Ontario is in the grips of a youth mental health crisis. While mental health and wellness have become top of mind for Canadians in recent times, it is hard to fully grasp the severity of the crisis youth are experiencing in our province.
When heading to the polls on June 2, Ontarians must keep the mental health and wellness of our youth top of mind.
Right now, mental health service providers are responding to the needs of youth in our community from a reactive position.
Mental health and wellness services in Ontario are in such great demand that those on the front line do not have the necessary resources to adequately respond to the overwhelming requests for mental health support that youth and their families are desperately trying to access. The bottom line is, Ontario youth are suffering and they are not receiving the assistance they need due to insufficient mental health resources.
If we do not address this youth mental health crisis and put in place a foundation of health and wellness for Ontario’s youth through consistent government funding, we are undermining the fabric of our society. As someone who has not only worked in the youth services field, but also endured my own experience of the youth mental health system in Ontario with my daughter, I know first hand the sheer volume of youth who are reaching out for mental health support.
The Grove Wellington Guelph Youth Hubs, supported by the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, are a one-stop-shop for youth mental health and wellness in our community. With five different locations across Guelph and Wellington County and two more sites to come in the next two years, The Grove Hubs have seen more than 9,000 youth visits since September 2021.
The Grove Wellington Guelph Youth Hubs offer a holistic approach to youth mental health and wellness. At The Grove Hubs we are working hard to support and empower youth in their mental health and wellness through a proven transformational model. But we cannot achieve this without adequate and consistent, year over year funding from the Ontario government.
The Grove Hubs meet youth where they are at any point in their health and wellness journey. If a young person is having a bad day, The Grove Hubs offer a space to go and work to manage those feelings, providing coping mechanisms and security so that the individual does not arrive at a breaking point and reach a mental health crisis. A bad day does not have to become an illness.
While Ontario is seeing significant demand in mental health and wellness services for young adults, there is simply not enough funding from the Ontario government to adequately provide them.
No matter who is elected on June 2, we are calling on the Ontario government to invest in youth mental health, empowering workers and wellness experts through sufficient and consistent funding.
We can no longer afford to ignore the crisis at hand. Elected officials need to enable mental health and wellness experts to put the appropriate support systems in place, to not only save the lives of Ontario youth, but to support the future of our province. Every single party platform should be addressing youth mental health and wellness through ample financial commitment.
When casting your ballot this June, vote with youth mental health and wellness in mind.
The Grove Wellington Guelph Youth Hubs are a project of The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Waterloo Wellington Chapter. The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs are a one-stop-shop where youth from 12-26 can drop in to connect with friends and also access local support and mental health services. All programs are designed by youth for youth, responding to the unique needs of their neighbourhood or community. Donations from generous individuals make operation of each of The Grove Hub locations possible. These sites are safe local community spaces, and each empowers youth to take the lead in their own mental health and wellness journey. Join us in making a difference by donating here. If you are interested in learning more about The Grove Hubs or visiting one of our sites in person visit here for more information.
Cyndy Moffat Forsyth is the executive director of The Grove Wellington Guelph Youth Hubs. As an agent in community change and entrepreneurial non-for-profit leader, Cyndy is skilled in inspiring communities to create innovative approaches to addressing some of the most important issues of our time - youth mental health and addiction. As a mother, who also dealt with the youth mental health care system in Ontario alongside her daughter, Cyndy uses her own passion and experience to make a difference for youth and their families in the community.