Toronto shelter steps up to meet mental health needs for youth
Youth Without Shelter (YWS) offers emergency accommodations, as well as a Stay-In-School program for people age 16 to 24 in Toronto's west-end.
But the pandemic forced them to shut down 20 of their 53 beds, just at a time when the need was rising.
“Already 86 per cent of homeless youth in Canada were reporting substantial amounts of anxiety and depression,” YWS Executive Director Steve Doherty told CTV News Toronto. “And this has only added to it.”
The organization also cites several other disturbing statistics, compiled by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Young people age 13 to 24 make up 20 per cent of Canada’s homeless population, and those homeless youth are three times more likely to develop mental health problems than kids from a more stable home environment.
During the pandemic, suicidal ideation among youth increased 36 per cent. Incidents of self-harm rose by 25 per cent. And attempts at suicide went up by 15 per cent.
Doherty says unemployment because of the pandemic caused many more youth to lose their homes.
But Director of Operations, Ben Omoregie, says despite having fewer beds, the staff doubled their efforts to increase mental health supports and housing assistance.
In fact, the shelter set a record for the number of youth that they helped to find housing.
“We helped them out with subsidies from the City of Toronto and other support programs that were available in the community. And what they couldn’t do, we also did.” says Doherty, citing their food bank, clothing bank and employment services.
17-year old Amna Malik was one of those who turned to YWS during the pandemic. She came to stay there in July 2021 after experiencing troubles at home.
But at YWS, she found the stability she needed, as well as access to a therapist, homework support and more.
“Much better” is how she describes her life now, as she works toward competing her high school diploma. “It gave me the consistency I needed.”
The teen says talking has always come easily to her but she says conversations, like those promoted by Bell Let’s Talk Day, have been a form of healing for her.
And Doherty says “It’s not just let’s talk, but let’s listen. And anything that gets those discussions moving forward and can bring forward talk about mental health without the stigma attached to it, it can’t do anything but help.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.