By Cyndy Moffat Forsyth, Executive Director The Grove Wellington Guelph
The youth in our community are experiencing a mental health crisis. We must take action and begin to normalize conversations around mental health and wellness. The overall demand for mental health services has risen 40 per cent since the start of the pandemic, and we estimate 80 per cent of youth in Guelph and Wellington County are struggling with their wellness.
We at The Grove Wellington Guelph, in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) and The Children's Foundation of Guelph Wellington, are hosting a Youth Mental Health Forum to build awareness of the current state of youth mental health in our community.
Taking place on September 13th, the goal of this forum is to open up about difficult topics of mental health and wellness and to develop actionable steps to ensure our community is aware of the resources, services and supports that are available to youth.
With the upcoming municipal election fast approaching on October 24th, this Youth Mental Health Forum is an important step in engaging the community in matters of mental health and wellness. By bringing the current crisis to the forefront of our community’s minds, we hope to encourage and enforce change within the community to address the shortcomings of an overloaded and underfunded mental health care system.
By normalizing and encouraging conversations around the importance of youth mental health and wellness, we hope to ensure our community is aware of the tangible steps we have taken to improve access to mental health care for youth and families in Guelph and Wellington County. We also hope this Youth Mental Health Forum will continue the dialogue around youth mental health so we can do more as a community.
The Youth Mental Health Forum is just one step in our journey for change. The Grove Wellington Guelph and CMHA WW have partnered to run a campaign to demand action from local representatives and encourage voters to #GetReal about mental health in our community. The campaign encourages community members to have their say in the upcoming election, using their voices and their vote to ensure the mental health crisis in our community is a priority for elected officials in the municipal election this October. The #GetReal campaign encourages the Guelph and Wellington County community to make mental health and wellness an essential part of the conversation in the upcoming election, and to make a difference in the lives of youth in the community.
The Grove Wellington Guelph, is a one-stop-shop for youth mental health and wellness in our community. With over 15,000 youth visits since September 2021, the support and services The Grove provides to youth in the community have made a demonstrable impact. It is our intention, in collaboration with local organizations, like The Children’s Foundation and The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, to bring the importance of mental health and wellness to the forefront of community leaders’ minds and make sure a significant emphasis is placed on providing accessible mental health support and services to our community.
It is more important than ever to come together as a community to address the current state of youth mental health and to work alongside elected officials with input from community leaders, youth, parents, caregivers and support workers to create a plan and make a difference in the lives and wellbeing of youth in our community. It is a collective community effort to address the youth mental health crisis. Our community has to make their voices heard and demand our youth get the support and resources they need.
To learn more about the Guelph Youth Mental Health Forum on September 13th and to register click here.
To learn more about the #GetReal campaign and to demand action visit https://getrealguelph.ca/.
ABOUT THE GROVE WELLINGTON GUELPH
The Grove Wellington Guelph (formerly the Integrated Youth Services Network) is a collaborative project, with the aim of providing youth ages 12-26 with the support they need to build positive, bright futures.
The goal of The Grove Wellington Guelph is to build a more effective health and social service system, through integration and collaboration, to better meet the needs of youth in Wellington County and Guelph. The Grove Wellington Guelph currently includes seven sites across Guelph and Wellington County utilizing the benefit of “one door”, while networking sites.
At each site, youth will be given access to programs and services that provide guidance and support for the future. From education and career support, to counselling and peer-to-peer programs, The Grove Wellington Guelph facilities will provide help and encouragement to every youth in the community.
Website: thegrovehubs.ca
Facebook: @thegrovehubs
Twitter: @thegrovehubs
Instagram: @thegrovehubs
LinkedIn: The Grove Hubs — Youth Wellness Hubs
Cyndy Moffat Forsyth is the executive director of The Grove Wellington Guelph. 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.