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Youth Wellness Hub

Sudbury’s Youth Wellness Hub finds home at the Centre for Life

February 6, 2023

Exterior of the Centre for Life building with the YMCA logo

Sudbury’s Youth Wellness Hub has landed on a location within the Centre for Life in downtown Sudbury. The hub, set to open in spring 2023, will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for youth ages 12 – 25 to help address their needs related to mental health, substance use, primary care, education, employment, training, housing, system navigation, and other community and social services.

A focus group was conducted with local youth to determine the hub’s location. The focus group highlighted multiple locations and scored them on safety, accessibility, atmosphere and other important factors. The results from the focus group had the Centre of Life site scoring consistently higher on factors including safety, wanting to use the space, and wanting to invite friends.

“It was imperative to us to find a centralized space where youth felt safe and welcomed. Our goal is for youth to be able to visit the hub and easily access the services they need when they need them,” said Mark Fraser, Director of Clinical and Client Services at Compass.

Colocating within the Centre for Life has additional benefits due to the access to the YMCA’s existing programming and services, like their after-school programs, employment services, immigration services, and recreational activities. Furthermore, the Youth Wellness Hub and the YMCA share similar values. Together, we can create a caring and inclusive space for youth to build valuable life skills. Moreover, within the downtown core, additional complementary community resources are already available for youth to access when needed. Stacey Gilbeau, Director of Health Promotion at Public Health Sudbury & Districts commented that “the hub will be a welcoming place where youth will be supported in navigating life challenges and enhanced in their ability to thrive.”

“We are thrilled to partner and share a space with Sudbury’s Youth Wellness Hub, a fantastic addition to the Centre for Life. At the YMCA, we are committed to our community, and through this partnership, we can continue to strengthen the health and wellness of youth in our city,” added Helen Francis, President and CEO of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario.

Over the next couple of months, Compass, the Lead Agency for child and youth mental health services for the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin, in partnership with Public Health Sudbury & Districts will co-develop and co-design the space with youth to ensure the hub is welcoming and comfortable while also addressing the needs of our community.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine for children aged 5 to 11

December 2, 2021

Last week, children aged 5 to 11 became eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination. While this is a great step forward in the fight against Covid-19, many parents, caregivers and children may be nervous and have questions or concerns.

Kids Health First has updated their website with resources targeted for younger children, parents/caregivers, and healthcare providers to help children and families make an informed decision about getting vaccinated.

Please visit https://kidshealthfirst.ca/  for more information.

Compass News

Move to One Site

November 25, 2021

Compass is excited to announce that we have merged our Sudbury locations to one site. All Compass staff in the Sudbury area will operate out of our Frood Site (62 Frood Rd).

If you need child and youth mental health services, please call our toll free number, 1-800-815-7126 to access free mental health supports or visit https://www.compassne.ca/ for more information.

Compass News

Club Richelieu Sudbury Donates $10 000 to Compass!

November 19, 2021

Compass is excited to announce that on Monday, November 15, le Club Richelieu Sudbury donated $10 000 to the agency.

This donation signals le Club Richelieu Sudbury’s continued support of children, youth and families who are struggling with mental health. Previous donations allowed Compass to update our client spaces and purchase new material to support over 550 Francophone families.

Photo from right to left: Michel Démoré, Monique Levesque, Don Bourré, Linda Dugas and Gaetan Doucet

Uncategorized

Become a Board Member!

November 18, 2021

Compass’s Board of Directors is seeking qualified director candidates. Experience in Finance and Human Resources is an asset. Board members share a keen interest in the well-being and successful performance of the Centre to create paths for our people to reach their full potential.

To apply, please visit: https://www.compassne.ca/board_of_directors/

Compass News

Compass Receives the Bell Business Excellence Award

September 17, 2021

Last night, Compass was the recipient of the Bell Business Excellence Award in the Non Profit/Charity Excellence category!

We are honoured to be recognized for our commitment to the children, youth and families living with mental illness in our community. By working together, we are working with children, youth and families to support them in reaching their full potential.

Thank you to the Greater Sudbury Chamber Of Commerce for this amazing opportunity.

Uncategorized

World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10, 2021

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Compass wants children, youth and families to know that help is available. As we continue navigating through these uncertain times due to the pandemic and the return to school, we understand that additional supports are needed. You are not alone during these times.

If you are looking for Child and Youth Mental Health Services in the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin, please call our toll free number 1-800-815-7126 to speak with a mental health professional.

#WSPD2021

Compass News

COMPASS’S NEW AND IMPROVED MINDSPACE SERVICE

September 2, 2021

Effective Tuesday, September 7th, Compass will begin seeing mindSPACE walk-in service.

Clients looking to access the mindSPACE walk-in service can visit our Sudbury office at 62 Frood Road on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 – 6:30. If you are looking for to access mindSPACE in our rural site (Espanola, Little Current or Chapleau), please call our toll-free number 1-800-815-712 on Tuesdays and Thursday to speak with a mental health professional.

***Our Espanola site is not accepting walk-ins at this time. ***

We are continuing to offer Child and Youth Mental Health Services by phone or video conferencing. Please call our toll-free number 1-800-815-7126.

Compass News

Become a Board Member!

July 22, 2021

Compass’s Board of Directors is seeking qualified director candidates. We are seeking candidates that will be able to contribute their professional skills and personal experiences to help Compass enhance its purpose of working together to create paths with children, youth and families to reach their full potential. Click here to learn more.

To apply, please visit: https://www.compassne.ca/board_of_directors/

Uncategorized

Greater Sudbury’s 24th annual Pride celebrations!

July 12, 2021

Illustration contains a transparency blends/gradients. Additional .aiCS6 file included. EPS 10

The 24th annual Pride celebrations are taking place July 12th to 18th.

Again, this year, the celebrations will be held digitally! Fierté Sudbury Pride developed a schedule of events taking place throughout the week for everyone to come together as a community to celebrate. For a list of events, please visit: http://www.sudburypride.com/pride-week-2021/

In the past, Compass, along with several community partners, has hosted a Charity Pride BBQ for Youth to raise funds to send youth to Rainbow Camp. This year, we are unable to host our annual BBQ, but we are still accepting donations to be able to send more youth to Rainbow Camp in the years to come.

If you are interested in donating, please visit: https://compassne.ca/donate/

Uncategorized

Canada Day 2021

July 1, 2021

Normally, many Canadians engage in a variety of activities to celebrate Canada Day.  This year, many Indigenous people are calling for a day of mourning, reckoning and solidarity to take the place of the typical Canadian celebrations. 

The recent discoveries of the unmarked graves on residential school sites is a stark reminder of the dark realities that Indigenous people endured in Canada’s attempts to assimilate the Indigenous people of the lands. This Canada Day, many Indigenous people are holding off on celebrating to honour the lives that were lost.

No matter how you decide to celebrate Canada Day this year, Compass invites everyone to spend time reflecting on the history of Indigenous peoples, the impact of that history, and the path forward for our country.

Please note, Compass is closed today but will reopen tomorrow, July 2nd.

Compass News

June 2021: A Time to Pause and Reflect

June 30, 2021

As the month of June comes to an end, we celebrated diversity, equity and inclusion. We acknowledged colonialism as settlers and sat in circle with First Nations, Inuit and Metis neighbours on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We raised the Pride flag – a rainbow of colours now including black and brown stripes, in solidarity with the 2slgtq+ communities.

June has also been a month deeply impacted by unspeakable and brutal acts of racism, intolerance and hate resulting in meticulously targeted deaths. We also mourned the lives of children found at former residential schools across Canada. These acts are a reminder of the work still left to be done to create a world where everyone has the same equal opportunity.

The road to achieve equality is hard but we must be willing to see, bear witness, listen, learn and most importantly act to deconstruct what is, to create what must be.

Together we can make a difference!

Compass News

Strategic Plan for 2021-2025

June 29, 2021

Compass is excited to announce the launch of our new Strategic Plan for 2021-2025!

The new plan is titled “Collaborate – Discover – Support” –  three key words that reflect not only the objectives that we will be working towards, but also the essence of the culture we as an organization willaspire to achieve over the course of this plan.

We would like to thank the youth, caregivers, community partners, staff and board members who were instrumental in shaping the future of Compass.

Ontario’s Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium

2021 Provincial Priorities Report (PPR), Better Together: Strengthening the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions System for Children, Youth and their Families

June 29, 2021

The Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium (LAC) has released its 2021 Provincial Priorities Report (PPR), Better Together: Strengthening the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions System for Children, Youth and their Families.

COVID-19 has amplified long-standing issues as mental health needs are becoming greater, more serious and more complex. The system struggled to keep up with demand before the pandemic, and now these challenges have been both unearthed and exacerbated.

The report highlights the importance of continuing to make progress on the four provincial priorities of the LAC in child and youth mental health. Better Together is about tangible, systems level quality improvements that can be led and advanced by the sector that will improve services and outcomes.

Together, we have solutions to ensure children, youth and families can access high quality care.

Compass News

Residential Schools in Canada

June 29, 2021

We mourn the discovery of a mass grave of 215 children found at a former residential school in Kamloops British Columbia and the most recent discovery of an additional 751 children in unmarked graves near the Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.   We want to further acknowledge the findings of the 104 children found in Brandon, Manitoba, 38 children in Regina Saskatchewan, and 35 in Lestock, Saskatchewan.  This is a stark reminder of the dark realities that Indigenous people endured in Canada’s attempts to assimilate the Indigenous people of the lands.   The cultural genocide inflicted by Canada’s residential school system and the resulting intergenerational trauma experienced by residential school survivors and their families have left its mark to this day. The enactment of the ‘Indian Act’ and to ‘Kill [ ] the Indian in the Child’ declaration from John A Macdonald resulted in the horrific reality of innocent lives lost.

The first residential school opened in 1831 at the Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario, and last one to close was Gordon Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan in 1996. It is estimated that approximately 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were separated from their families, and forced to attend these schools, where at least one in every 50 of these students died.

We must acknowledge what this country, we call Canada, has done to the Indigenous people and how will we grasp hold of this truth and act to ensure it never happens again and look to the Indigenous people as partners in healing and reconciliation.

Sincerely,

Linda Dugas                                                                                   Iva McNair

Executive Director                                                                       Board President

Compass News

National Indigenous People’s Day

June 22, 2021

Today is National Indigenous People’s Day.

National Indigenous People’s Day was proclaimed on June 21, 1996. This day is the official day of celebration to recognize and honour the heritage, cultures and valuable contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis People in Canada. June 21 is also the day of summer solstice and the longest day of the year and has important symbolism for many Indigenous people.

Ontario’s Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium

Lead Agency Consortium Applauds Annualized Funding to Deliver Province-wide Virtual Walk-in Counselling

June 1, 2021

(June 1, 2021 TORONTO, ON): Children and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium (LAC) co-chairs Karen Ingebrigtson and Linda Dugas, applaud the Government of Ontario for its announcement today of annualized funding to support the delivery of province-wide virtual walk-in mental health counselling for children, youth and families.

For the past five months, members of the LAC, led by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) and Strides Toronto, have been moving forward with launching a province-wide model to deliver virtual counselling services to children, youth and families. The provincial program, planned to launch in 2021, will offer rapid access virtual walk-in counselling, plus an entryway into ongoing mental health services.

“During the pandemic, children, youth and families responded favorably to connecting virtually with clinicians and mental health services. For many families —in particular, those living in remote and underserved regions of Ontario— virtual access to mental health services eliminates the burden of travel and wait times while enhancing service levels,” said LAC cochairs Ingebrigtson and Dugas.

Strides Toronto CEO Janet McCrimmon and HDGH President & CEO Janice Kaffer added, “The pandemic revealed the child and youth mental health sector’s ability to pivot quickly and to tailor our services to support virtual connections with youth and families. The children, youth and families we serve will benefit immeasurably from the availability of one-number, virtual access to mental health counselling —regardless of where they live in Ontario.”

Given the funding announced will be annualized, LAC will redouble its efforts to implement a new innovative and connected virtual walk-in counselling program, affirming the pledge of Ontario’s child and youth mental health service providers to meet clients and families in a manner best for them.

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For more information, please contact LAC executive director Patrick Dion, executivedirector@lac-car.ca, 613.297.4028

Compass News

Compass Family Engagement Initiative Survey

May 6, 2021

Compass is currently developing a Family Engagement Initiative aimed at integrating the family voice in all we do.

Family engagement is an ongoing process that includes families as active decision makers and equal partners in service delivery at individual, organizational and system levels. When the family voice is imbedded into system initiatives, it not only increases community awareness, it also helps to reduce stigma around child and youth mental health.

In order to gain a better understanding of the current state of family engagement practices in our community, we have partnered with the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health who has developed a short survey aimed to guide our work in this area.

The survey should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete and will be open for 2 weeks. Please click on the link below to access the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8RL7HBN

We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. If you have any questions, please contact engagement@compassne.ca.

Ontario’s Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium

Statement by Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium

May 5, 2021

May 3, 2021
Toronto, Ontario

Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium co-chairs Karen Ingebrigtson and Linda Dugas, today issued the following statement for Mental Health Week:

“We are using this week to add our voice to the call for governments to make additional investment in mental health supports for children, youth and families. During Mental Health Week, communities across Canada are underscoring the urgent need for improved access to mental health supports and services.”

“The pandemic has emphasised the vulnerability of children and youth to mental illness. Children and youth have faced increased mental health struggles, magnified by province-wide lock downs, school closures and virtual learning. Parents —in particular, those raising school-aged children— have faced similar challenges.”

“As Ontario moves toward a time when vaccination levels reduce the daily threat of COVID-19 and the resumption of normal life returns, mental health supports and services to lift the wellbeing of children, youth and families will not lessen —but redouble.”

“The long-term and lasting effects of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of children, youth and their families cannot be underestimated. Lead Agency Consortium members urge the Government of Ontario to begin to plan and invest now. Ontario’s future leaders are depending upon all of us.”

Should you need to access child and youth mental health services in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts, please contact Compass at 1-800-815-7126.

—
The Child and Youth Mental Health Lead Agency Consortium, representing the lead agencies from 33 service areas across Ontario, is committed to the goal of continually improving child and youth mental health services in Ontario so children and youth and their families receive the right services for their unique needs at the right time and in the right place.

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