NEWS: Algoma Region Youth Wellness Hubs Location Announced

July 29, 2022

On Friday, July 29, Ali Juma, CEO of Algoma Family Services formally announced the new site of the Algoma Region Youth Wellness Hub thanks to the contributions of community funders and partners.

Through an unprecedented level of collaboration between community partners to establish a Youth Wellness Hub, Algoma Family Services (AFS) will lease the building on behalf of their partners from the SSM Housing Corporation.

The hub will be located at the former International Order of Odd Fellows Lodge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The goal is to open the Hub this fall or winter. However, the building requires extensive repair and renovation.

Since 1951, this Lodge has played a key role in the community through the community service of the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) and the AFS team are thrilled to have such a great space for youth, and are pleased this building will continue to serve the community for hopefully decades to come.

As one of the 8 new YWHO sites announced by the Ontario government this February, Algoma Region will join the network of the 14 established hubs across Ontario. The team will operate initially for five days a week and provide the following services:

  • Mental Health / Substance Use Counselling
  • Health Promotion
  • Employment Counselling
  • Food security
  • Housing and Income Support
  • Cultural and LGBTQ2+ Support
  • Anti-Human Trafficking
  • Child Protection

Algoma Region’s team plans to grow the services offered at the hub and to be open seven days a week, and the hub has extended an open
invitation to community partners and community groups servicing youth to work with the team.

Algoma community partners include: the Canadian Mental Health Association – Algoma, Algoma Public Health, John Howard Society, the Indian Friendship Centre, THRIVE Child Development Centre, the Children’s Aid Society of Algoma, Northern Youth Services, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Administration Board, and YWHO. Community partners will be contributing in-kind staff, services, and financial resources where available to support the Hub. Information sessions for the neighbours and surrounding businesses will be provided later to ensure the hub we develop will add value to the immediate community and create a mechanism to address any concerns or issues that come up.

Youth will play a central role in the co-creation and design of the space here, as well as the services and programs to be offered. The hub will be a culturally safe place for youth ages 12-25 years of age to find the help they need, to connect with other youth, to learn about the services available to them, and to create a better tomorrow.

Video: Sault Online ONNtv

For the full media package prepared by Algoma Family Services, click here.

For more information, please contact: 
YWHO Communications Team
Communications@ywho.ca 

NEWS: The Rockland Youth Wellness Hub team opens additional outreach site for youth services in Embrun, Ontario

On May 13, 2022, the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) team supporting the Rockland & Prescott-Russell community opened the doors of a new outreach site.

In addition to their main location, Rockland Youth Wellness Hub, and their Hawkesbury outreach site, the team has now opened a new outreach site in Embrun, Ontario. The team will offer services every second Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for youth aged 12 to 25 with walk-in or booked appointments available.

The additional outreach site provides more youth with the ability to access the right services in the right place at the right time. Youth and families in the Embrun area can receive a range of integrated youth services, including mental health and substance use support, peer support, care coordination, and more.

The Rockland & PR Youth Wellness Hub team now provide services at:

  • Rockland & PR Youth Wellness Hub – 1517 Laurier St., Rockland, ON
  • Hawkesbury Outreach Site – Mental Health and Addiction Regional Centre, 580 Spence Ave, Hawkesbury, ON
  • Embrun Outreach Site – 649 Notre Dame St., Unit 203, Embrun, ON

Please check the @Rocklandyouthhub social media channels for more information, dates and times, services, and how to get in contact.

Phone: +1 613-577-7219
Email: easternchamplain@youthhubs.ca

NEWS: Ontario Expanding Access to Student Mental Health Supports

*Information below is from the official Government of Ontario press release.*

On April 1, 2022, the Ontario government announced new funding to support students with expanded access to targeted mental health and well-being programs. Ontario’s investments will help create new or sustain existing mental health and well-being programs and resources led by community organizations.

The investments, which are part of the government’s Priorities and Partnerships Funding COVID-19 Equity Supports, include $92,105 to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to gain a better understanding of substance use trends — including the effect of substance use on school participation — on school-aged youth from an equity perspective.

Funding will also go toward resources for those working with youth who are disconnected from school due to substance use difficulties in order to support their re-engagement with the school system.

“This is a critically important initiative because we know that youth with substance use difficulties face disproportionate challenges in school contexts, and there is more we can do to provide effective supports. By hearing directly from impacted youth, we will be better able to build meaningful solutions that reflect the diversity of Ontario’s youth.”
– Dr. Joanna Henderson, Director, Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health; Senior Scientist, Child, Youth and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Executive Director, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario

To access the official news release, click here.