In the face of long wait times for mental-health resources and treatment, one youth-led community initiative called ACCESS Open Minds helped to pave the way to fill the gaps in youth-mental-health care and inspired Ontario's government to try out their model.

Host Tiffany Lam reports on how this youth-led initiative approached treating the crisis, whether Ontario's adoption of this model has been successful, and researchers' recommendations for how to build up Ontario's mental-health-care system. Considering social determinants of health, improving data collection, and revising how the province funds services could save lives and reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

This episode of In Our Heads explores the reimagination of Ontario's mental-health-care system and the role grassroots organizations play in the fight against the youth-mental-health crisis. How have community-led organizations filled the gaps in mental-health care?

Read the transcript here: https://www.tvo.org/article/how-this-model-reimagines-mental-health-care-for-youth

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If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support:

Wellness Together Canada

https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA

To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:

• call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth
• call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

The Government of Ontario’s Mental Health Support Resources

 https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

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