Students will soon start their second summer break during a COVID-19 pandemic, and while there's hope for a somewhat normal season, mental health organizations are offering resources just in case.
St. Clair Child & Youth Services Director of Operations Craig McKenzie said because students were not able to be in the classroom over the last few months, they were left without a trusting resource outside of their immediate household.
"Although we're heading into the summer where people can hopefully get out a bit more and enjoy life, we're a little concerned that those who are struggling and are in situations that are less than ideal are not catching the attention of those of us in the system that can support them," he said.
McKenzie's advice for families and youth is to not wait until a situation becomes a crisis.
"Enjoy the summer. Get out and get active but if you're struggling and you're not sure what to do, then absolutely reach out to us," he said.
McKenzie said there has been an increase in need for mental health services over the past year with families waiting until they're "near crisis" to seek help.
"We're seeing three times the number of prevalence of eating disorders, families coming to us with chronic stress … also [there's] a 54 per cent increase of kids coming to us with evidence of abuse," said McKenzie.
The call for additional funding support was met at the beginning of June when the provincial government announced a $31 million investment to increase mental health services for children and youth.
"Locally, that equates to about five per cent of our baseline budget," said McKenzie. "In our case, it's going toward providing counselling for kids with long-term intensive needs."
McKenzie said although the organization appreciates any funding received, the system has been underfunded for years and the issue has become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There's a lot of evidence out there that kids are struggling and we certainly know that a wave of need is coming to our front door," he said.
McKenzie said those who need to access mental health services will typically be connected with a counsellor within 24 hours and from there further resources are presented as options.
To access mental health care in Sarnia-Lambton, call (519) 337-3701.