When young people face mental health challenges, having the right support can make a meaningful difference for them, their families, and communities. The Youth Mental Health Fund, Canada's largest investment in youth mental health, will improve and enhance access to compassionate care that meets youth where they are at. By supporting community organizations to expand services for youth, more young people will have access to mental health resources where they live, learn, and spend time with their peers.
Today, the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced the first six projects to receive funding under the Youth Mental Health Fund. These projects will represent a total investment of more than $46 million over five years.
These projects were selected because they are ready for implementation and will have an immediate impact in strengthening and expanding Integrated Youth Service (IYS) networks and hubs and increasing capacity to support diverse youth populations. Projects were also prioritized to address the needs of youth experiencing health inequities, such as Black, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ youth.
For example, an initiative led by British-Columbia based IYS network Foundry, will support the expansion of hubs in the province, improving youth access to a range of services in one place - including mental health, substance use, physical and sexual health, youth and family peer support, and social services. Similar projects are planned for Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario.
The projects announced today represent the first phase of funding. The Fund's open call for proposals, which closed on January 22, 2025, generated significant interest from community organizations across the country. Our government looks forward to making further investments over the coming months.
We are committed to working with partners across the country to ensure that all young people have easy and equitable access to mental health services when and where they need it. Through initiatives such as the new Youth Mental Health Fund, we are showing our youth that their mental health is a priority.
