TIMMINS, ON (May 1, 2024) – National Child and Youth Mental Health Day is on May 7 and is a part of Children’s Mental Health Week from May 6 to May 12, 2024. North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS) is encouraging the region to join us as we raise awareness about the importance of child and youth mental health and well-being. Together with Children’s Mental Health Ontario, we will promote the importance of the mental health and well-being needs of young people and offer resources to families. We will also remind policymakers and governments that equitable access to quality mental health care is essential.
Children and youth are facing unprecedented levels of mental health challenges, with increasing complexity. Recent data shows that mental health challenges made up four of the top ten reasons for hospitalizations among 5 to 17-year-olds in Ontario. Despite recent new investments in Ontario to address long wait lists and increased demand post-pandemic, decades of underfunding in community mental health care and the current shortage of mental health professionals are really placing strain on kids of all ages and their families.
“This Children’s Mental Health Week, we encourage our communities to have bold and compassionate conversations about young people’s mental health, which helps to destigmatize mental health challenges and to raise awareness of the importance of families being able to access community-based mental health care more easily,” said Cléo Charlebois, Executive Director of NEOFACS.
“We serve around 2,000 unique clients in our core Child and Youth Mental Health Service annually, but we know that many more children, youth, and their families are still waiting. They must not be left to face these challenges alone,” said Lauren Smith, Director of Services for Child and Youth Mental Health Programs at NEOFACS.
To celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week and National Child and Youth Mental Health Day on May 7, the community is encouraged to spread the word about the importance of child and youth community mental healthcare with friends, families, and colleagues. One way to achieve this is by participating in the Sidewalk Chalk and Window Paint Challenge to spread positive messages about mental health in the community.
NEOFACS is also collaborating with the Northeastern Ontario Mental Health Week Committee to host events and promote the Five Ways to Well-being. Each weekday, one of the five actions will be promoted: Connect, Take Notice, Be Active, Keep Learning and Give. More information and campaign toolkits are available at neofacs.org/CMHW.
Looking for support? A list of mental health resources for parents and kids is available at cmho.org and neofacs.org.
Social media posts with links to resources will also be available from Children’s Mental Health Ontario and NEOFACS and through the hashtags #KidsCantWait, #MentalHealthWeek, and #CMHW2024.
-30-
About North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services:
North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS) is an integrated agency, providing services to children, youth and their families in the Districts of Cochrane and Timiskaming, including a number of programs for those experiencing mental health needs. Our client-responsive programs and services are innovative, evidence-based, and designed to meet the unique needs of those we serve. For more information, please visit neofacs.org.
For more information, please contact:
Mélanie Watson (she/her)
Communications Coordinator
North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services
705-360-2121
melanie.watson@neofacs.org