Grove Hubs.
“One of the main responsibilities is that the youth ambassadors are working the floor, so they are out and are available and visible during drop in to really build those peer relationships," said MacDonald.
Youth ambassadors also take on "side projects" along with their responsibilities, focusing on administrative tasks like website development, podcasting or promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. During the school year, they also create and lead workshops in schools on different topics related to wellness.
“What’s great about this first set of ambassadors is that all the skills, and the transferable skills that they are learning is they really have been a part of this from the ground up, and being a part of this and building this is huge,” said MacDonald.
By having young adults as youth ambassadors, MacDonald said one benefit they bring is the ability to quickly and naturally form connections with youth.
“They youth who are coming in automatically gravitate towards them because they are they people,” said MacDonald. “There’s this level of understanding I think, and I think they’re more likely to be vulnerable and talk about their feelings, or mention if they’re struggling or things are going, because you’re just a friend.”
Wisniewski adds youth ambassadors are also able to meet youth where they're at.
“I think it is so crucial, and something that we sometimes miss because we get so caught up in the bigger things that are happening, and we’re not listening to what’s going on.”
Currently, The Grove Hubs estimate that four out of five youth are struggling with mental health or substance use issues in Guelph and Wellington County. MacDonald said youth ambassadors will continue to play a role in preventative care as the community continues to see the impacts of COVID for the next three to five years.
“Youth being able to come here and already have those established, peer-to-peer relationships with each other, as well as with the ambassadors, we’re potentially looking at avoiding some crisis, because they have that opportunity to come and sometimes talk and let it off their chests. Sometimes, that makes all the difference," said MacDonald.
