How Kids Help Phone is working to improve access to its services for young people
A new fundraising campaign launched by Kids Help Phone has a goal of expanding access to e-mental health services for all young people across Canada.
The campaign, called Feel Out Loud, has a goal of raising $300 million.
The money will be used to increase access to mental health services, close the mental health equity gap for youth and transform the country's e-mental health landscape.
"E-mental health services are services that young people can connect with when they are not going physically to a location," said Alisa Simon, the executive vice president of E-Mental Health Transformation.
"So at Kids Help Phone we provide phone counselling, chat, we provide texting support, peer to peer communities, and you can be anywhere in Canada and connect in for those supports."
Simon said before the pandemic Kids Help Phone was supporting young people around 1.9 million times a year and now the organization is supporting them over four million times a year.
"And we know that the need is even greater, so how do we expand so that young people can reach out and quickly get support? We also know that there's a mental health gap for young people from equity deserving population, and how do we make sure that Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ2S+ young people are able to get the support that they need?
"Then there's innovation. How do we create new service pathways, new kinds of supports so that regardless of where young people are, they're never alone?"
Simon said as part of working to improve services, Kids Help Phone is continually talking with Indigenous and northern communities to ensure they are able to access all the same services as everyone else in the country.
"Always thinking about that connectivity issue right? How do we ensure that we are able to provide supports (to young people) that have low bandwidth for example? So if your internet coverage isn't strong, can you still get in? If you don't have internet, are you able to text? So constantly thinking through the ways we can provide diverse types of services that allow every person to at least have some way in for support."
To kickoff the campaign, both Bell Canada and BMO Financial Group donated $15 million each.
"Yes we are raising money, but this is a movement where we want everyone talking about how do we ensure that our young people are going to grow up in a world where they are able to thrive," said Simon.
For people who are looking for support or wanting to donate, more information can be found online.
Bell Canada is the parent company of CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.
Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
Sleeping and waking up at different times is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who get the recommended amount of sleep, according to new research.
California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for one California family after a man who went missing in 1999 was found 25 years later when his sister saw a photo of him in an online article, authorities said.
Trudeau Liberals' two-month GST holiday bill passes the House, off to the Senate
The federal government's five-page piece of legislation to enact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promised two-month tax break on a range of consumer goods over the holidays passed in the House of Commons late Thursday.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
Notre Dame Cathedral: Sneak peek ahead of the reopening
After more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, Notre Dame Cathedral showed its new self to the world Friday, with rebuilt soaring ceilings and creamy good-as-new stonework erasing somber memories of its devastating fire in 2019.
Canada Post temporarily laying off striking workers, union says
The union representing Canada Post workers says the Crown corporation has been laying off striking employees as the labour action by more than 55,000 workers approaches the two-week mark.