Windsor-Essex will be the home of one of four new Youth Wellness Hubs in Ontario thanks to operational funding announced by the provincial government.
The Windsor-Essex Youth Wellness Hub will receive $2.7 million in annual operational costs to provide youth aged 12-25 a “one-stop-shop” for mental health, primary care, education, employment, and other social services needs.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County (CMHA-WECB), Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH), Maryvale, The Bridge and Windsor Essex Community Health Care (WECHC) are all partners and will work together with youth and families to design a Youth Wellness Hub to meet the needs of youth in this community.
“We are very excited to see an investment in mental health services in our local community for youth. This is a critical time to ensure supports are put in place to address the needs of this population as we consider the impacts of virtual learning and the experience of isolation due to the on-going pandemic,” said the Bridge Youth Resource Centre Executive Director Krista Rempel.
Kim Willis with the Windsor Essex Canadian Mental Health Association said the partners will begin working immediately to determine the best service model for the hub moving forward. This could include a physical stand-alone location or a mobile site, and some virtual services.
She indicated they intend to announce their plans within the next couple of months and have some kind of operation running by the fall.
If they decide to move forward with a stand-alone building or mobile site there will likely be some fundraising needed to meet the capital requirements.
The announcement for the operational funds for the youth hub was part of $31 million announced by the provincial government to support youth mental health.