Giving Youth A Voice

It is no secret that growing up in our modern world is no small feat; local data shows that since the pandemic, individuals needing mental health support has increased by 40 per cent. As the pressures from the outside world manifest internal struggle, now more than ever, youth need wellness support. To us at The Grove, improving the wellbeing of our young population starts with providing a space that is supportive, welcoming and open. For youth, by youth, we understand the struggles because we have lived them, learning that the road to wellness is diverse and requires many solutions. 

A part of our philosophy is building our services on the insight and perspectives of our young population, this process requires space for young voices not only spoken, but heard.  Last month, we held a Youth Mental Health Forum with Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield,to open up the conversation. At the forum, youth were able to share their individual experiences and perspectives of mental health services to government officials and service providers in the mental health and youth space. This action confirmed that problems were not only being shared, but were being taken into consideration by the individuals that can evoke effective solutions. 

“Engaging young people in the services we provide is critical. If we are making a plan to support youth, we need to have them be a part of the conversation,” said Jeff Hoffman, Executive Director of The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario. “Youth know what they need and it is critical that we listen to them and push to implement their solutions.” 

Youth who participated in the event are hopeful changes will be made. “Service providers were extremely supportive and echoed youths’ ideas,” says Youth Ambassador Eryn Ross of The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario. Eryn noted how incredible it was to have such a diverse crowd and highlighted that although the group shared different perspectives and experiences, they had “a common goal in mind.” 

Listening to youth ideas and solutions is just the first step in making lasting changes;. Collaboration of the community and our governments is a catalyst in making these solutions come to life. 

“We need government officials at the mental health table because they have a powerful voice to project the issues that are brought forth to make a change,” says Youth Ambassador, Laloni Beaudoin, of The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario.  She shares that “Mental health is becoming a country-wide crisis and needs more support from the government to combat these large-scale societal issues,” 

Our governments have the power to provide the necessary funds to not only provide increased support to mental health providers, but improve the system entirely. Events like the Youth Forum are encouraging as they provide space for open conversation and an opportunity for the right stories to be shared, to the right people. Our government must be

“Thank you to Jeff and the staff at the Grove on Woolwich for hosting our discussions with youth and then with service providers on progress towards continuing to improve mental health services in Guelph,” said MP Lloyd Longfield. “With the Government of Canada passing $500m further investments in mental health programming, it was very important to first hear from youth accessing services and then providers to know what barriers still exist and how we can help work on eliminating them together. It was also great to hear the positive comments on progress and the difference this is making in the lives of youth in Guelph-Wellington.”

As youth continue to struggle to access mental health services, having these integrated, thought-focused conversations leads mental health services in the right direction. Although change is a group responsibility, including the voices of every perspective recognizes where improvements need to be made and initiates plans to make these changes. 

For more information about The Grove Wellington Guelph and how we are supporting youth, visit www.thegrovehubs.ca.