CAMH opening three new Toronto clinics for youth mental health

Jun 14 2016, 7:59 pm

You know the famous stat: 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

We know, it’s staggering. Look around at your friends and coworkers and do the math – we’re all affected by it.

But one part of the population that doesn’t always get the support it needs is the youth population. Which is why the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has just announced the opening of three new clinics specifically geared towards those between the ages of 11-25.

Each clinic will offer a wide variety of services on a walk-in basis (an incredibly important factor when it comes to serving youth). From peer support to onsite psychiatric services and solution-focused therapy, these clinics will provide Toronto’s youth with an opportunity to seek – and find – help when they need it most.

In a CAMH news release, Dr. Peter Szatmari, Chief of the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at CAMH, SickKids, and the University of Toronto had this to say about the project:

“These clinics will be a one-stop shop, providing immediate access to evidence-based mental health care in the community. By co-locating service providers from hospital, primary care and community agencies in a youth-friendly setting we can better address barriers that are most apparent for youth.”

A one-stop shop sounds like exactly what those suffering from mental health issues need most. Asking youth to have to return at another time or accept a referral simply won’t get the job done. And considering suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16% among 25-44 year olds, this is a job that must be done quickly and done well.

Anyone who needs to can find the clinics at ‘What’s up’ walk-in at Scarborough’s East Metro Youth Services, Delisle Youth Services (Yonge & Eglinton), and at a new ‘What’s up’ walk-in at the South East Toronto Family Health Team (Danforth & Woodbine). Scarborough’s clinic is already open and operating while the other two will open in July.

Eric WainwrightEric Wainwright

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