Youth Net/Réseau Ado (YN/RA) is a bilingual by youth for youth mental health promotion program of the Mental Health Patient Service Unit at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). YN/RA offers alternative support services for youth. We strive to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health & mental illness through prevention/intervention activities education, research and advocacy.

Focus Groups

YN/RA runs focus groups in schools, community centres, youth groups and anywhere else youth are found.

The focus groups give youth the chance to talk about mental health and mental illness in a confidential and supportive environment.

We also gather research data that allows us to educate service providers on youth issues.

Our focus groups are run by trained youth facilitators (ages 20-30) for youth ages 13-20.

YN/RA focus group facilitators must attend 2-day facilitation training, as well as the ASIST workshop to qualify to run a group.

Support Groups

YN/RA offers 12 week long therapeutic support groups for youth who feel they need some more on-going support to learn how to deal with the stress in their lives.

There are two different kinds of support groups- general support groups and those that deal specifically with depression.

The support groups are facilitated by older youth (ages 20-30). Usually these facilitators are psychology PhD practicum students, but they can also be some of our more experienced and skilled focus group facilitators.

All of our support group facilitators are required to attend weekly supervision meetings with our clinical team (a psychologist, a psychiatrist and a social worker).

Clinical Back Up

For ALL of YN/RA’s activities the youth facilitators are backed up by a team of mental health professionals who support any youth who may be in crisis in bridging to appropriate community resources.

ASIST Workshop

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the most widely used suicide intervention training workshop in the world and was developed by LivingWorks Education Inc. in Calgary, AB.

YN/RA offers this training 5 times a year, and it is a requirement for all our staff to attend. Workshops are open to the community. For dates and fees, please contact us!

Community Presentations

YN/RA staff are available to do presentations in the community on various mental health topics, as well as on the YN/RA program itself. A youth, a YN/RA staff member, and a member of the clinical team do the presentations.

Youth Initiatives

YN/RA runs several youth initiatives throughout the year. These activities, developed by youth, offer youth alternative, healthy and constructive ways of coping with their stress through physical activity, social interaction and creative expression.

Pens & Paints

This is a 12-week initiative that focuses on coping with stress through visual arts and creative writing.

FreeRide

This is a 5-week initiative that runs in the winter. Youth learn how physical activity can help them cope with stress through snowboarding.

Take a Hike

An 8-week summer initiative that focuses on physical activity (hiking, canoeing, etc) as a good way to deal with stress.

Youth Faxes/Fax Ados

Youth Faxes/Fax Ados are newsletters that are written by youth, for youth on various topics related to youth mental health (ex. relationships, depression, finding a job). Copies are free! Simply drop by the office or call us and we will mail them out to you.

Community Resource List

YN/RA developed a resource list for youth, full of great community resources that are available and accessible to youth. This list is distributed at all initiatives and is available free of charge to anyone. There is also a searchable version on our website!

Other YN/RA Sites in Canada

There are 8 other active YN/RA sites in Canada, though Ottawa is where it all began!
They are in the following cities; Delta, BC; Hamilton, Halton, Peel, and Grey Bruce, ON; and Montréal, Montérégie, and Montmagny, QC.

For more information, please visit our website at the address below.

Youth Net/Réseau Ado

401 Smyth Rd
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1

613-738-3915 (phone)
613-738-3917 (fax)

youthnet@cheo.on.ca

www.youthnet.on.ca

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