September 14, 2018, Cornwall – By age 16, 35% of people will have experienced a mental disorder and 70% of all mental illness begins during adolescence or earlier.

In 2017, the provincial government announced funding to establish 10 Youth Wellness Hubs. These hubs will specifically target the needs of youth aged 12-25 as fully integrated “one-stop-shops” for mental health, substance use, primary care, education/employment/training, housing and other community and social services with specific services. The Eastern Champlain region hub will have two locations, one in Cornwall and one in Clarence-Rockland.

Hub leaders at Cornwall Community Hospital, Valoris for Children and Adults of Prescott Russell, and Hawkesbury & District General Hospital are working with local youth, their families and service providers to co-design our hub. The Eastern Champlain Youth Wellness Hub will receive $900 000 in project funding for three years.

“Our region’s demographics are unique, where we have higher incidents of intergenerational poverty, attempted suicide rates, and high school drop-out rates” explains Christine Penney, VP of Community Programs. “The Youth Wellness Hub will be a great resource for youth who need it in our community.”

Nineteen year old Micaela Harley is the Project Co-Lead and Youth Advisor and says,
“As a member of the youth community in this area, I am thrilled that we have received funding for a Youth Wellness hub. It is important to me, and the project team, that youth in the community have an opportunity to easily access a variety of services. Sometimes, not knowing where to turn can be the largest barrier to getting help.”