MY MENTAL HEALTH…. IS YOUR STATE OF MIND

 

Belleville, February, 2009 --- Six agencies, serving children, youth and their families in the South East Region of Ontario have partnered to create an information and education project to help de-stigmatize children’s mental health, thanks to The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

 

Children’s Mental Health Services of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, Child and Youth Wellness Centre of Leeds and Grenville, Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth, Pathways for Children and Youth, Parent Child and Youth Clinic, Quinte Health Care Inc. and Youth Habilitation Quinte Inc. were awarded a grant of $60,000 to develop and implement The South East Region Children’s Mental Health Education and De-Stigmatization Project.

 

“Our agencies felt there was a need to come together to help inform and educate communities, especially more remote or rural areas of the services available in the South East Region of Ontario to support children’s mental health”, states Terry Swift, Executive Director of Children’s Mental Health Services of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. 

 

Through the funding, the project produced educational material directed at young people ages 12 to 19 years.   The images and message for the campaign, “MY MENTAL HEALTH…. IS YOUR STATE OF MIND” was created by young people in the South East Region who have a voice and experience with children’s mental health. 

 

Youth leaders from across South Eastern Ontario will be participating in a panel discussion and art workshop sponsored by the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO on February 11, 2009 at the Days Inn in Kingston, Ontario.  

 

The material will be distributed in communities in the South East Region through the six partners, their offices, staffs, community partners, youth leaders, schools and service providers beginning in January 2009. 

 

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario.  The foundation allocates grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts and culture, environment, human and social services and sports and recreation sectors. 

 

              

For media inquiries or information about children’s mental health, please contact:

 

Terry Swift, Executive Director

Children’s Mental Health Services of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties

613-966-3100

www.cmhs-hpe.on.ca