Did you know?

- 10-20% of Canadian youth have a mental illness or disorder

- 7 0% of mental illness arises in adolescence

- Only 1 in 5 children who need mental health services have access to them.

- Canada has the third-highest youth suicide rate in the industrialized world.

- Early treatment and intervention lead to improved recovery and lower risk of relapse.

Mental illness has become an increasingly prevalent issue both globally and in our community.

Young people are especially susceptible to mental illness, which if left untreated, often follows them into adulthood. Did you know that youth who have access to quality mental health care during their most vulnerable early years have significantly better outcomes than those who do not? It is our goal at the CMHA to provide our youth with the treatment and care they need to move forward on the path to wellness and ease their transition into adulthood.

The Canadian Mental Health Association Simcoe County Branch (CMHA SCB) is a non-profit organization that provides direct services to people struggling with mental health and addiction issues and their families. Through our many services, CMHA SCB offers a full range of care to people across all age groups. The support, advocacy, and education provided by CMHA SCB helps our clients move forward in their journeys to wellness and recovery.

The youth services at CMHA SCB support those between the ages of 12 to 24. Services range from crisis intervention to counselling and case management depending on individual needs. The common goal across all our youth services is to help youth explore the impact of mental health on their daily lives, improve their coping skills, and to encourage wellness.

Our Youth program is good but could be better. With the conclusion of our Youth Shine Campaign we will be able to offer additional resources for families and youth in a safe and comfortable setting. The current facility cannot accommodate many of our youth and family needs. This facility will be a much needed addition to our community and will encourage youth and families to seek out the help they need.

The Youth Mental Health and Wellness Centre is located at 134 Anne Street South, here in Barrie. Our current facility will undergo a full renovation to transform it into a place that will enable us to serve the youth and families in our community better than we are currently able to. In order to achieve our goal we will need the support of our community to help us raise the $600,000 the renovations will require. We are currently almost at the $200, 000 mark. View estimate details here. View renovation drawing here.

You can make a difference in the lives of thousands of youth and their families by supporting the Youth Shine Campaign. By making a donation or offering a service discount you will play an essential role in the development of the youth mental health and wellness centre. We need your support to be able to give the youth in our community better access to the care they need.