Monday, August 12, 2024
Ontario. Ministry of Health - [Toronto - University Avenue] - [Public Health Care]
Ontario Making It Easier for Youth in Oxford County to Connect to Mental Health Services
New Youth Wellness Hub will provide support closer to home
The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for young people to connect to mental health and substance use services by launching a new Youth Wellness Hub to serve Oxford County. This is one of 10 new hubs the government is adding to the network of 22 hubs bringing the total to 32 across the province.
“Our government is continuing to take action to improve mental health and addictions services in communities across Ontario, and support people and their families living with mental health and substance use challenges,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As we expand the number of Youth Wellness Hubs across the province, young people in Oxford County can connect to the mental health and addictions care they need, in one convenient location, closer to home.”
Beginning in 2025, the new hub will connect youth aged 12 to 25 in Oxford County to convenient and free mental health, substance use and primary care services in a safe, youth-friendly space. Rural communities in the area will also be supported by a mobile hub model, making it easier for youth to drop in for in-person counselling or peer support close to their home.
Other services provided through the hub will also include supports for newcomers and access to community and social supports and employment services.
“By continuing to expand our network of Youth Wellness Hubs, our government is ensuring youth across the province have convenient access to the highest-quality mental health and addictions supports, when and where they need them,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Oxford County’s new Youth Wellness Hub will be a place for young people to feel safe and connected to a community that supports them and helps equip them with the tools they need to face life’s challenges.”
With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the government has significantly expanded the number of Youth Wellness Hubs across the province to make it faster and easier for young people to connect to mental health and substance use support, primary care, social services and more.
Quick Facts:
- Wellkin Child & Youth Mental Health is leading the co-design of the Oxford County Youth Wellness Hub with local community partners ensuring diverse youth voices are at the centre of the design of the hub model.
- Between 2020 and 2023, Ontario established a provincial network of 22 Youth Wellness Hubs that have connected 43,000 youth and their families to mental health, substance use, and wellness services, accounting for over 168,000 visits.
- Reflecting on this success, Ontario is adding 10 more hubs to the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario program: five new hubs will be located in Port Hope, Thunder Bay, Oxford County, Vaughan and Brampton, with another five hubs to be funded through Budget 2024 with an investment of $8.3 million over three years, with locations to be announced.
- The 22 Youth Wellness Hubs currently operating across the province are serving over 31 communities: Algoma, Central Toronto, Chatham Kent, Eastern Champlain (Cornwall & SDG and Rockland & Prescott Russell), Haliburton County, Kenora, KFLA Region, London-Middlesex, Malton (includes Peel Region and Mississauga), Niagara Region, North Simcoe, Renfrew County, Sagamok Anishnawbek, Sarnia-Lambton, Scarborough, Sudbury, Thorncliffe Park, Timmins, Toronto East, Wellington-Guelph, West Toronto and Windsor-Essex.
- Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to fill gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services and expand programs through Roadmap to Wellness.
- As part of Budget 2024, Building a Better Ontario, the government is building on its work through the Roadmap by investing an additional $396 million over three years to improve access and expand existing mental health and addictions services and programs.
Quotes:
"Our government recognizes that youth in our province need mental health and substance use support closer to home to continue thriving in rural communities. The new Youth Wellness Hub in Woodstock will provide these essential services to young people across Oxford County, offering comprehensive support and high-quality care when they need it most."
- Ernie Hardeman MPP, Oxford
"I am thrilled to welcome the Oxford County Youth Wellness Hub into the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) network and would like to thank the local network partners, the Government of Ontario and the collaborative community partnerships that have made the development of this hub possible. This critical investment provides young people in Oxford County with an inclusive, welcoming space where they can access a full range of integrated mental health, substance use health, primary care, housing, employment, recreation, and other support services that meet their individual level of need. Together, we continue to work towards positive outcomes with and for all youth in Ontario."
- Dr. Jo Henderson, Executive Director, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO)
"The approval and funding for our Oxford County Youth Wellness Hub (Brightside Youth Hub) is one of the best gifts we can give as a community to our youth. We thank Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo for their support in making this vision a reality. The coming together of community partners is a testament to the community’s commitment to put children and youth first in Oxford County. Youth today are struggling, and a Youth Wellness Hub is an opportunity to change that. By making a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for youth, by youth, young people aged 12 to 25 will have a place where they can find help, and most importantly, find connection. It is a place that lets them know our community cares about them. They are our future, and they need to know they matter."
- Kelly Baker, Executive Director, Wellkin Child & Youth Mental Wellness
Additional Resources:
Media Contacts:
Alexandra Adamo
Minister Jones’ Office
Alexandra.Adamo@ontario.ca
Anna Miller
Communications Branch
media.moh@ontario.ca
416-314-6197
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