AURORA, Ontario – Aurora student Daniel Mojarrab expressed concerns about the state of mental health support for high school students, emphasizing that while there has been some improvement, there is still a significant need for better resources within schools. “A lot of kids are dealing with different situations in their household, and I feel like for them, they should definitely have access,” Mojarrab said, adding that although schools are making efforts to improve mental health support, “it should be increasing at a faster rate.”
Mojarrab was among the youth participants at a July 18 roundtable discussion on youth mental health, organized by Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP Leah Taylor Roy. The event, held at the York Region Administrative Centre in Newmarket, brought together dozens of community leaders to discuss ways to enhance youth mental health services. This discussion comes as the federal government begins to implement a new $500-million funding program announced in the April 2024 budget, aimed at assisting community organizations in providing better care for young Canadians.
Taylor Roy emphasized the importance of addressing mental health challenges and bridging the gap between existing services and what is needed. “I’m sure many of you here would say the gap is large,” she said. “But it is a gap that we need to address as best we can, step by step.”
The roundtable included representatives from various organizations such as the Regional Municipality of York, 360°kids, and Blue Door, who shared their insights on the current state of youth mental health services. Discussions focused on the need to increase the number of youth mental health workers, expand services, and prioritize the areas where the new funding should be directed.
Rebecca Shields, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association York Region South Simcoe, highlighted the critical importance of the $500-million fund in addressing the rising mental health issues among youth. “What scares us all the most is the risk of suicide and lives lost,” she said, while acknowledging that collaborative efforts are already yielding some positive results.
In addition to the federal funding, the province announced earlier this month that plans for a new mental health and addictions hub in Newmarket will advance and go out to tender later this year.
Richmond Hill student Rishi Thurairajah, who is working with Taylor Roy’s office through a youth leadership program and has faced his own mental health challenges, expressed his appreciation for the collaborative efforts. “Having everyone here and having a unified message and a unified plan for these kind of things is really, really important. We all have the same end goal, and that’s to help the youth and help people with mental health struggles.”
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