The Ontario government is celebrating the grand opening of the newly expanded permanent home of the Windsor-Essex Youth Wellness Hub, which will make it faster and easier for young people in and around Windsor-Essex to connect to mental health and substance use supports closer to home.
“We are continuing to expand our network of Youth Wellness Hubs across Ontario to ensure everyone in this province can connect to the high-quality mental health and addictions supports they need, when and where they need them,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “At this newly expanded hub, youth from across Windsor-Essex can feel safe, comfortable, and supported. We know children and youth have the highest mental health needs of any demographic, so we will continue to invest in the critical services like Youth Wellness Hubs that help them grow into happy and healthy adults.”
The Windsor-Essex Youth Wellness Hub which was launched in March 2022, is one of the 22 hubs already operating across the province. The hub, in its new expanded location, was co-designed with local youth, family and other partners, and continues to help fill the gap in youth addictions services in the region. The hub provides children and youth aged 12 to 25 a safe, welcoming space to access the mental health and addictions services they need at the right time and right place.
In Windsor-Essex and surrounding areas, children and youth can visit the hub to connect to convenient and free mental health, substance use and primary care services in a safe, youth-friendly space. There are also supports to help connect and transition youth that have more specialized and intensive care needs to the right supports and services in the community.
“Our government continues to take action to improve mental health services in communities across Ontario, and support patients and families living with mental health and addictions challenges,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As we continue to expand the number of Youth Wellness Hubs across the province, young people in the Windsor-Essex region will receive faster, easier access to the mental health care they need, in one convenient location, closer to home.”
With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the government is expanding 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
- The government is adding eight new Youth Wellness Hubs to the 14 that have been created since 2020, bringing the total to 22 across the province. The eight new hubs funded by the Addictions Recovery Fund are in Algoma Region, Kingston, London-Middlesex, Sagamok Anishnabek First Nation, Sarnia-Lambton, Sudbury, Toronto Thorncliffe Park and West Toronto.
- In 2023, the government also announced additional funding to expand pediatric services in communities across the province, which will support five additional Youth Wellness Hubs to help fill the gap in youth addictions services.
- In 2020, Ontario released a strategy to build a world-class mental health and addictions system – Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System. Supported by a commitment to invest $3.8 billion over 10 years, Roadmap is adding capacity to meet demand, filling gaps in the care continuum, and creating a provincial infrastructure for a mental health and addictions continuum of care that connects primary, community, and acute care to better meet the needs of people with mental health and addictions issues.
- In Budget 2023, Ontario is building on its historic $3.8 billion investment by providing an additional $425 million over three years. This investment will provide community-based mental health and addictions service providers funded by the Ministry of Health with a five per cent increase in base funding.
- Since 2019-20, the government has flowed $525 million in new base funding for mental health and addictions services and supports. This funding is supporting a range of services, including child and youth mental health, community-based addictions services, supportive housing, mental health and justice, and Indigenous mental health and addictions.
Quotes
“I am delighted to celebrate the opening of the new permanent facility for the CMHA’s Youth Wellness Hub. Our government has supported the creation of this safe, welcoming space for young people between the ages of 12 and 25 since its inception. The fact that there is now a permanent home that will give the young people of our community the mental health support that they need is most definitely a cause for celebration. “
– Andrew Dowie
MPP for Windsor–Tecumseh
“We are thrilled to welcome the Youth Wellness Hub to our region. It is essential that youth have a safe and supportive network to access the right services at the right time and in the right place. The Youth Wellness Hub Virtual Services will make it easier than ever for youth across the region to connect with a Mental Health Counsellor.”
– Sherry Bondy
Mayor of the Town of Essex
“The Youth Wellness Hub is not just an investment in a building, it’s an investment in the well-being and resilience of a community’s future. It’s a testament to our commitment to nurture young minds, providing a safe space where struggles are heard, strengths are celebrated and the journey to well-being is a collective effort. Investing in youth mental health is an investment in a future painted with resilience and well-being.”
– Kim Willis
Director of Communications and Mental Health Promotion, CMHA Windsor-Essex
