Mobilizing Communities: Enhancing partnerships between schools and youth hubs for mental health and well-being

The growing mental health (MH) crisis has only worsened since COVID and the fall-out from this is expected to be felt for years to come resulting in a sustained negative impact on MH. Despite this, MH supports and services are significantly lacking; timely access to care is ladened with barriers to services especially for young people, including those from Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities who have faced deepened inequities as a result of the pandemic. Hence, we need earlier innovative approaches to MH service delivery, before young people reach the crisis point. Mobilization between schools and community MH (i.e., youth hubs) supports has an important role in a stepped care approach and is vital to improving timely access to care, to reducing inequities and to improving overall MH of young people. The goal of this youth-centered study is to implement and evaluate a community-based MH program using an evidence-based effective stepped approach for young people that involves mobilizing partnerships between schools and youth hubs. This study involves the partnership with a well-established Manitoba (MB) youth hub (NorWest) and an urban school division (Seven Oaks School Division - SOSD). Youth attending SOSD highschools and key stakeholders (e.g., teachers, clinicians, counsellors) will be invited to take part in the study. Multiple data collection methods (e.g., individual and focus group interviews, arts-based methods) will be used, guided by principles of equity, collaboration and partnership. Short-term, this study will yield information on whether the community-based MH program shows promise as an acceptable, appropriate and effective program in promoting MH and well-being for young people. Long-term, the findings will inform the next steps in the research program including adapting and implementing the community-based MH program with additional school-youth hub partnerships across MB and could be applied to youth hubs across Canada.