Abinash Sivapalan, Grant Business Start-Up Coordinator reached out to Janina Adduru, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) Care Coordinator and Deby Kanagarajoo, Interim Community Health Clinic Manager at Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities to talk about the new mental health initiative for youth in Scarborough.
Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) aims to bring the right services to youth and their families at the right time and in the right place. YWHO is improving Ontario’s mental health and addiction services for youth and their families by providing rapid access to mental health and substance use services with walk in, low barrier services and clear pathways to service. YWHO provides evidence-based interventions and supported transitions to specialized care services when the severity of need is evident. It is a "one-stop-shop" for youth wellbeing that practices through an anti-oppressive and anti-racist lens, to provide high quality, integrated services that keep youths and their families at the center of care. The pandemic has affected everyone very differently, especially our youth in Scarborough!
"The serious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of our youth are alarmingly evident in the increase of calls to Kids Help Phone during 2020. In 2019, Kids Help Phone had 1.9 million connections. In 2020, they had 4.5 million connections with young people through their phone line, text and website access points. This increase in connections, year over year, represents an alarming 137 per cent increase" (Scott, 2021).
Mental health is not openly discussed in many cultures. We are here to help! Identifying this problem early on can improve the health outcomes in life. We provide inclusive, and welcoming space where participants can be social and have access to a broad range of service and supports delivering in an integrated fashion. The services provided range from mental health support, substance using, employment, housing, peer support, and education.
- Janina Adduru Care Coordinator for YWHO