HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-2022-315 - Project EMPTHY (EMPowered, Thriving and Happy Youth) Kitchener
Community Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Special Council
DATE OF MEETING: August 8, 2022
SUBMITTED BY: Lori Palubeski, Manager, Program and Resource Services, 519-741-2200
ext. 7623
PREPARED BY: Briana Acosta, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Fellow,
519-741-2200 ext. 7623
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: August 4, 2022
REPORT NO.: CSD-2022-315
SUBJECT: Project EMPTHY (EMPowered, Thriving and Happy Youth) Kitchener
RECOMMENDATION:
That report CSD-2022-315, regarding Project EMPTHY (EMPowered, Thriving and Happy
Youth) Kitchener: Issues and Options Report on Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Post
Pandemic, Appendix A, be received for information; and,
That Community Services staff be directed to develop an associated project
implementation plan by the first quarter of 2023.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health and
wellbeing (e.g., psychological distress, suicidal ideation, substance use, isolation, lack of
participation) of Kitchener youth (as defined as anyone under the age of 24 for the purpose
of the project)
Data and information from local surveys, reports and publications were synthesized to draw
conclusions as it relates to the current situation and to identify local impacts that are both
helpful and harmful to youth wellbeing in Kitchener
100+ youth and their families, along with staff from 20 different community partner
organizations were engaged through focus groups, qualitative interviews, and online
sessions to verify the themes and to identify potential gaps
Research findings led to the identification of six solutions that support the emerging themes
of: Youth Leadership, Strong Circles of Support and Family Friendly Systems. The report
recommends specific actions the City of Kitchener should consider as potential solutions in
improving the wellbeing of Kitchener youth.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
BACKGROUND:
This report provides information to Council on the current state of youth mental health in
Kitchener, as well as suggests concrete action steps the city can take to improve the wellbeing
of youth and their families.
Exploring and understanding the short-term and long-term impacts on the wellbeing of Kitchener
youth was identified as a key mayoral priority and lead to the successful application to the 2022
provided the city with a Harvard graduate student for a 10-week fellowship placement. The focus
of this fellowship was the completion of the report as noted in Appendix A.
The percentage of Waterloo Region residents struggling with wellbeing has doubled during the
pandemic. While 32% of all residents responding to a local Waterloo Region wellbeing survey
experienced significant mental health challenges, for youth that figure is significantly higher, at
67% for student respondents (YMCA WorkWell 2021, The Loneliness Epidemic: How the Silent
Loss of Social Connection has Impacted our Communities During Covid-19). The past two and
a half years have compounded the sense of isolation and loss of connection for young people.
The cancellation of recreation and social programs, the switch to remote learning and limited in-
person points of connection with adult allies, coaches and teachers have resulted in a
disproportionate impact on youth during a crucial time in their development.
The Youth Impact Survey (YIS) 2021, facilitated by the Children and Youth Planning Table of
Waterloo Region assessed nine domains of wellbeing among youth aged 9-18. These findings
revealed that most youth wellbeing outcomes across the region had worsened from 2020 to
2021.
Other data confirm the trends of higher rates of mental health problems among youth since the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Service providers attest that younger children are seeking
mental health services, more youth are seeking help for the first time, and you
are becoming increasingly complex. Qualitative data reveal that these trends are related to the
social distancing, remote learning, reduced recreation and social programs, and other
disruptions that accompanied the pandemic.
The City of Kitchener has a leadership opportunity as a lower tier municipality to impact the well
being of its young residents through upstream preventative programs and services, employment
and volunteer opportunities and collaboration with system partners. Ensuring equitable access
and shared development of services with racialized and marginalized populations of youth is
critical.
It is recognized that the proposed solutions noted in Project EMPTHY Kitchener (Appendix A)
do not serve as an all-encompassing strategy that will solve the complex problems related to
youth well being. Due to the timing and scope of the project, the goal of Project EMPTHY
Kitchener is to provide Council and staff with attainable solutions that will assist in building the
resilience of young people in Kitchener.
REPORT:
A Statistical Snapshot:
1.The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) revealed that public and
Catholic school students in grades 7 through 12 across Ontario reported a high burden
of mental health problems. These included psychological distress, suicidal ideation,
loneliness, and fair/poor self-rated mental health. (CAMH, 2021).
2. Two-thirds of students in Guelph-Wellington, Stratford Perth, and Waterloo Region
reported facing significant mental health challenges in 2021 (YMCA WW, 2021), with
certain subgroups experiencing a disproportionate burden even before the pandemic
(RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019).
3. In Waterloo Region, the number of youths accessing community-based mental health
services has increased by more than 229% over the last two years (Lutherwood as Lead
Agency for child and youth mental health services in Waterloo Region, 2022).
4. In Kitchener, (2021) only 50.9% of Kitchener youth reported their mental health as being
more positive than negative, the lowest percentage among Waterloo, Cambridge, and the
townships (CYPT 2021d).
Project EMPTHY Kitchener identifies helpful and harmful factors that contribute to the current
situation among Kitchener youth. Opportunities for growth include the social context surrounding
youth (especially the issues of bullying, discrimination, and relationships with parents), school-
related stressors, the lack of employment/volunteer opportunities, aspects of the support
systems for youth wellbeing (e.g., systems coordination, the gap in services for young adults
aged 18-24), and issues related to equity, intersectionality, and ageism.
Local strengths that can be built on to improve youth wellbeing include the diversity of Kitchener
communities, existing programs and services that support youth (especially those that create
safe spaces of belonging for youth and use a place-based approach), multisectoral initiatives
that aim to leverage collective efforts to address societal issues, the desire for change, and
funding innovations aimed at creating more efficient and equitable means for communities to
thrive.
Based on the analyses and direct engagement with youth, their families, and community
partners, Project EMPTHY Kitchener proposes six solutions that the City of Kitchener can
implement to tackle some of the most important issues that impact youth wellbeing.
Project EMPTHY Kitchener Solutions:
Theme: Youth Leadership
Solution #1: Create the next generation of leaders by co-creating with
youth, two new programs. (1) An additional stream of the
RISE fund that supports youth to pilot their ideas for solutions
to improve inequities and wellbeing and (2) A Youth
Mentorship approach and program that will support racialized
and marginalized populations
Solution #2: Amplify and diversify youth voices by co-creating with
youth a new youth friendly communication strategy and youth
engagement plan
Solution #3: Empower youth in their journey towards independence by
pilotinga program that would provide free access to public
transit to youth program staff and attendees, with
the intention to advocate for the program to be expanded with
system partners.
Theme: Strong Circles of Support
Solution #4: Address the gap in programming for transitioning age
youth between the ages of 18-24 by creating a dedicated
program and program space with supports and services for
those youth with disabilities and/or mental health issues.
Solution #5: Provide non-specialized supports within current
programs to meet youth where they are at by training all
City staff who work directly with youth in Mental Health First
Aid and on priority topics such as equity, intersectionality, and
ageism.
Theme: Family Friendly Systems
Solution #6: Make the navigation of and access to supports easier for
youth and families by collaborating with government,
community partners and youth and their families to streamline
access to information about youth wellbeing supports.
To ensure positive outcomes, approaches to these solutions should include collaboration with
system partners, meaningful youth engagement and a commitment to properly resource the
implementation and evaluation of Project EMPTHY Kitchener.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports A Caring Community.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The financial costs associated with the implementation of the solutions identified in Project
EMPTHY Kitchener will be deferred to the 2023 budget deliberation process.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
COLLOBORATE - Co-creation with youth, their families and community partners were key
principles in the development of Project EMPTHY Kitchener. The surveys, reports, and other
publications that were analyzed were developed with significant and verified community
engagement methods. It was important that this report document and amplify youth voices as it
relates to how they feel about their own wellbeing.
Over 100 youth and their families were engaged through focus groups, qualitative interviews,
and online engagement to inform this report, its findings, and the associated proposed solutions.
Senior leadership and staff representing several City of Kitchener departments were consulted
with (including front line youth workers). Staff from 20 youth-serving community organizations
were also consulted.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
th
At the June 20, 2022, Council meeting the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo
Region presented findings from the Youth Impact Survey (YIS) 2021, which assessed nine
domains of wellbeing among youth aged 9-18. The YIS 2021 findings were analyzed and
incorporated in Appendix A.
APPROVED BY: Must be the CAO or a General Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A Project EMPTHY Kitchener
Project EMPTHY (EMPowered, Thriving, and Happy Youth) Kitchener:
Issues and Options Report on Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing Post-Pandemic
Written by Briana Acosta
Presented to the City of Kitchener Council
August 8, 2022
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Territorial Acknowledgment
The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and
Haudenosaunee Peoples.
We recognize our responsibility to serve as stewards for the land and honour the original
caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and
deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Kitchener today.
Other Acknowledgements
I would like to thank:
All the youth, as well as the parents and families of youth who offered their perspectives and
insights to this project, whether through direct engagement with myself or with others engaged in
this work before me
Mayor Vrbanovic for selecting this important issue as a mayoral priority and commissioning this
project to advance actions to address it
Dan Chapman, the entire Community Services Department, and all other City staff who
collaborated with me in this work
LoriAnn Palubeski who went above and beyond to support me both in this specific project and in
my professional development during every step of my fellowship
All of the community partners with whom I met or otherwise engaged for this project, without
whose systems-level perspective and recognition that the issues affecting the city of Kitchener
affect all of Waterloo Region in different ways, my proposed solutions would not have been
possible. These partners include the following:
Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT)
Youth Engagement Community of Practice (YECP)
Canadian Mental Health Association, Waterloo Wellington Chapter (CMHA WW)
Waterloo Region Public Health & Emergency Services (WRPHES)
Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC)
of Waterloo Region (FCSWR)
Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL)
City of Waterloo
Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN)
Sunbeam Community and Developmental Services (SCDS)
Kitchener Youth Action Council (KYAC)
Carizon
Pamela Fehr, for her work with Lutherwood as Lead Agency
OneROOF
K-W Urban Native Wigwam Project
SPECTRUM
Waterloo Region Yes in My Back Yard (WR YIMBY)
Wellbeing Waterloo Region (WWR)
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Lutherwood
House of Friendship
Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo (CMW KW)
African Family Revival Organization (AFRO)
Content Warning
This report talks about sensitive and/or disturbing information and data related to:
Mental health
Substance use/overdose
Food and drink/eating disorders
Self-harm/suicide
Homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, xenophobia, ablism, fatphobia (any kind of
discrimination)
Homelessness
Bullying
Talk of dysphoria, body image, and appearance
Some of the content may be difficult to read. I encourage readers to prioritize their own
wellbeing when reviewing this information and if necessary, to please contact one of the
following resources for support:
Front Door (for youth): 519-749-2932
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Counselling Collaborative of Waterloo Region: 519-804-1097
Here 24/7: 1-844-437-3247
Notes
For the purposes of this project, the City of Kitchener uses the term
to refer to all individuals aged 24 and under, unless otherwise specified
For the purposes of this project, the City of Kitchener uses the term yto
refer to individuals aged 18-24
Guiding Principles
An important set of six overarching principles drove my approach to this project and are
embedded throughout this report:
Equity and intersectionality - I prioritized groups who are marginalized in various
ways, especially those who are Indigenous, racialized, have exceptional or complex needs
(related to development or physical disabilities and/or mental health), are members of the
LGBTQ2+ community (especially those who are trans and non-binary), and/or are young
adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years old.
Co-creation with youth I spoke directly to youth and analyzed the results of surveys
and conversations with youth about the current situation and potential recommendations
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for action, with the goal of documenting and amplifying their voices, rather than
imposing my own ideas of what the problems and solutions are.
Wholistic wellbeing
expansive and comprehensive than issues related to formal mental health diagnoses. I
wanted to recognize that mental wellbeing cannot be disentangled from physical, social,
spiritual, or other aspects of wellbeing.
-inventing the whee I intentionally sought out, learned about, and built on the
work that has already been done in this space by local partners, while aiming to be the
thread connecting different entities' work by synthesizing and consolidating it.
Prevention/upstream social determinants of health (SDOH) Among my proposed
solutions, I prioritized preventive approaches to wellbeing that addressed more
mental health and wellbeing.
Strengths-based thinking I maintained a focus on the following questions: Where are
the bright spots (i.e. areas where things are working well) in the local community? How
can we expand or scale them up? What assets are not being utilized to their full potential?
Limitations
collected by diverse systems, organizations, and entities, and thereby is fragmented,
spans a range of different time periods and levels of detail, and (due to pandemic-related
delays or limitations of measurement activities) at times incomplete. Thus, the data I
present in this report are those that highlight some of the principal issues and trends
related to the mental wellbeing of youth in Kitchener and that were accessible within the
limited timeframe of my fellowship. In addition, it should be noted that some data was
not available at the municipal level and/or for specific age groups, and so statistics for the
region, province, or nation and/or for all age groups are referenced.
Another limitation is that many of the surveys and measurement tools analyzed here did
not have a sample of respondents that was representative of the population studied.
Furthermore, not all of them took statistical significance into consideration when
comparing indicators across time or subpopulations.
Only those equity-deserving youth populations for whom data, whether quantitative or
qualitative, was able to be obtained are explicitly mentioned in the report. However, other
marginalized youth populations that also deserve particular attention when it comes to
youth wellbeing include those who are: involved in the juvenile justice system, Muslim
or members of other religious minorities, treated differently due to their body
size/shape/other feature of their physical appearance, and youth that come from a single-
parent household, among others
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Executive Summary
This report synthesizes data from various sources about the current state of youth mental health
and wellbeing in the city of Kitchener. While youth, particularly equity-deserving youth, faced
challenges in their wellbeing before the COVID-19 pandemic, its onset in many ways worsened
the situation. Specifically, there has been an increased youth burden of issues like psychological
distress, suicidal ideation, substance use, and eating disorders. Service providers also confirmed
that ever younger children have been seeking mental health services, more youth are seeking
help for the first time, and clinical cases are becoming increasingly complex.
Last year 2/3 of students in Guelph-
A recent survey revealed that students
Wellington, Stratford Perth, and
in grades 7-12 across Ontario reported
Waterloo Region reported facing
a high burden of mental health
significant mental health challenges
problems. These included
(YMCA WW, 2021), with certain
psychological distress, suicidal
subgroups experiencing a
ideation, loneliness, and fair/poor self-
disproportionate burden even before
rated mental health (CAMH, 2021).
the pandemic (RWPHES & WRSPC,
2019).
THE CURRENT
SITUATION:
KEY STATS
The number of local youths
In Kitchener, (2021) only 50.9% of
accessing community-based mental
Kitchener youth reported their
health services has increased by
mental health as being more
more than 200% during COVID-19
positive than negative, the lowest
(Lutherwood as Lead Agency for
percentage among Waterloo,
child and youth mental health
Cambridge, and the townships
services in Waterloo Region, 2022).
(CYPT 2021d).
This report identifies helpful and harmful factors about the local context that contribute to this
current situation. Opportunities for growth include the social context surrounding youth
(especially the issues of bullying, discrimination, and relationships with parents), school-related
stressors, the lack of job/volunteer skills and opportunities, various aspects of the support
systems for youth wellbeing (specifically, systems coordination, access to supports, funding
systems, the gap in supports for young adults aged 18-24), and the longstanding issues related to
equity, intersectionality, and tokenism that permeate society.
Local strengths that can be built on to improve youth wellbeing include the diversity of
Kitchener communities, existing programs and services that support youth (especially those that
create safe spaces of belonging for youth, use a place-based approach by going to where youth
are, and provide basic needs assistance), the abundance of multisectoral initiatives that aim to
leverage collective efforts to address societal issues like youth wellbeing, the intense desire for
change among youth, their families, and organizational actors, and the growing list of funding
innovations aimed at creating more efficient and equitable means for communities to thrive.
6
Based on my analyses and direct engagement with youth, their families, and community partners,
I have distilled seven proposed solutions that the City of Kitchener can implement to tackle some
of the most important issues that impact youth wellbeing:
1. Create the Next Generation of Leaders by co-creating with youth a dedicated stream of
the RISE fund for youth to pilot their ideas for solutions to improve wellbeing
2. Amplify and Diversify Youth Voices by co-creating with youth a new communications
strategy for all City youth programs, partnering with the Kitchener Youth Action Council
for this project, and creating City principles for youth engagement
3. Empower Youth in Their Journey Towards Independence by piloting and expanding
a program to provide free access to public transit to City youth program staff and
attendees, and advocating for its expansion to schools, and eventually, to the region
4. Address the Gap in Programming for Transition Age Youth Aged 18-24 by creating
a drop-in program for youth aged 18-24, especially for those with exceptional needs
5. Provide Non-specialized Supports within Current Programs to Meet Youth Where
They Are at by training all City staff who directly work with youth in Mental Health
First Aid and equity topics
6. Make the Navigation of and Access to Supports Easier for Youth and Families by
collaborating with regional partners to streamline access to information about youth
wellbeing supports and expand supports for parents of racialized and LGBTQ2+ youth
My hope is that this report gives the City a starting point of concrete action steps they can take to
help craft a world where youth do not just survive, but thrive.
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Introduction
This report was commissioned by the City of Kitchener to address the mayoral priority of
improving youth mental health and wellbeingpost-pandemic. In my role as a Summer Fellow
through the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, I collaborated with the city, youth
and their families, and key partners across diverse sectors for 10 weeks to craft a strategy to
address the social determinants of mental health and broader wellbeing .
As a broad overview, my fellowship spanned three stages:
1. I learned about the current challenges, gaps, strengths, and priorities in youth
mental health by analyzing existing data (from published surveys, reports, etc.), as well
as engaging directly with youth and related partners (through interviews, focus groups,
etc.) to elaborate on that data and fill in any information gaps.
2. I synthesized the data and recommendations related to youth wellbeing that had
already been put forth by various entities and cross-referenced these recommendations
with the findings of a literature review of effective solutions being implemented that
could be applicable to the Kitchener context.
3. I identified solutions that the City of Kitchener can implement to address youth
mental health and wellbeing through a process that aimed to balance importance,
impact, feasibility, and acceptability. These recommendations include what Kitchener can
do as a city, what it can advocate for, and what it can do in collaboration with partners.
In total, I analyzed 20+ existing local reports and other publications, met with 100+ youth and
their families, and engaged staff from 20+ community partners, to produce this final report.
The Current Realities of Youth Wellbeing
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of youths under 18 in Waterloo
Region seeking mental health services per month has increased by 229% and is trending
upwards. The top presenting concerns are anxiety, emotion management, and family conflict,
which have remained consistent over the last 2 years (Lutherwood as Lead Agency, 2022). Data
reveal that overall local youth have seen increases in psychological distress, suicidal ideation,
substance use, and eating disorders. Service providers confirm that ever younger children are
seeking mental health services, more youth areseeking help for the first time, and youth cases
are becoming increasingly complex. So what about the local context is contributing to these
? (Please see Appendix A for more details
on the current state of youth wellbeing and the helpful and harmful factors contributing to it).
Areas Ripe for Growth
Opportunities for Improvement Summary Table
1. Social Context Surrounding Youth
2. School-related Stressors
3. Job/Volunteer Skills and Opportunities
4. Support Systems for Youth Wellbeing
a. Systems Coordination
b. Access to Supports
c. Funding Systems
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d. Young Adults
5. Equity, Intersectionality, and Tokenism
1. Social Context Surrounding Youth. Youth are surrounded by key individuals, such
as their peers, families, neighbors, teachers, coaches, and staff at libraries, community centres,
parks, recreation facilities, and other spaces where youth commonly spend their time. These
relationships ce their wellbeing.
Many youth reported experiencing discrimination based on their physical appearance,
sex, age, race or skin color, ethnicity/culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and/or
disability, as well as bullying. Youth also reported that overall bullying, including cyberbullying,
has been increasing due to an increase in social media use, a trend worsened by COVID-19.
Youth also reported struggling in their relationships with parents and other adults in their
lives given that their experiences, feelings, and concerns were often dismissed. In turn, parents of
youth expressed a strong desire and need for support in building healthy relationships with their
children. In particular, parents of youth who are racialized, immigrant/refugee, LGBTQ2+,
and/or have exceptional needs expressed a desire for nonjudgmental peer support in navigating
their unique challenges.
2. School-related Stressors. More than a third of youth reported having more
schoolwork than they can handle, with a majority feeling at least some pressure from their
schoolwork. Finally, almost 40% of youth reported that they did not like school at all or they did
not like it very much (CYPT, 2021b). Among the youth I spoke to, most said the biggest stressor
in their lives was academics. Youth of high school age and older reported feeling stress about
lacking guidance in general, navigating the application process for post-secondary education,
transitioning from education into the workforce, and/or balancing work and employment.
3. Job/Volunteer Skills and Opportunities. Youth reported struggling to find suitable
employment, as well as volunteer opportunities. Suitable job positions for them were related to
their interests, compensated fairly, took place in a work environment that respected and valued
them, matched their skill level, and were accessible to them. Youth under the age of 18 reported
struggling to find any employment at all. Youth reported that the financial insecurity resulting
from these employment challenges was exacerbated by the rising housing costs in the region.
Suitable volunteer opportunities for youth involved making a positive impact on their
community, matched their skills, and were related to their interests.
4. Support Systems for Youth Wellbeing. Several challenges that youth and their
families face have to do with the systems that are meant to support them and their wellbeing.
4a. Systems Coordination.While it is great that there are so many resources available for
this population, I heard from youth and their families, how confusing and overwhelming it is
trying to navigate all the different systems, organizations, and levels of government to get their
needs met. These difficulties are exacerbated by each entity having different eligibility criteria,
application processes, timelines, and locations. Youth and families reported often not even
knowing where to start or who to turn to for their informational or service needs.
Despite the many interorganizational initiatives aimed at helping to resolve this problem,
local organizations reported room for further growth related to the coordination of these
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initiativ
versus youth wellbeing, for example), but have the same root causes.
4b. Access to Supports. The increased mental health burden due to COVID-19 and
increased demand for related services have meant that many local community-based mental
health intervention services now have years-long wait lists. On the other hand, private providers
of mental health intervention services are often not affordable for youth and their families.
While youth reported that wellbeing supports focused on promotion and/or prevention
were more accessible, they still cited barriers to participation in these. For example, the most
common barriers to participating in recreational activities that youth reported were not having
anyone to do them with and not having the time, money, transportation, or other means of access.
Another major access barrier for youth was their lack of knowledge that supports even
exist. Staff from many youth-serving organizations expressed that a challenge for them is that the
clients they serve tend to be the ones who already know about and are engaged with their
organizations or who know people engaged with their organizations. They struggle to reach new
potential clients, especially those from equity-deserving groups. To illustrate, even young adult
staff who worked for the City were not aware of other youth programs. In fact, most
youth involved with City programs or job/volunteer opportunities for youth told me they heard
about them through word of mouth, saying it was difficult to find information on their own.
4c. Funding Systems. Compounding the problem of access is the fact that community-
based organizations (CBOs) serving youth and families often do not have enough funding to
meet the demand for their services and programs. In addition, organizations reported that the
nature of the funding that they did havemuch of which comes in the form of grantswas not
as helpful as it could be, and in fact, at times complicated their ability to fulfill their mission.
Specifically, CBOs reportedthat one of their biggest challenges was the restrictions
attached to much of the funding that they receive. These rules, which may dictate that the funds
can onlybe used for specific projects or, even more narrowly, for direct costs associated with
those projects (not general operating costs like staff salaries), impede these organizations in
being able to build capacity and be responsive to the shifting needs of their clients. These
funding restrictions also hamper ability to empower youth by transferring funds to
them directly so that youth can implement their own solutions to the problems they face.
In addition, organizations, especially smaller or newer ones, talked about the time,
infrastructure, staff, and expertise required to look for grants, apply to them, and report back to
funders. They explained how this creates a vicious cycle in which the organizations with the least
funds often have the least capacity to engage in these application and reporting processes, which
means they are the least likely to get new funding, causing the cycle to repeat. The result is
understaffing and burn out among existing staff, which hinders their ability to serve clients well.
Finally, organizations struggled with the time-limited nature of most grants, saying that
even effective programs that significantly benefit clients are often discontinued due to lack of
funding sincegrants are not sustainable, only lasting from one to three years at best.
4d. Young Adults. O ne of the biggest gaps I identified related to a particular subgroup of
youth was the lack of supports for young adults aged 18-24 years old. This is because many
programs and services for youth cut off at age 18, and while there are adult supports, they are
either difficult or uncomfortable for youth to access. Young adults expressed that this makes
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them feel forgotten, despite the fact that they are in a critical phase of their life characterized by
transitions, uncertainty, and personal development for which they need a lot of support.
5. Equity, Intersectionality, and Tokenism.Many, if not all, of the challenges I have
identified disproportionately affect certain subgroups of youth, such as those who are
Indigenous, racialized, females, LGBTQ2+, homeless/at-risk, immigrants/refugees, low-income,
older have exceptional
needs (developmental/physical disability and/or mental health issues). While COVID-19 helped
shed light on these inequities, it simultaneously perpetuated and exacerbated them.
Furthermore, it is important to recognize that in addition to youth, youth-serving
organizations led by and for individuals from equity-deserving groups experience these forms of
marginalization as well. Across the board, equity-deserving individuals and organizations I
engaged with expressed a desire for their agency and value to be respected and for them to have
a meaningful role in decision-making processes at every level of society.
Another area for growth that I identified is intersectionality. Most equity-oriented
organizations, initiatives, programs, services, and/or events I learned about were geared toward a
specific equity-deserving group, while failing to explicitly recognize those individuals who may
belong to more than one marginalized community and thus have a unique set of experiences.
Finally, we must not forget that youth themselves are an equity-deserving community. As
opinions, agency, and expertise from their lived experience are often
denied by the adults around them and the broader society. Thus, youth expressed a need to
suggest their own ideas about how to solve their problems and have them be validated. They also
expressed a desire for the support and resources to actually put their ideas into practice.
Areas that Shine
Strengths to Be Leveraged Summary Table
1. Diversity of Kitchener Communities
2. Existing Programs and Services
3. Abundance of Multisectoral Initiatives
4. Desire for Change
5. Funding Innovations
1. Diversity of Kitchener Communities.
diversity. Where people from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and life experiences
come together, there is bound to be more learning, creativity, open-mindedness, and willingness
strengths available to be leveraged to tackle complex problems. Not only are its residents
diverse, but so too are the nature and missions of the local organizations that serve youth and
families, which will be vital youth.
2. Existing Programs and Services. As previously mentioned, there are a wide range of
organizations, programs, and services that serve youth and families in Kitchener, and they are the
-
with youth and families and advocating for their needs.
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Onekey strength among the supports availableis the creation of
can be themselves, socialize with peers and caring adults, and
receive support for various aspects of their wellbeing. The City of Kitchener creates these spaces
through its Youth Drop-In (YDI) program for youth aged 12-17, for which most staff are also
youth aged 18-24. The adults who staff these types of programs were identified by youth and
community partners as key resources for youth wellbeing whose potential has not been fully
utilized. In fact, YDI staff expressed a desire for better training related to navigating issues
related to mental health, equity, diversity, and inclusion with program attendees.
Another asset is the place-based work that aims to overcome access barriers by bringing
programs and services to where youth and families are, whether in their neighborhoods or even
right in their housing complexes. Finally, despite the specific mission of each organization, many
assist with greatly improves
to services and also addresses some of the root causes of wellbeing problems.
3. Abundance of Multisectoral Initiatives. Building on and advancing the incredible
work of these individual organizations and entities, are the numerous multisectoral coalitions and
initiatives in the local context, many of which are region-wide. These coalitions are made up of
CBOs, people with lived experience, educational institutions, governmental agencies, as well as
foundations and other partners. They are a response to the recognition that efforts to tackle
societal problems are much more efficient and powerful when they are collective and leverage
Children and Youth Planning Table, the Crime Prevention Council, and Wellbeing Waterloo
Region are all doing incredible work driven by this concept.
4. Desire for Change. In the local context there has already been a large amount of work
by individual organizations and multisectoral initiatives related to youth mental health and
wellbeing, the Youth Impact Survey
being some of the most prominent. These efforts to analyze the current challenges and priorities
related to this topic speak strongly to a desire for change among diverse local stakeholders. The
results of their community engagement, as well as my own, also reflected an intense desire for
change among youth and families themselves that will be key to advancing progress.
5. Funding Innovations. In response to growing recognition of the issues related to
funding and power dynamics I identified above, many entities across Waterloo Region have
begun piloting more equitable and effective ways to fund the important work of creating thriving
communities.
for Equity) Fund and LoveMyHood matching grants, the Lyle S. Hallman
operating support, as well as the work of the Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL),
are just some examples of these innovations. These entities are pushing the needle toward
trusting community-based groups and residents to know best how to improve their own lives.
Proposed Solutions
Proposed Solutions - Summary Table
Solutions Issues Addressed Strengths Leveraged
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
1. Create the next
Support systems for youth wellbeing Funding innovations
generation of leaders
(Access to supports, Funding systems)
12
Job/volunteer skills and opportunities Existing
programs/services
Social context surrounding youth
Diversity of Kitchener
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
2. Amplify and diversify
Support systems for youth wellbeing Existing
youth voices
(Access to supports) programs/services
Job/volunteer skills and opportunities Diversity of Kitchener
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
3. Empower youth in
Support systems for youth wellbeing Existing
their journey towards
(Access to supports) programs/services
independence
Job/volunteer skills and opportunities
School-related stressors
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
4. Address the gap in
Support systems for youth wellbeing Existing
programming for
(Access to supports, Young adults) programs/services
transition age youth
Job/volunteer skills and opportunities Diversity of Kitchener
aged 18-24
School-related stressors
Social context surrounding youth
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
5. Provide non-
Support systems for youth wellbeing Existing
specialized supports
(Access to supports) programs/services
within current programs
Job/volunteer skills and opportunities Diversity of Kitchener
to meet youth where
Social context surrounding youth
they are at
Equity, intersectionality, and tokenism Desire for change
6. Make the navigation
Support systems for youth wellbeing Abundance of
of and access to supports
(Access to supports, Systems coordination) multisectoral initiatives
easier
Social context surrounding youth Existing
programs/services
Diversity of Kitchener
*Please see Appendix B for more details about the proposed solutions.*
Solution 1: Create the Next Generation of Leaders
Immediate: I propose that the City co-create with youth a new dedicated stream of the
RISE Fund for racialized and Indigenous youth, while giving priority to thosewith
intersecting marginalized identities. I proposethat the City offer more intensive, youth-
friendly support to potential grantees of this stream from the application process through
the reporting process, make sure these processes are simple, accessible, and flexible, and
have Indigenous and racialized youth be a part of the committee that selects grantees. I
also suggest engaging in collaborative learning with SWRIL in designing and operating
this streamgiven their expertise in funding youth pilot projects. Finally, I recommend
including a peer learning component that enables grantees to learn from each other.
Short-term: At least 3 youth grantees are chosen for the pilot, and the grant is evaluated.
Long-term: The grant opportunity is adapted and expanded as appropriate.
Solution 2: Amplify and Diversify Youth Voices
Immediate: I propose that the City co-create with youth a new communications strategy
for all of its youth programs and services. I recommend that this new strategy prioritize
reaching equity-deserving youth, especially those with intersecting marginalized
13
identities. As part of this new strategy,I propose creating a Youth Liaison Teamtasked
with doing outreach in the community to promote City programs and services for youth
and families. I also suggest exploring the possibility of creating a School Champions
program to formalize the existing informal network of teachers and other staff who take
active steps to encourage students to participate in programs and services around the city.
Short-term: I propose that the City engage KYAC as a co-creation and accountability
partner for the development of an implementation plan for Project EMPTHY, following
I also propose that the
Equity and Anti-Racism Advisory Committee to Council explore the possibility of
adding at least one youth member if no current members are under the age of 25.
Long-term: I propose that the City co-create with youth a set of guiding principles for
youth engagement(i.e. those activities aimed at helping the City understand youth
perspectives and experiences). I suggest that these principles include prioritizing the
voices of equity-deserving youth, paying all youth for their time and labor, and providing
all youth with transportation, among other things. I propose that the City support partners
in adopting these same principles for their youth engagement. Finally, I propose that the
City make engaging youth standard protocol for its strategic planning processes.
Solution 3: Empower Youth in Their Journey Towards Independence
Immediate: I propose that the City collaborate with the City of Kingston to learn about
their model of free access to public transportation for high-school-aged youth and under.
This model includes the Kingston High School Transit Pass Program (i.e. free bus
passes), as well as the elimination of fares for youth aged 0-14. This model has increased
requency of public transit use and their participation in more independent trips
and extra-
even help youth I spoke to who could not afford to take public transit to school.
Short-term: The City pilots purchasing free, year-round bus passes for YDI staff and
select other City youth staff and program participants as appropriate.
Long-term: The City expands the Kingston model to all youth involved with City
programs and services and collaborates with partners to advocate for the expansion of the
model to Kitchener schools, and eventually for universal free transit for everyone under
25 in Waterloo Region.
Solution 4: Address the Gap in Programming for Transition Age Youth Aged 18-24
Immediate: I propose that the City co-create with young adults aged 18 to 24 a free,
year-round drop-in program that provides a safe space of belonging, alongside academic
and employment support, opportunities for recreation, mentorship, and other wellness
activities. This program should have a site specifically for youth with exceptional needs.
Short-term: The City pilots this program at 3-5 community centres and evaluates it.
Long-term: The City adapts and expands the program to other centres as appropriate.
14
Solution 5: Provide Non-specialized Supports within Current Programs toMeet Youth Where
They Are at
Immediate: I propose that the City train YDI staff and all other City staff who work
directly with youth in Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based curriculum that
increases knowledge of mental health and their competency in assisting people
with mental health issues, while also benefitting their own mental health (MHCC, 2018).
Short-term: The City makes sessions focused on equity and intersectionality topics
mandatory components of training for all YDI staff and all other City staff who work
directly with youth. Feedback from YDI staff advocated for live speakers with lived
experience as the most effective and meaningful way to receive this information. I
recommend that the City ensure these speakers are paid fairly for their time and labor.
Long-term: The City creates a plan to collaborate with community partners across the
city interested in adopting these training practices for their staff who work with youth.
Solution 6: Make the Navigation of and Access to Supports Easier
Immediate: I propose that the City pull together regional partners to demonstrate the
Waterloo Region.
Short-term: The City convenes regional partners, youth, and families to explore
opportunities and partner readiness for creating a centralized database for this purpose.
Long-term: The City continues collaborating with partners to carry out these efforts. The
City also convenes partners, youth, and families to explore opportunities and partner
readiness related to expanding non-specialized parent-to-parent supportfor youth
emotional/behavioral problems, especially among the parents of racialized and
LGBTQ2+ youth.
Conclusion
To summarize my findings related to the mental health
, I would say
I mean youth are hungry for peers and adults alike to listen to and
care about their experiences. They are hungry for bold action and
not simply talk of action. They are hungry for
not in a couple weeks, months, or years. Ultimately, they are
hungry to craft their own futures in a world where they do not just survive but thrive.
With that said, I should note that the proposed solutions contained in this report are not meant to
be an all-encompassing strategy that will magically solve the complex problems related to youth
wellbeing. Rather, I hope that my findings can give the City some important ways it can leverage
its position as a municipality to advance collective efforts to build the resilience of youth and the
larger community. With that said, I urge the City to recognize that many of the issues I identified
are not specific to Kitchener, but rather exist (perhaps in different forms)across Waterloo
Region. Thus, my hope is that the City goes above and beyond my proposed solutions to
collaborate with partners in the long-term work of changing systems to ensure that all of the
youth are empowered, thriving, and happy today, tomorrow and in the future.
15
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Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) & University of Waterloo (UW). (2019). Wellbeing in
Waterloo Region: A Summary of Results from the CIW Community Wellbeing Survey.
https://www.wellbeingwr.ca/wellbeing-survey/
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA National). (2022). Running on empty: How
community mental health organizations have fared on the frontlines of COVID-19.
https://cmha.ca/news-release-round-4-covid-19-research/
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). (2021). The Ontario Student Drug Use and
Mental Health Survey (OSDUHS). https://www.camh.ca/en/science-and-
research/institutes-and-centres/institute-for-mental-health-policy-research/ontario-
student-drug-use-and-health-survey---osduhs
Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region. (2021a). 2021 Youth Impact
Survey-Age Snapshot Brief. https://childrenandyouthplanningtable.ca/2021-youth-impact-
survey/
Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region. (2021b). 2021 Youth Impact
Survey-Data Briefs. https://childrenandyouthplanningtable.ca/2021-youth-impact-survey/
Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region. (2021c). 2021 Youth Impact
Survey-Gender Snapshot Brief. https://childrenandyouthplanningtable.ca/2021-youth-
impact-survey/
Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region. (2021d). 2021 Youth Impact
Survey-Geography Snapshot Brief. https://childrenandyouthplanningtable.ca/2021-youth-
impact-survey/
City of Kitchener (COK). (2022a, July 4). Love My Hood Matching Grant.
https://www.lovemyhood.ca/en/tools-money/neighbourhood-matching-grant.aspx
City of Kitchener (COK). (2022b, July 14). RISE Fund: Racialized and Indigenous Supports for
Equity. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/taxes-utilities-and-finance/rise-fund-racialized-and-
indigenous-supports-for-equity.aspx
Goodman, A., Jones, A., Roberts,
Provision of Free Bus Travel to Young Londoners. Mobilities, 9(2), 275293.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2013.782848
Hendry, D. (2021, May 13). the
benefits public transit can have on our youth, schools and the community. Clean50.
https://clean50.com/the-kingston-model-for-youth-transit-programming-the-benefits-
public-transit-can-have-on-our-youth-schools-and-the-community/
Lutherwood as Lead Agency for Child and Youth Mental Health Services in Waterloo Region.
(2022).
for Mental Health Programs.
16
Lyle S. Hallman Foundation(LHF). (n.d.-a). Current Grants. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from
https://www.lshallmanfdn.org/Current-Grants.htm
Lyle S. Hallman Foundation (LHF). (n.d.-b). Pilot Projects. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from
https://www.lshallmanfdn.org/Pilot-Projects.htm
Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). (2018, May 17). Evidence for MHFA
effectiveness. Mental Health Commission of Canada | Mental Health First Aid.
https://www.mhfa.ca/en/evidence-mhfa-effectiveness
Pamela Fehr. (2022). Mental Wellbeing for our Kids: A Community Framework A Report for
Waterloo Region, Commissioned by Lutherwood as Lead Agency.
Region of Waterloo (ROW). (2018). Smart Waterloo RegionSmart Cities Application: Healthy
Children and Youth. https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/doing-business/smart-waterloo-
region.aspx#A-Brief-History-of-Smart-Cities
Region of Waterloo Public Health (RWPH). (2017). Quick Stats: Alcohol Drinking Status.
https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regional-government/health.aspx
Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services (RWPHES) & Waterloo Region
Integrated Drugs Strategy (WRIDS). (2021). Waterloo Region Opioid Bulletin: Q4
Quarterly Report (December 2021). chrome-
extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regio
nal-government/resources/Reports-Plans--Data/Public-Health-and-Emergency-
Services/Waterloo_Region_Opioid_Bulletin_December_2021.pdf
Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services (RWPHES), & Waterloo Region
Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC). (2019). Community Profile on Suicide and Self-
Harm in Waterloo Region. https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regional-
government/health.aspx#Mental-Health
SPECTRUM. (2021).
survey results. https://www.ourspectrum.com/2021/06/16/perception-of-lgbtq2-people-
in-waterloo-region-spectrums-survey-results/
Sullivan, V. L. (2017). Impact of Free Transit Passes on Youth Travel Behaviour \[University of
Waterloo\]. https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/12199
The Immigration Partnership of Waterloo Region (IP). (2021a). Immigrants Living in Kitchener:
2021 Immigrant Survey Profile. https://www.immigrationwaterlooregion.ca/en/business-
opportunities/immigrantsurvey.aspx
The Immigration Partnership of Waterloo Region (IP). (2021b). Waterloo Region Immigrant
Survey Summary Report (2021). https://www.immigrationwaterlooregion.ca/en/business-
opportunities/immigrantsurvey.aspx
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF). (2016). Waterloo Region Vital
Signs Priority Report. https://www.kwcf.ca/vital-signs
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF). (2021). Waterloo Region Vital
Signs 2021 Report: Affordable Housing. https://www.kwcf.ca/vital-signs
17
World Health Organization (WHO). (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental
health for all. https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240049338
YMCA WorkWell (YMCA WW) - YMCA of the Three Rivers. (2021). The Loneliness
Epidemic: 2021 YMCA WorkWell Special Issue Report.
https://www.ymcaworkwell.com/special-report-2021
18
Appendix A: The Realities of Youth Wellbeing
Across the globe, the COVID-
from the physical and economic health impacts it has had, the pandemic has also caused,
perpetuated, and exacerbated mental health issues in diverse communities around the world.
When it comes to this concurrent crisis of mental health, certain populationsas is the case with
COVID-19 itselfare at higher risk of experiencing difficulties, including children and youth
(WHO, 2022). The information contained in this appendix is intended to elaborate on what is
currently known about these issues related to youth mental health and wellbeing in Kitchener, as
well as the helpful and harmful factors in the local context that contribute to the current situation.
However, you will probably notice when reviewing the following data that many of the issues
found in Kitchener can also be found, perhaps in different forms, across Waterloo Region.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Summary Table
1. Psychological Distress
2. Substance Use
3. Suicide and Self-Harm
4. Eating Disorders
5. Physical Wellbeing and Technology
Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes
Psychological Distress
The most recent Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) revealed that
public and Catholic school students in grades 7 through 12 across the province reported a high
burden of mental health problems. These included psychological distress, suicidal ideation,
loneliness, and fair/poor self-rated mental health. These problems were twice as prevalent among
were also more
likely than males to report that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively affected their mental
(CAMH, 2021).
Narrowing our scope, two-thirds of students in Guelph-Wellington, Stratford Perth, and
Waterloo Regionreported facing significant mental health challenges in 2021 (YMCA WW,
2021), with certain subgroups within this population experiencing a disproportionate burden of
mental health problems even before the pandemic (RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019). To illustrate,
over the past two years, youth under 18 seeking mental health services in Waterloo Region
increased by over 200% (Lutherwood as Lead Agency, 2022).
Focusing on Waterloo Region specifically, according to the recent Youth Impact Survey
(YIS) of children and youth aged 9-18 in the region conducted by the Children and Youth
Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT), mental health outcomes have worsened among this
population as well since 2020. For example, over half of youth said they felt sad or hopeless for
several days in a row, to the extent that they stopped doing some of their usual activities. Almost
a quarter were diagnosed with a mood (9.2%) or anxiety (15.1%) disorder. Almost half reported
not feeling good about being able to manage their responsibilities, and almost 3 out of 10 youth
19
found most days stressful. In addition,56.5% of youth were constantly under stress trying to
accomplish more than they can handle. Furthermore, almost half of youth did not agree that they
have control over issues that matter to them (2021b). When we look at the city of Kitchener,
(2021) only 50.9% of Kitchener youth reported their mental health as being more positive than
negative, the lowest percentage among Waterloo, Cambridge, and the townships (CYPT 2021d).
Substance Use
CMHA WW reports that substance use has increased among youth of all ages, and other
community-based organizations attest that this trend is especially pronounced among certain
subpopulations, such as Indigenous youth and youth experiencing housing precarity or
homelessness. While exact quantification of the overall increase is elusive due to the restraints
the pandemic has placed on measurement activities, there is some data related to specific
substances. For example, during the pre-COVID years 2013-2014, 72.4% of youth aged 19-24
and 11.7% of youth aged 12-18 reported being regular drinkers (RWPH, 2017). To compare, the
most recent OSDUHS survey revealed that among students in grades 7-12the most commonly
used substances were high-caffeine energy drinks (33%), alcohol (32%), and cannabis (17%).
Furthermore, one in seven respondents (14%) reported using cannabis to cope with a mental
health problem at least once in the past year (CAMH, 2021).
The next set of most commonly used drugs included electronic cigarettes/vaping (15%)
and prescription opioids used for nonmedical reasons (13%). In fact, in 2021 Kitchener had the
highest rate of opioid overdose paramedic service calls compared to the rest of Waterloo Region.
Furthermore, 4.1% of all calls region-wide were for individuals 19 years of age or younger, and
40.6% were for individuals 20-34 years of age. Most calls were concentrated around downtown
Kitchener (WRPHES, 2021).
Suicide and Self-Harm
Even prior to the pandemic, youth in Waterloo Region who were Indigenous, LGBTQ+,
aged 15-24 years, lower-income, female, and/or non-immigrants, all had the highest rates of
mental illness and suicidal behavior (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2015-16 as cited in
RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019). Furthermore, emergency department (ED) visits and
hospitalizations for intentional self-harm were consistently 30-40% higher in Waterloo Region
compared to Ontario (Ambulatory visits, 2008-2017, as cited in RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019).
Youth aged 10-24 had the highest rates of ED visits and hospitalizations for self-harm,
especially females. Specifically, among youth, rates were 2-7.5x higher in females compared to
males, with the highest rates being faced by females aged 15-18 (1,266 emergency department
visits per 100,000 individuals). However, other youth were increasingly at heightened risk given
that between 2009 and 2017, ED visit rates for intentional self-harm among Waterloo youth had
consistently increased 450% in 10-14 year-olds, 180% in 15-18 year-olds and 100% in 19-24
year-olds (Ambulatory visits, 2008-2017, as cited in RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019). Related to the
lethality of suicide attempts among youth 19-24 years old, males had the highest rates of death
by suicide (Vital Statistics Deaths, 2011-2015, as cited in RWPHES & WRSPC, 2019).
Eating Disorders
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Waterloo Wellington Chapter (CMHA WW),
reported a significant increase in eating disorders and disordered eating since the start of the
20
pandemic, especially among children and youth in the Kitchener-Waterloo area (2022).
Curiously, CMHA WW is seeing a simultaneous trend of decreased cutting as a form of self-
harm among this population, which may imply a shift in chosen methods of self-harm. These
shifts are significant given that CMHA WW has been the only eating disorder treatment provider
in the Kitchener-Waterloo area since about 15 years ago which has also contributed to the wait
lists that exist for these services (J. Stanlick, M. Gardiner, & K. Sibbilin, personal
communication, July 5, 2022).
Physical Wellbeing and Technology
The 2021 YIS revealed that the percentage of youth respondents who self-assessed their
year before, meaning youth who agreed with this statement shifted from being the majority to the
minority (CYPT, 2021b).
When it comes to physical activity, the OSDUHS found that the vast majority of youth
respondents were not meeting the recommendation laid out in the Canadian 24-Hour Movement
Guidelines for Children and Youth of engaging in 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity daily. In addition, a little over half of these students are not getting adequate sleep
(defined as at least 8 hours), and a majority are exceeding the recommendation regarding daily
screen time. In fact, almost one third report using social media specifically for 5 or more hours
daily. The indicators around physical activity, sleep, and daily screen time appear to worsen as
students advance to higher grades. Furthermore, females report higher rates of using social media
excessively and symptoms of problematic technology use (CAMH, 2021).
The 2021 OSDUHS revealed that half of respondents reported playing video games every
day, with one in five reported symptoms of problematic video gaming. Over a fourth of students
reported gambling at any activity, with a sizeable percentage gambling online. Males are about
twice as likely as females to report symptoms of a video gaming problem, gambling at any
activity, and gambling online (CAMH, 2021).
Narrowing our scope back to Waterloo Region, YIS respondents on average engaged in 5
hours of light physical activity (e.g. walking, biking) per week and only 1.5 hours of vigorous
physical activity (e.g. working out, playing basketball, etc.). About 40% also experienced
difficulties getting to sleep. Related to the use of technology, on a typical day, respondents spent
an average of 1.5 hours browsing the internet for interest, 1.8 hours playing computer or video
games, 2.2 hours connecting with friends via social media, and 2.5 hours watching television,
online movies/videos or live streams (CYPT, 2021b).
Areas Ripe for Growth
Social Context Surrounding Youth
My direct engagement with youth and their families, and the data I have analyzed,
underscore the importance of the social context surrounding youth, or in other words the people
, to their overall wellbeing. These people, which include peers, family members,
neighbors, teachers, coaches, and other adults, can be sources of stress or support and impact
, 2021b). A few specific themes
emerged in this area that are opportunities for growth.
21
Related to over a third of all YIS respondents
reported feeling lonely in 2021, an increased prevalence from the previous year. About the same
proportion felt isolated from others in their community and 24.7% felt left out. In a similar vein,
only a little over half of respondents reported feeling like a valued member of their community
(CYPT, 2021b). My direct engagement with youth link these decreased feelings of social
connection at least partly to the public health measures put in place due to the COVID-19
pandemic, including lockdowns, social distancing, the closing of facilities, and the pause on in-
person programs, activities, and services.
When it comes to why youth are feeling these things, some insights can be gleaned from
the fact that 18.2% of respondents also reported not having enough time to socialize with their
friends. In addition, a little over half reported experiencing bullying at least once during the past
couple of months. The most common forms of bullying reported were emotional and
psychological, with the least common being physical harm (CYPT, 2021b). Unfortunately, even
prior to the pandemic youth reported feeling that overall bullying, including cyberbullying, had
been increasing due to an increase in social media usea trend only exacerbated by COVID-19
(ROW, 2018). In fact, almost one third of OSDUHS respondents reported being cyberbullied in
2021 (CAMH).
Another potential cause of feelings of loneliness and isolation might be the fact that about
30% of youth did not feel like they received the emotional help and support that they needed
y about their problems.
Notably, a higher percentage of youth felt like they could express themselves with their friends
compared to their family, demonstrating that a significant number of youths may have strained
relationships with their family. We can see why this may be the case with parents in
particular by reading the following quote by a youth aged 13-15 in Waterloo Region:
tfsjpvtmz!xjui!uijoht!uibu!nbuufs0bggfdu!vt/!Mput!pg!
xpstf/!Tp!xf!bt!uffot!cpuumf!ju!vq!boe!qsfufoe!up!cf!
mpofmz!xifo!zpv!gffm!uibu!uif!qfpqmf!uibu!bsf!dmptftu!
)DZQU-!3132b*!
This sentiment was widely echoed among the Kitchener youth I spoke to through my
direct engagement activities. Kitchener youth said this phenomenon was especially common
among youth whose parents came from low-income and/or immigrant backgrounds. Other forms
of this dismissal of youth happen when their parents with strong religious beliefs attribute a
psychological distress to a lack of faith and prayer. However, I want to caution against
22
the common response of blaming parents or stigmatizing parenting as an answer to these, or any
kind of
stigma, found to be especially prevalent in the school environment, prevents them from seeking
help when they need it. Thus, everyone to
consider that parents are doing the best they can and when they are not doing well, our job to
facilitate their access to the right supports so they can (Fehr, 2022).
With that said, in my direct engagement efforts, parents themselves recognizedroom for
improvement in their relationships with their children. This recognition was also found among
parents by Pamela Fehr in her work on youth mental wellbeing in Waterloo Region
commissioned by Lutherwood as Lead Agency. When it comes to youth mental health and
wellbeing, collective findings show that it is crucial for us to address the whole social context
surrounding youth, in which parents play an outsized role, and not just youth themselves.
Specifically, synthesizing what I heard through my own engagement efforts with the results of
-specialized support
with mental health issues (Fehr, 2022).
Parents across the board also
racialized and LGBTQ+ youth experiencing disproportionate need for these things
report). The parents of youth with exceptional needs (those with developmental/physical
disabilities and/or mental health issues) also expressed a need for extra support, citing burnout as
one of their biggest challenges. These parents requested accessible, trustworthy, and affordable
childcare to enable them to engage in self-care to mitigate this issue. These parents also
expressed a need for support in navigating transitions within the mental health system and/or
developmental services system, citing challenges they faced when trying to switch between
providers, service types, and other supports. Another gap exists for parents of children who are
not old enough to be in the school system yet. These families lack access to the same types of
information and support available for the families of school-aged children.
School
the relationships they form there,
development.With that said, 38.1% of YIS respondents reported that they did not like school at
all or they did not like it very much. In addition, almost a third of respondents did not feel that
school was a nice place to be (CYPT, 2021b). The reasons for this are varied for each individual
youth, but my analyses revealed some common themes in terms of what can be improved in
To start off, there appears to be room for improvement in the relationships between some
youth and their teachers and peers. YIS respondents reported that a little over a quarter do not
feel like their teachers care about them and about the same percentage do not feel like their
teachers treat them fairly. Furthermore, nearly 40% did not feel like they belonged in school
(CYPT, 2021b).
When it comes to academics, more than one out of three YIS respondents reported having
more schoolwork than they can handle, and 65% said they felt some or a lot of pressure from the
23
schoolwork they had to do(CYPT,2021b). Among the youth I spoke to, most said the biggest
stressor in their lives was academics. One potential reason given for this was something I heard
in my direct engagement with youthin particular, that having to do school online due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, impeded their ability to learn well. Youth of high school age and older
also reported feeling stress about lacking guidance in general, figuring out their interests,
navigating the application process for post-secondary education, transitioning from education
into the workforce, and/or balancing work and employment. Finally, aside from equity-related
skills (i.e. mental health, finances/budgeting, how to do your taxes, how to get a job, local and
global current events/issues).
Overall, youth wanted more of a say about their school lives, saying that the Student
Trustee positions on local school boards are not enough (J. Lincho, personal communication,
July 4, 2022). In particular, youth felt that whileschool leaders and staff have increased top-
down communication about mental health and wellbeing since the onset of COVID-19, schools
(J. Lincho, personal communication,
July 4, 2022). Their most common school-related recommendation was for there to be more
mental health education, services, and supports in schools that were easy to access, not
intimidating, and available early when students began to struggle. Specific ideas included
starting peer support programs, a mental health curriculum, as well as more upstream supports
like ensuring that teachers only assign realistic and manageable workloads. Youth in particular
revealed a strong desire for the upstream intervention of more equity, diversity, and
intersectionality education for teachers, other school staff, and students, seeing these topics and
inseparable from mental health and wellbeing.
Job/Volunteer Skills and Opportunities
Youth reported struggling to find suitable employment, as well as volunteer
opportunities. Suitable job positions for them were related to their interests, compensated fairly,
took place in a work environment that respected and valued them, matched their skill level, and
were accessible to them. Youth under the age of 18 reported struggling to find any employment
at all, let alone suitable employment. Suitable volunteer opportunities for youth involved making
a positive impact on their community, feeling welcome, matched their skills, and were related to
their interests. Youth also expressed a desire for opportunities that would help them build their
skills for job and volunteer positions. While I was not able to obtain quantitative data on these
topic areas, they were one of the most pressing themes that emerged when directly engaging with
youth, especially for those aged 15 and up.
Housing
Youth reported the financial insecurity resulting from their employment challenges being
exacerbated by the rising housing costs in the region. The decreased availability of affordable
housing has been a pressing issue for residents across Waterloo Region, including in Kitchener,
even prior to the onset of the pandemic (KWCF, 2021). Accordingto a 2019 survey, over 40% of
Kitchener residents aged 16 years and older spent more than 30% of their income on housing
costs (CIW & UW). Furthermore, this housing crisis disproportionately affects youth and young
adults (KWCF, 2016), given that the same survey found that about a third of Kitchener youth
, 2019). In addition, almost one in every 10
Wateroo Region youth between the ages of 9 and 18 reported experiencing homelessness
24
, 2021b). The most recent numbers reveal that
about 63% of youth aged 20 to 24 years old live at home with their parents (ArcGIS Online,
Environics Analytics, DemoStats, Extracted: June 24, 2022).
Support Systems for Youth Wellbeing
Systems Coordination. Even in my own process of doing this work, I struggled to
account for, let alone navigate, all the different systems, organizations, levels of government, and
partners that interact with youth and their families. While it is great that there are so many
programs and services available for this population, one of the loudest things I heard from youth,
as well as their parents and families, how confusing and overwhelming it is trying to navigate
everything. These difficulties are exacerbated by each entity having different eligibility criteria,
application processes, timelines, and locations. Youth and families reported often not even
knowing where to start or who to turn to for their informational or service needs. Navigating
these challenges when you are struggling as a parent and/or a youth is even more wearisome.
There have been several attempts at consolidating this information into one place,
including: Ontario 211, Family Compass (CYPT),
Health Ontario and , Parenting Now, Here 24/7
line (CMHA WW), Front Door (Lutherwood), Little Black Book (City of Kitchener), and Blue
Book (Region of Waterloo). However, having so many well-intended consolidation efforts has
unfortunately replicated the problem that consolidation was supposed to solve, leaving families
still unsure where to turn. Furthermore, ensuring any consolidated information is as accessible as
possible and youth-friendly remains a concern among youth and their families.
Other than systems navigation, youth and community partners identified the need for
better coordination of localyouth engagement activities. Many community partners, including
the City, carry out efforts (sometimes at the same time) to engage youth for the purpose of
understanding their perspectives and experiences on various topics.
One coordination issue with this is that many of these engagement activities focus on
learning about challenges, needs, desires, and dreams, which can quickly become
redundant for youth. In fact, many youth reported feeling like they have been voicing their
experiences for a long time, and while there is much talk of action, there has not been much
actual change. This phenomenon is counterproductive given that this leads to youth becoming
disillusioned with these processes and subsequently disengaged.
A second youth engagement coordination issue is that there are several permanent youth
councils or groups run by different local entities that all focus on activities related to long-term
youth engagement and leadership development. These include KYAC, as well as those youth
groups associated with Kind Minds, Carizon, Project Up of the Coalition for Muslim Women,
CYPT, among others. The gap brought up by partners was that these youth groups rarely if ever
interact, let alone coordinate their activities or collaborate on projects.
Another issue identified with local youth engagement activities was that there is no set of
guiding principles shared by the organizations that engage youth related to how they do this.
Specifically, community partners expressed the desire to make paying youth for their time, labor,
and feedback and providing youth with free transportation to and from engagement activities
25
standard protocol across the local context. Another principle that was suggested is based on the
r
example, many youths may not be accustomed to sitting around a table for hours talking. Thus, it
was suggested that all youth engagement activities incorporate youth-friendly modes of
engagement, incorporating elements of play and creativity wherever possible.
While there are many interorganizational initiatives aimed at helping to resolve the
broader systems coordination issue, local organizations reported room for further growth related
al issues that may nominally be
different (e.g. crime prevention vs. youth wellbeing), but in reality have the same root causes.
Some of the obstacles to better overall systems coordination cited by partners were
uncertainty around who exactly should lead these coordination efforts, political dynamics,
lingering interorganizational tensions from past interactions, the current reality of organizations
often having to compete for the same funds, as well as conflicting regulations stemming from the
fact that organizations are often funded by different entities.
Access to Supports.The increased mental health burden and reduced stigma around
mental health sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have increased demand for mental health
services across Canada. However, in a recent report CMHA National accurately describes how
\[in Canada\] is a patchwork of programs, services, and supports
offered by the private, public, and not-for-prof (2022). Their diagram below, found in
the same report, helps us visualize this system, which is also the reality in Kitchener:
26
The diagram highlights the limitations associated with the current public and private
options for mental health care. Most youth I spoke to said that private providers were not
affordable for them ortheir families. This current situation has increased demand for local
community-based mental health intervention services for youth by 229% over the last two years.
Most of this increase is due to increases in demand among youth aged 10-14. The top presenting
concerns among those seeking these services are anxiety, emotion management, and family
conflict. The number of youths seeking help for issues related to aggression, school difficulties,
and suicidal thoughts and behaviors has also increased during COVID-19 (Lutherwood as Lead
Agency, 2022). These spikes in demand have resulted in long wait lists for some youth services
like psychiatry and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) screening, which have some of the
longest wait lists, averaging from 8 months to more than a year. (K. Payette, personal
communication, August 3, 2022). Community partners note that another contributing factor to
these long wait lists is the increasing complexity of individual cases among youth.
The community-based organizations (CBOs) I spoke to confirmed these trends of
increased demand for their services related to mental wellbeing, and the resulting decreased
access for youth and their families. From the youth perspective, many youth with whom I spoke
expressed their frustrations about the long wait times for mental health services, attesting that it
is often hard enough for someone to work up the courage to seek help, only to be told that they
have to wait a long time for it. Community partners also affirmed that it is crucial for people to
access supports when they are ready and willing to engage, otherwise people may give up on
seeking help, lose faith in the systems, and/or reach the point of crisis.
While youth reported wellbeing supports more focused on promotion and/or prevention
are more accessible, they still cited barriers to their participation in these. For example, the most
common barriers to participating in recreational activities that YIS respondents reported were (in
order of descending prevalence):
1.
2. (In fact, about half of Kitchener residents aged
16+ did not agree that there was enough time to keep in shape, participate in or be active
in the community, or to nurture their spiritual and/or creative side (CIW & UW, 2019))
3. they could get to
4.
5.
6. have a park nearby that they could go to (CYPT, 2021b).
Several partners also told me that when most community-based programs and services went
virtual due to COVID-19, the digital divide created newfound access for some individuals for
whom transportation was a barrier to participation and impeded access for others who did not
have the technology tools or literacy to take advantage of this new mode of service delivery.
Now that many programs have shifted back to being in-person, one concern brought up by CBOs
that do place-based work is the future of their work in Regional Housing complexes specifically.
Recently, an idea has emerged to start requiring fees for community agencies to use communal
spaces in Regional Housing, which have historically been free for providing services to clients.
Community partners expressed that this decision, if implemented, would jeopardize their ability
to continue engaging in this form of place-based work.
27
Another major barrier to access that youth reported was their lack of knowledge of what
supports exist. In fact, almost half of OSDUHS respondents reported not knowing where to seek
mental health support (CAMH, 2021). Relatedly, staff from many organizations serving youth
and families expressed that a significant challenge for them is the fact that the clients they serve
tend to be the ones who already know about and are engaged with their organizations or who are
in the social networks of those engaged with their organizations. They struggle to reach new
potential clients, especially those from equity-deserving groups who typically have the least
access to supports.
Lack of knowledge or awareness was particularly a barrier to youth becoming involved in
programming offered by the City of Kitchener. To illustrate, even young adult staff who worked
for the City were not aware of other youth programs or opportunities offered by the City, even
major ones like the Kitchener Youth Action Council (KYAC). In fact, the vast majority of youth
I engagedwho were involved with City programs or job/volunteer opportunities for youth had
found out about them through word of mouth, saying it was very hard to find information on
them by just looking on their own.
Finally, revealing another potential access barrier for being able to enjoy green space,
YIS respondents who lived in Kitchener were the least likely of Waterloo, Cambridge, and the
townships to agree that there were plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature (CYPT, 2021d).
Funding Systems. It should be noted that the funding problems related to quantity,
accessibility, flexibility, and sustainability were not unique to Kitchener, or even to Waterloo
Region. As the CMHA National report Running on empty: how community mental health
organizations have fared on the frontlines of COVID-19 reveals, the provinces and territories
currently dedicate only 5-6% of overall healthcare spending to mental health care, a part of
which goes to community-based mental health providers (2022). This explains why the
community partners I re
In my discussions with community partners, many elaborated on some of the reasons
behind this reality, including the cultural
and the impacts that has on service provision and the stigma around mental health. Other partners
talked about how even within the sphere of mental health, the Western, medicalized
conceptualization of mental health translates to most funding going to specialized
mental health intervention services like psychiatry and psychotherapy, rather than more
preventive supports. The report also found a need for more of a focus on
prevention and early intervention services (CMHA National, 2022).
In addition with my own related to the need for long-
term, sustainable, core funding that can be used as the organization sees fit. By long-term the
report noted that one interviewee characterized it as
uijt!ibt!hpu!up!mjwf!qbtu!uif!ufsn!pg!boz!pof!
cfdbvtf!opsnbmmz!xibu!zpv!tff!jt!b!tipsu.ufsn!
28
jowftunfou-!boe!uifo!)DNIB!
Obujpobm-!3133*!
Underscoring the importance of this type of funding, community partners told me about how the
sudden discontinuation of effective programs and services due to the time-limited nature of most
grants can increase harm and even trauma among clients. This is especially true for those clients
from equity-deserving groups who may already struggle to trust organizations and systems.
Finally, I want to note that the report echoed my findings about the burnout that CBO
staff working in the mental health sphere often face due to these funding issues combined with
low wages, high demands at work, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma. Add onto that, the
collectively traumatic experience of a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic and it amazes me how
hat it
their clients to the best of their ability. With that said, we need to address these problems that the
mental health workforce faces not just because the mental wellbeing of their clients depends on
it, but because these workers are also human beings and members of the community who deserve
to be well and have a high quality of life.
Young Adults. Despite not finding any surveys or quantitative data on the wellbeing of
this age group, the young adults aged 18-24 whom I engaged expressed that it is often hard for
them to -secondary
education, entering the workforce, or something else. They also feel that this stage in their lives
has a big impact the development of their self-identity and the type of person they become.
These issues are the root of their desire for guidance and mentorship, as they feel they have
limited opportunities to access that kind of support.
The young adults I spoke to who were not involved in post-secondary education, and
even some of those that were, also struggled to make friends as an adult. In addition, many felt
that they needed additional support surrounding academics and employment, wanting more
opportunities to build their skills and access to better positions. On another note, those that were
in school, and especially those that were both studying and working, expressed a desire for
spaces and opportunities to engage in self-care, recreation, and other wellness activities.
Furthermore, many reported feeling pessimistic about their futures due to the current
economic situation and how it affects their ability to reach their goals (like buying a house,
getting a degree, traveling, getting married and/or having kids). They also felt a broader sense of
pessimism and dread surrounding the climate crisis and the insufficient efforts of leaders around
the world to address it in a meaningful way.
Unfortunately,I found that many of these issues disproportionately affected newcomers
and youth with exceptional needs, as well as Indigenous and racialized youth.
Equity, Intersectionality, and Tokenism
According to the most recent survey, about 41.5% of YIS respondents reported having
experienced discrimination because of certain characteristics of theirs. The most common types
of discrimination reported (in order of descending prevalence) were based on physical
appearance, sex, age, race or skin color, ethnicity/culture, sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, and disability (CYPT, 2021b). These forms of discrimination fall along lines of
29
systemic forms of oppression likeracism/colorism, fatphobia, xenophobia, colonialism, sexism,
agism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, and ablism. The high prevalence
of these experiences indicates that many youths struggle more than others with being accepted
for who they are and are systemically disadvantaged because of it.
While there have been many admirable efforts, especially in recent years, to correct these
issues related to equity-deserving groups, my research revealed that there is still much room for
growth. One area that needs improvement is the lack of recognition, celebration, and centering of
the intersectionality of identities. In my engagement with partners and youth, many had never
heard of this term and did not understand what it meant. While the term itself is not necessarily
important for people to know, an understanding and acceptance of what it describes definitely is.
Recognizing that everyone has an array of different identities that interact, counteract, and/or
experience. In particular, there seemed to be a need for more intentional efforts to celebrate and
center those individuals who hold more than one marginalized identity in equity-oriented
initiatives or groups. This is especially true given that at times there can be intergroup
discrimination and perpetuation of oppression amongst different equity-deserving groups.
A second theme that came out in my research was tokenism. Individuals and
organizations from equity-deserving groups that I engaged expressed that they still struggle to
(any table) when it comes to decision-making.
Furthermore, when it comes to efforts aimed at improving inequities and wellbeing among their
own communities, instead of receiving support for the work they are already leading or want to
lead, they are often treated as only . Participants
recognized this phenomenon as an impediment to actually accomplishing the end goal of equity
and wellbeing for their communities. Youth in general as an equity-deserving population
commonly experience this, despite many being more than competent to lead meaningful change.
However, certain youths may be more susceptible to experiencing tokensim due to their other
identities. For example, individuals who identify as visible minorities in Waterloo Region make
up about 13% of the population, but only about 5.9% of people in leadership roles (Statistics
Canada CANSIM Table 105-0501, as cited in KWCF, 2016).
Finally, when it comes to quantitative data about equity-deserving populations, there is
no mandatory or systematic collection of demographic data related to these various identities by
local systems, organizations, programs, and services, a gap that in practice helps to obscure the
inequities experienced by these communities. While there have been piecemeal efforts to address
this issue, there is a need for more to be done.
Below I will primarily detail available quantitative data related to diverse equity-
deserving groups, supplemented by more in-depth qualitative data from my community
engagement activities. Due to the aforementioned data issues, quantitative data was not able to
be obtained for each unique equity-deserving group (recognizing that many of these populations
overlap), but I dedicate sections to the equity-deserving groups that were most prominent in my
research.
Older Youth. The most recent YIS survey revealed that as kids aged 9-18 got older, they
reported worse outcomes in the following areas:
Community belonging
30
Feeling like valued members of their community
Loneliness and isolation
Receiving emotional help/support from family
Feeling free to express themselves with family
Positive perception of their mental health
Positive perception of their physical health
Experiencing discrimination based on personal characteristics
Having more schoolwork than they could handle (CYPT, 2021a).
Furthermore, CMHA WW reported that among residents contacting them for services, they are
seeing the most mental health needs among youth between the ages of 16 and 24 (J. Stanlick, M.
Gardiner, & K. Sibbilin, personal communication, July 5, 2022).
Indigenous and Racialized Youth.
youth, there was almost unanimous agreement across the community partners and youth that I
spoke to about how this population is at higher risk of experiencing the negative outcomes I
mentioned above. For example, partners told me that Indigenous and racialized youth were
disproportionately represented among homeless youth and youth involved with Family and
Child Services of Waterloo Region (FCSWR). In addition, partners referenced that these
youth have disproportionate rates of negative mental health outcomes like substance use and
suicidal behavior, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It should be explicitly recognized that the root causes of these issues lie in the Euro-
Canadian racist colonial systems, structures, practices, and beliefs that have shaped Canada since
the arrival of European settlers to this land. These systems have caused deep intergenerational
and personal trauma among Indigenous and racialized communities that affects youth from these
groups to this day. However, these root causes also continue to serve as barriers to help-seeking
among these individuals, including youth, for this same trauma, along with other wellbeing-
related challenges.
Partners talked at length about how experiences with colonial
systems have sowed their distrust of mainstream systems and supports. This results in many
Indigenous peopleonly seeking help only from indigenous-run organizations and/or from
mainstream organizations that
Partners also talked about how Indigenous youthsand adults for that matter
to ask for help because they ha
up. In addition, they noted how many Indigenous individuals have become so accustomed to
living in poor housing conditions, for example, or to being treated poorly that they do not even
think to speak up for themselves.
Indigenous due to the internalized stigma they carry which associates being Indigenous with
As for racialized youth, they face some of the same
challenges related to distrust of mainstream systems and supports due to discrimination as
Indigenous youths.
All of these realities point to the need to dedicate more resources and support to
maintaining and expanding culturally relevant wellbeing supports for these youth. I say
31
the other aspects of your wellbeing and healing journey. On this note, CBOs like the African
Family Revival Organization (AFRO), the Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo
(CMW KW), and K-W Urban Native Wigwam Project already offer supports that span the
continuum from prevention to crisis support. In fact, youth have expressed really valuing the
chance to receive support from people who look like them and understand them. However,
unfortunately my engagement efforts indicated that these youth-serving organizations led by and
for Indigenous and racialized people are disproportionately affected by the problem of
underfunding and have a great need for more resources to continue and build on current efforts.
LGBTQ2+ Youth. A recent survey of non-LGBTQ2+ people conducted by the local
CBO SPECTRUM digs deeper into theirperceptions of their LGBTQ2+ counterparts. Although
one might expect that younger people would be the most knowledgeable of LGBTQ2+ issues
and the most familiar with LGBTQ2+ people, this survey found the opposite to be true.
Specific findings included that the age group most likely to hold hostile beliefs about
LGBTQ2+ people were individuals ages 18-24 years old. This supports evidence that anti-
a fact which is exacerbated
Although individuals under 18 years of age were significantly underrepresented in this survey, it
is worth noting that this age group seems polarized in that they are the most likely to report
having transgender and/or non-binary friends, family, or acquaintances, but also several times
more likely to not know what the question meant (SPECTRUM, 2021).
Furthermore, the most commonly held hostile beliefs among respondents were related to
know that many LGBTQ2+ children live in the Kitchener community, making it that much more
difficult for them to be recognized, included, and to have their needs met (SPECTRUM, 2021).
Speaking a bit to the intersectionality of identities, every respondent who rated their
was white, while racialized respondents were much more likely to assess their
awareness, education, and visibility efforts perhaps need to target white communities.
Two other subgroups that are often marginalized even within the LGBTQ2+ community
are bisexual/pansexual people and asexual/aromatic (ace/aro) people, both of whom are
really queer. This is evidenced by the fact that although this
survey was explicitly advertised and labeled as being for non-LGBTQ+ people, one bisexual
individual and one asexual individual filled out the survey, suggesting the presence of
internalized stigma (SPECTRUM, 2021).
Transgender, Non-binary, and Two-spirit (TGN2S) Youth. LGBTQ+ education efforts
should center transgender and non-binary identities and issues given that respondents to the
SPECTRUM survey seemed to have the least knowledge of and familiarity with this subgroup of
the LGBTQ2+ community. Furthermore, YIS respondents with
Self-assessed mental health
Self-assessedphysical health
32
Experiencing discrimination due to gender identity
Experiencing bullying
Receiving emotional help/support from family
Feeling free to express themselves with their family
Their family tries to help them
Their family is willing to help them make decisions
Sadness, Hopelessness, Belonging, Isolation, and Loneliness
Feeling left out and Feeling like valued members of their community
Teachers accept them for who they are
Having more schoolwork than they could handle (CYPT, 2021c)
Qualitatively, these youth advised adults,
.cjobsz!ljet/!J!gffm!
mfgu!pvu!cfdbvtf!fwfszuijoh!jt!fjuifs!gps!cpzt!ps!hjsmt!
.cjobsz!qfstpo!uifsf!
boe!ibwf!up!d*/!
Furthermore, the SPECTRUM survey confirmed the well-established reality that there is stigma
and discomfort around dating trans and/or non-binary people among both cis-gendered,
heterosexual people and LGBTQ2+ people, suggesting that this group is a marginalized group
within a marginalized group (SPECTRUM, 2021).
Immigrant/Refugee Youth. Some quick demographic statistics related to immigrants
living in Kitchener include:
The most commonly spoken first languages in Kitchener other than English were Arabic
(12%), Tigrinya (8%), and Spanish (8%)
74% of Kitchener immigrants are racialized
7% of Kitchener immigrants were youth (aged 15-24)
4% of Kitchener immigrants were LGBTQ+
8% of Kitchener immigrants reported living with disability or chronic disease (IP, 2021a)
The most recent Waterloo Region Immigrant Survey revealed that despite being more
highly educated than the general population, 51% of local immigrants (of any age) reported that
their job did not correspond to their skill or experience level. Relatedly, about 45% of all
immigrants reported struggling with their finances, with youth being overrepresented among
those that did not have an income sufficient for their needs. This problem was of course
compounded for youth who were Black, Muslim, and/or living with a disability. In addition, 26%
of immigrants reported living in housing that was unsuitable or unaffordable for them. Kitchener
residents, as well as Black, Muslim, low-income, and individuals with a disability, were
disproportionately affected by this problem (IP, 2021b). These concerns were widely echoed by
the youth I engaged with.
Immigrant youth in Waterloo Region were more likely to feel isolated than the general
population of immigrations. International students region-wide were less likely to have worse
33
outcomes across a range of indicators, includingsense of belonging.Indicating a potential reason
for this, nearly a quarter of respondents reported experiencing discrimination or being treated
unfairly in the past year, with youth facing disproportionate rates. The risk of these experiences
was amplified if youth were racialized, male, Muslim, Black, LGBTQ+, low income, and/or
living with a disability (IP, 2021b). Once again, my direct engagement with immigrant youth
confirmed these trends among their communities.
Overall, the most pressing challenges reported by immigrants living in Kitchener
specifically were finding work (40%), finding affordable housing (39%), and making friends or
social connections (35%). When it comes to the top challenge, 64% of Kitchener immigrants
reported being employed, with 48% working full-time and 16% working part-time, while about
14% reported being unemployed and actively seeking work (IP, 2021a).
Another challenge identified through my direct engagement was the generational and
cultural clashes that can occur between Canadian-born children and their immigrant parents.
Specifically related to wellbeing, these youth
home country, rather than mainstream Canadian society, and unwittingly passed down forms of
intergenerational trauma. Related to this last note, youth talked about how their immigrant
had enabled them to cope with traumatic
experiences they had in their home country, which led them to invalidatetheir children
experiences of psychological distress.
Female Youth. YIS respondents (Waterloo Region youth aged 9-18) who identified as
girls reported significantly worse outcomes compared to youth who identified as boys on the
following indicators:
Feeling lonely, left out, free to express themselves
Self-assessed mental health
Sadness and Hopelessness
Having more schoolwork than they could handle (CYPT, 2021c)
In addition, the most recent OSDUHS revealed that female students in grades 7 through 12 in
Ontario struggled more than their male counterparts with preoccupation with their weight or
body shape, body image issues, perceiving themselves as too fat, trying to lose weight, and
skipping meals (CAMH, 2021).
My direct engagement with youth also revealed that female youth, particularly those who
were the eldest daughters in their families, often shouldered a disproportionate burden of caring
for their siblings, helping with household chores, facing more restrictions on their freedom and
independence, and feeling pressure to live up to their parents expectations. This was especially
common among racialized and immigrant families.
Youth with Exceptional Needs (developmental/physical disability and/or mental
health challenges). quantitative data related to the outcomes or
experiences of this group of youth, qualitatively a YIS respondent reported:
34
nf!up!cf!jodmvefe///!J!hfu!mfgu!pvu!pg!nz!dpnnvojuz!!
!)DZQU-!
3132c*!
The above quote and my direct engagement with partners indicate that room for growth
exists related to ensuring that wellbeing supports for youth are physically accessible, sensory-
friendly, and take neurodiversity into account. Relatedly, youth and families talked to me about
the stigma associated with disability, different needs, and/or mental health issues. Youth I spoke
to reported that certain mental health diagnoses are more stigmatized than others, specifically
referencing schizophrenia. Parents also reported hearing how youth on the autism spectrum are
treated differently by their peers at school. Furthermore, youth recognized that sometimes certain
mental health terms are used in such a casual way in pop culture, especially by young people,
that it muddles and devalues the true meaning of those words. They specifically referred to
when discussing this
phenomenon.
Another struggle for this population is the issue of formal diagnoses. Many supports and
services for this population include as part of their eligibility criteria proof of certain diagnoses
from a medical doctor. However, in speaking to the parents and families of these youth, some
youth may share the symptoms, needs, and experiences of those with formal diagnoses, but face
difficulties accessing healthcare, do not meet the diagnosis criteria, or face other obstacles to
receiving a formal diagnosis. Parents expressed a need for affordable and accessible supports for
these youth who may not have a diagnosis but are no less a part of this community.
Finally, older youth within this population face particular obstacles and a lack of support
related to navigating life transitions and gaining independence.
Youth involved with FCSWR (the child welfare system). While I was not able to
obtain quantitative data specific to the wellbeing of youth involved with the foster care system,
my conversations with community partners revealed that they have same needs as general
population but just amplified to a greater degree. For example, partners reported observing that
these youth are moreisolated because they have less family members that they are in touch with,
less stable adult role models in their lives, and a less stable living situation͵
Homeless/At-Risk Youth. Although I have no quantitative data to present related to the
wellbeing of youth experiencing homeless or those at risk of homelessness, my conversations
with community partners revealed that they have higher rates of substance use than the general
youth population. Among this population, the most commonly used substance seemed to be
nicotine in the form of various tobacco products (including those that are vaped). Partners report
caffeine as being the second most common due to the fact that this population often does not get
enough sleep, which is usually related to the conditions of living on the street and/or to shelter
hours.
Next are alcohol and cannabis (smoked or vaped), which are used socially by this group.
Many youth actually become homeless due to being kicked out by their parents for substance use
(even cannabis use). Because of this, partners see a need to educate parents about different
35
When
it comes to more serious drugs, partners report that the most common in descending order of
prevalence are fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, and cocaine. Although Indigenous and
racialized youth are overrepresented among homeless youth, partners reported that white
homeless youth are more likely to be substance users (especially when it comes to fentanyl).
One challenge associated with the higher rate of substance use among this population is
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issues related to substance use. This means that clients can become ineligible for certain services
if they are found to be using substances on site, have drugs or drug paraphernalia on them, and/or
are under the influence. While many of these were put in place for safety reasons, they create
barriers for these youth to access the supports they need.
On a related note, partners mentioned the need for a safe substance use site specifically
for youth. Based on what youth have told them, they envisioned a space similar to the current
Consumption and Treatment Services facility (CTS) in downtown Kitchener, but specifically
designed . Youth also expressed
wanting it to be in a better (i.e. more accessible and discrete) location and offering safe
inhalation services as well as safer injection services.
In addition, partners talked about the need for more youth shelters, especially young
adults 18-24, given that adult shelters are places where adults could take advantage of their
There is also a great
need for more supportive housing and mental health and addiction services specifically for this
population.
Low-income. Unfortunately, I was unable to find quantitative data specific tolow-
income youth, but all community partners recognized this population as one that is particularly
vulnerable to mental health challenges, other wellbeing challenges, barriers to accessing supports
(whether because they lack information, reliable internet/technology for virtual supports, or
money to pay program fees or take public transportation to physically access in-person supports),
as well as a whole host of other issues including homelessness, isolation, and food insecurity.
Areas that Shine
Diversity of Kitchener Communities
My participants agreed that the diversity of Kitchener was one of its greatest strengths.
Even in my own observations as a visitor, I have been pleasantly surprised by the diversity of
experiences among Kitchener residents, and the different programs, services, and events that are
born out of this richness.
Existing Programs and Services
Aside from its YDI program, the City of Kitchener creates also safe spaces of belonging
through its robust recreation activities for youth, summer camps, leadership development
initiatives, and other youth programming and events. It is also not alone in these endeavors. In
my engagement activities, I heard that youth involved in these diverse supports and opportunities
love them. Some of the community partners I met whose approach to and positive impact on
youth and families really stood out to me included Carizon, FCSWR (The Resilience Project),
36
CMHA WW,the Waterloo Region Family Network,Lutherwood, and the Smart Waterloo
Region Innovation Lab. All of these entities engaged in at least one of the following: co-creation
of programs and services with youth, safe spaces of belonging, place-based work, and basic
needs assistance.
Abundance of Multisectoral Initiatives
A common challenge I have heard about and experienced in many places around the
world related to addressing complex societal issues like youth wellbeing is that work often
happens in siloes. This phenomenon results in a lack of: communication between organizations,
However, in the context of Kitchener and Waterloo Region there is widespread recognition that
efforts to tackle societal problems are much more efficient and powerful when they are collective
and leverage the unique expertise of diverse entities. Even Project EMPTHY Kitchener is an
example of this commitment to multisectoral collaboration, which I heard many partners say
Desire for Change
One of my biggest takeaways from my work on Project EMPTHY is that there is a bright
side to the negative impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health and wellbeing of
local youth and families. All my participants embodied the fact that COVID-19 sparked more
widespread awareness of mental health issues and their connection to overall wellbeing, greater
openness to discussing these issues,and a stronger desire for changes to improve the current
situation. These shifts were especially dramatic among youth. Youth have demonstrated
during COVID-19 as an opportunity to innovate and boldly change things for the better, not just
for them in their individual lives, but for everyone. I see this motivation as one of the most
important potential catalysts for getting this work done, as long as adults agree to step back and
let them lead the way with the necessary support.
Funding Innovations
recently created RISE Fund addresses several of the funding
issues I detailed earlier. For example, to enhance the accessibility of these financial resources,
charities. In addition, to make the application and reporting processes themselves more
accessible, the City is providing paper copies of the applications, translation and interpretation
services, and grant writing workshops for potential grantees who need them.
To address the problems associated with restricted funds, RISE grants are allowed to be
used for core operational costs, as well as capacity building. The RISE Fund also helps to correct
some of the inequitable power dynamics built into many funding relationships by having people
with lived experience make up the committee that selects grantees to receive funding. Most
obviously, it also helps address inequities by being designed for groups led by and for Black,
Indigenous, and racialized individuals in Kitchener (COK, 2022b).
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Theother grants also address some of these issues. For example, theLoveMyHood
Matching Grant allows informal groups of citizens, including youth, to apply for fundingto
implement their own ideas about how to improve their neighborhoods (COK, 2022a). Also, the
ive in that
they require no application and are completely unrestricted, going to community partners (even
some neighborhood associations who partnered with registered charities), whose missions
closely aligned with their own (LHF, n.d.-a). Furthermore, the Foundation recently piloted two
exciting new grants intentionally designed to address the inequitable and ineffective funding
issues I identified. Their Neighborhood Action Grants are similar to the LoveMyHood grant, but
include a co-design process with residents and formalized partnerships with local CBOs working
in the neighborhood of each project. Secondly, they piloted providing general operating support
(i.e. unrestricted funding) to organizations with a longer time commitment (i.e. 5 years; LHF,
n.d.-b).
Finally, the recent work of the Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL) is
helping to address these issues around resources, equity, and power dynamics specifically among
youth. They provide youth not only with funding, but also intensive support in piloting projects
to implement their own ideas about how to improve their communities. As an equity-deserving
group, it is important that youth have dedicated opportunities to do this kind of work and lead the
change that they want to see (S. Oji & J. Beckford, personal communication, July 6, 2022)
These are just some of the promising local innovations in funding that serve as assets to
the work of improving the wellbeing of youth in diverse communities.
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Appendix B: Proposed Solutions
I presented a large quantity of information in Appendix A analyzing the current state of
youth mental health and wellbeing, as well as the areas of growth and areas of strength, locally.
However, I want to recognize that many of these issues require long-term systemic change that
may take generations. Furthermore, no one entity, including the City of Kitchener, can tackle
these issues by itself. With that said, in proposing solutions, I distilled my laundry list of
contenders to ones that youth and partners felt that had the best chance of having a significant
positive impact on youth, particularly equity-deserving youth. From there, I worked with internal
staff to make these recommendations feasibleand select the ones that the City was best
positioned to implement.
Solution 1: Create the Next Generation of Leaders
In designing this grant opportunity, I think it would be a good idea to also consider
collaborating with Evergreen due to their work on the Future City Builders program for youth.
I see the peer learning component of this grant as a chance for all youth grantees within
each funding cycle to come together regularly to network, learn from each other, and perhaps
even attend skills development workshops. In addition, in later iterations of the grant, perhaps
this component could be extended to allow past grantees to mentor first-time grantees. The City
could also assist grantees who want to continue their project long-term or scale up it up by
facilitating their connection to existing community-based organizations (CBOs) or other funding
sources.
Justification
This solution addresses some of the funding and equity issues I heard related to the desire
of youth and equity-deserving groups to be empowered with the resources and support to
implement their own ideas for how to improve inequities and wellbeing in their communities.
Doing this, rather than mainstream decision-makers simply asking these groups for their
opinions (that may or may not be listened to),is a step toward truly centering these communities
in change efforts. This grant opportunity thus shifts existing structural, political, and financial
power toward racialized and Indigenous youth to enable them to lead the change they want to see
in their communities.
In addition, this solution addresses the issue of decreased access among these youth to
supports by enabling them to create the supports they want to see. The peer learning component
will allow youth to form meaningful connections with their peers in a safe environment and
perhaps grow their network of professional contacts, which addresses some of the issues related
to the social context surrounding youth.
to build their skills related to grant writing, leadership, project design and implementation,
among other areas, which they can then apply to future job or volunteer opportunities. Finally,
this solution is advantageous in that it builds on the current funding innovations of the City and
other funding partners.
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Solution 2: Amplify and Diversify Youth Voices
I propose that the Youth Liaison Team be modeled off of the Neighborhood Liaison
Team in the Neighborhood Development Office and engage in activities such as
neighborhood canvassing. I also propose that at least some of the staff who make up this team be
young adults (aged 18-24), particularly those from equity-deserving groups.
The formalization of the network of school champions would provide more structure,
resources, and support to those key actors in schools who already engage in the work of
promoting participation and civic engagement among students. This work would provide
organizations, clubs, and/or associations.
Secondly, the engagement of the Kitchener Youth Action Council (KYAC) as a co-
communications strategy for all of its youth programs and services in order to give time for the
new communications strategy to hopefully increase the number and diversity of youth involved
in KYAC. I would suggest collaborating withinternal staff involved with the
Council for Kitchener Seniors (MACKS) to build out what this co-creation/accountability
partnership could look like for Project EMPTHY. Some specific elements of the MACKS model
that I think would be good to include would be to ensure that KYAC has ongoing
communication with high-level political leaders (like the Mayor), is involved by City staff in the
development and presentation of a yearly progress report to Council, and collaborates with
similar youth councils across the region on work related to Project EMPTHY, as well as other
projects. The Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) also makes sense
as another accountability partner for the work of Project EMPTHY Kitchener.
Amongst the I propose also including the
provision of interpretation/translation services to any youth that need them to participate, as well
as making sure any youth engagement activities take place in spaces that are physically
accessible and sensory-friendly. In ensuring these principles are implemented well, there are
opportunities for the City to collaborate with the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre
(KWMC), the Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN), KidsAbility, and Sunbeam
Community and Developmental Services (SCDS). Finally, including elements of play and
creativity that are youth-friendly into these engagement activities should be part of the principles.
Justification
Incorporating co-creation with youth into this solution addresses the inequitable power
dynamics I identified. This solution addresses the access barrier of lack of knowledge,
particularly around City youth supports and opportunities, head on. The new communications
strategy leverages the robust City programming that already exists for youth, spreading
awareness about it so that more youth and more diverse youth can take advantage of it. In
addition, hiring young adults to be part of the Youth Liaison Team would expand this
The School Champions
program would leverage the social context surrounding youth, specifically teachers and other
like recreation programs.
40
Involving KYAC as a co-creation and accountability partner addresses equity-related
power dynamics and helps ensure that the work of Project EMPTHY work is implemented in
practice. Using MACKS as a base model leverages existing accumulated knowledge about how
to go about designing accountability mechanisms. Ensuring inclusion of a youth on the Equity
and Anti-Racism Committee would serve to explicitly recognize youth as an equity-deserving
group, while simultaneously helping to shift power into their hands. Furthermore, these elements
of this solution would also contribute to the leadership and skills development of the youth
involved, making them more competitive applicants for future work or volunteer opportunities.
The guiding principles I am proposing for youth engagement would help the City reach
more equity-deserving youth, and by extension, obtain a more accurate understanding of diverse
s
adopting these same principles would also help improve coordination of local youth engagement
issues of equity and power dynamics.
Solution 3: Empower Youth in Their Journey Towards Independence
When seeking feedback about my solutions from youth, their families, and community
partners, the one that stood out to people and got them the most excited was this solution focused
on free public transit for youth.
One strong aspect of the Kingston High School Transit Pass Program (HSTPP) is that it
day that they receive their free bus pass. This session is focused on giving them the knowledge,
skills, and confidence to use public transport (Hendry, 2021). This training would be especially
helpful for youth who have never taken public transit before, such as newcomers.
high schoo
related to the program for her thesis, finding that on average Grade 12 students are three times
more likely to use public transit than Grade 9 students. Furthermore, she found that the passes
enabled students to make more independent trips, facilitating their access to extracurricular
activities (read: wellbeing supports) that they ot
(Sullivan, 2017). As one parent surveyed for the project put it:
Ju(t!pqfofe!uif!pqqpsuvojuz!gps!nz!dijmesfo!up!cf!
npsf!joefqfoefou!xjuipvu!ibwjoh!up!sfmz!po!vt!ps!pvs!
wfijdmft/!Ju(t!b!mfbsojoh!pqqpsuvojuz!gps!uifn-!boe!ju!
nfbot!uifz!ibwf!up!cf!npsf!sftqpotjcmf!boe!buufoujwf!
up!uif!xpsme!bspvoe!uifn/!\\///^!Bt!qbsfout!xf!offe!up!
usvtu!b!cju!npsf-!jo!pvs!dijmesfo!uifjs!bcjmjujft!boe!jo!
pvs!dpnnvojuz!up!xbudi!pwfs!uifn/!)Tvmmjwbo-!3128*!
41
These benefits are in fact what prompted Kingston to eliminate fares entirely for youth aged 0-
14. While comparable data does not exist regarding the effects of this expansion, I would
postulate that there are similar, if not greater, benefits for these youth and their families.
Kingston is not the only city who has implemented an initiative like this and found it to
be beneficial for youth. In 2005, the City of London provided free universal access to public
transit for all youth under 17 and later expanded the program to include youth aged 17-18 who
were enrolled full-time in school. A study on the impact of this program found that it improved
skills, and travel companions, to take public transport more. This enhanced mobility reduced
their reliance on their parents, enabling them to take many more recreational and social trips
(Goodman et al., 2014).
In advocating for the expansion of this program to Kitchener schools and the rest of the
region, there are many opportunities for the City to collaborate with diverse partners like the
local school boards, CBOs like Carizon, and the Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab
(SWRIL).
Justification
-
related issues, particularly those related to access to wellbeing supports, for this population. For
to access therapy and not being able to because they currently have to rely on their parents for all
of their transportation needs. In addition, youth and their families talked about how youth
without cars cannot apply to certain jobs because they are not within walking distance, and they
cannot afford to take public transport. Other youth told me that they have to walk 45 minutes to
school every day (which is worse in the winter) because they live too far to be eligible to take the
Why not just give free bus passes to these youth then and not everyone, you ask? Well,
youth have expressed that they do not want to have to prove that they are poor to access supports
like this, feeling like doing so singles them out from their peers. A universal initiative is a
socially inclusive way to facilitate access for these more marginalized youths and ultimately
helps all youth. Finally, facilitating the use of public transit for youth is also an important step in
shifting away from car culture and promoting more sustainable methods of transportation among
future generations.
Solution 4: Address the Gap in Programming for Transition Age Youth Aged 18-24
I propose that efforts towards the development of mentorship opportunities for all young
adults in the proposed drop-in program or for specific subgroups (such as low-income and/or
Indigenous and racialized young adult attendees) be coordinated with those of the Equity and
Anti-Racism Advisory Committee to craft recommendations around recreating a youth
mentorship program at the City.
The site specifically for young adults with exceptional needs aims to address the fact that
this gap in young adult supportsdisproportionately affects this subpopulation.There are many
opportunities for the City to collaborate with SCDS, WRFN, and KidsAbility, among other
organizations, in designing programming at this site.
Justification
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This solution addresses the joint issues of equity and access to supports by helping to fill
the gapin supports for young adults aged 18-24 with a free program at local community centres.
It also will help address their need for more job skills and opportunities, as well as some of the
school-related stressors they identified, such as navigating the application process for post-
secondary education. Finally, this program will give them an opportunity to make friends in a
safe space, as well as connect with mentors for guidance, which addresses the social context
surrounding this population.
Solution 5: Provide Non-specialized Supports within Current Programs to Meet Youth
Where They Are at
While various curriculums and trainings are available, Mental Health First Aid was
selected specifically because it is evidence-based and because some City staff have already
received this training, so it is a matter of expanding the training to all staff who work directly
with youth.
I propose that the equity and intersectionality training sessions address the topics of
racism/colorism, fatphobia, xenophobia, colonialism, sexism, agism, homophobia, transphobia,
islamophobia, inter-cultural competency, antisemitism, ablism, intersectionality, and tokenism. If
it is decided that live speakers will be hired to deliver these sessions to YDI staff or other City
staff who work directly with youth, there are opportunities to collaborate with a whole host of
community partners, including the African Family Revival Organization (AFRO), SPECTRUM,
and the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW(CMW KW), among many others. These topics
should be tailored to be relevant to working directly with youth.
Justification
Given the excessively long wait lists for many specialized mental health services, this
-specializedyet
effective support in places where they already go. It also explicitly addresses issues of equity,
intersectionality, and tokenismby making the social context surrounding both staff and youth
attendees of City youth programs safer and more inclusive. These are both equally important
given that my participants made clear that equity-related issues cannot be disentangled from
mental health and wellbeing. Finally, this solution addresses the explicit desire expressed by YDI
staff for more training and skills development related to these issues, which they felt would
improve their ability to do their job.
Solution 6: Makethe Navigation of and Access to Supports Easier
One of the strongest recommendations that came directly from youth and families was
the idea of creating a single centralized database for youth wellbeing supports for all of Waterloo
Region. This database would consolidate all the existing databases/resource hubs that currently
exist (Family Compass,
Youth and families envisioned this place to look for and access information about supports not
employment,
education, and recreation/leisure.
Youth and families expressed that equity needs to be a top priority for this database,
which they suggested should be an online website with an associated phone number (answered
by a real person), and potentially an associated mobile application and social media accounts
but that are all linked as marketed as different versions of the same umbrella database. Families
43
also asked for the phone number to be answered by individuals trained to help them navigate the
database, the different youth-serving systems and resources, fill out forms, etc. Specific models
for these potential staff positions that parents explicitly mentioned
staff member.
Furthermore, options to access the database in multiple languages (at the very least,
English and the top three non-English languages spoken in Waterloo Region) should be a
priority. Furthermore, plain, youth-friendly, and accessible language (no jargon, labels, or
lives. This would present an opportunity to collaborate with KWMC and other CBOs led by and
for communities whose primary language is not English, as well as KidsAbility, WRFN, and
SCDS. In addition, community partners I spoke to suggested that maybe different sections of the
database have language tailored for use by parents/caregivers versus youth. Finally, everyone
agreed that this database would have to be advertised very well to the whole community in order
to be effective.
Parents also requested that the database include wait list times for popular services so
prepared for the response when they do request services (this was noted as being particularly
important for mental health services). In addition, families noted that it would be helpful for the
database and its associated mobile application to have the ability to know or prompt you for your
location, so as to suggest supports closest to you. Finally, families expressed a desire for the
online database to include step-by-step instructions for accessing supports (e.g. if you need a
referral for your child to see a psychiatrist, it would tell you that and then tell you to take your
child to a pediatrician first).
I also had some of my own ideas about what improving systems navigation through this
centralized database could look like based on my research findings. Firstly, there is an
CYPT can create another working group to focus specifically on the development of such a
database. I did hear about the idea that a centralized internal database for community-based
organizations and other youth-serving entities in Waterloo Region (that is linked to the public-
facing one) should also be created so that organizations can update any changes to their
programs and services themselves. However, a potential concern with this that I heard is some
organizations often do not have the capacity to update their own websites, let alone an external
database. Given that keeping a database like this updated is a full-time job, I suggest exploring
the possibility of hiring staff members to focus solely on fulfilling this responsibility. If staff are
hired, I strongly suggest that they be youth themselves, especially younger youth (under 18) who
struggle to find employment. The question of who would hire them is unclear, but maybe CYPT
could explore this as an option.
Related to parental support, many parents felt that there was something uniquely helpful
g
been in their situation. Whether this takes the form of a support group or mentorship program,
emotional/behavioral problems. It should be noted that related to the parents of racialized youth,
according to community partners, some of these parents specifically asked to receive support
44
from peer parents who were not members of their ethnic community due to fear of stigma-based
judgment and lack of confidentiality.
In exploring opportunities to expand this type of parental support, I recommend that the
City collaborate closely with WRFN, given their 13 years of experience running their own peer-
to-peer mentorship program for parents of youth with exceptional needs, as well as Carizon and
Lutherwood. Collaborations with SPECTRUM, the ACB (African, Caribbean, Black) Network
of Waterloo Region, CMW KW, and KWMC, among others, would also be fruitful for tailoring
supports specifically for the parents of racialized and LGBTQ2+ youth.
Justification
This proposed solution would be a step in the direction of improving the coordination of
youth-serving systems. It would also help address the equity-related access barrier of lack of
knowledge about where and how to seek support related to youth wellbeing.
By co-creating this program specifically with parents of racialized and LGBTQ2+ youth
who face unique issues, this program helps to address some issues related to equity and access to
wellbeing supports, specifically the peer supports that parents were asking for. This evidence-
based program also helps to address some of the parent-child relationship issues that were shown
to affect the wellbeing of youth.
Final Thoughts
These proposed solutions should be received with the caution that they represent the
culmination of analyses conducted at a specific point in time. In other words, needs and priorities
related to mental health and wellbeing may shift among Kitchener youth and/or specific
subgroups of youth. Thus, flexibility in implementing these solutions is paramount to always
remain
I also want to stress the importance of comprehensive evaluation of the proposed
solutions within the given resource constraints. Efforts focused on both process and outcome
evaluation will enable the City to see what is working about the solutions, what is not working,
and why. These quantitative and qualitative data will allow the City to make adaptations to
programs and policies to ensure they are having the intended effect.
Finally, I want to recognize that the work of Project EMPTHY and the proposed
solutions that have come out of it align with the Waterloo Region Community safety and
Wellbeing framework. In developing the implementation plan for the solutions presented here, I
recommend that City staff make efforts to align it with the conditions for wellbeing and safety,
foundational things to grow/create/explore, and the barriers to change identified in this region-
wide plan. This will help address the need for better systems coordination and potentially
facilitate the expansion of successful pilots to other areas of the region.