At Jack.org, we know that young people’s lived experiences afford them expertise and unique insight into the mental health systems that affect them. Since 2018, Jack.org’s annual Youth Voice Report (YVR) has explored the state of youth mental health in Canada from the perspective of young mental health advocates, including barriers to access, systemic and knowledge gaps, and opportunities for change. This report connects these youth perspectives with research and evidenced-based best practices to put forth actionable solutions to the concerns youth have regarding mental health in Canada. In this presentation, we will share the process of writing the report and key priorities and potential solutions identified by members of Jack.org’s youth network. We hope that by sharing our work, we can help spark meaningful change by bringing youth voices to bear on decisions related to mental health services and systems.
Presenters and slide deck
Sope Owoaje - Jack.org Network Representative
Sope is a Network Rep, Jack Talks Speaker, and Chapter Lead with Jack.org. Her passion for mental health advocacy stems from seeing friends struggle with mental health in an environment with little resources/support for mental health. As a Network Representative for Nunavut, she works to bring awareness to mental health basics, and to raise attention to the lack of culturally relevant resources within her community. Outside of Jack, Sope is a healthcare professional, working in Public Health, and pursuing her Masters in Public Health.
Tammy Rosner - Jack.org Evaluation Lead
Tammy is the Evaluation Lead at Jack.org, where she works with the evaluation team to better understand the effectiveness of Jack.org’s programs—what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs changing. She also communicates those findings to provide insights to Jack.org youth, staff, and donors so that everyone can know what Canadian youth are saying about their mental health. Before joining Jack.org, Tammy completed her MA in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo and her PhD in cognitive psychology (studying memory and attention) at McMaster University.
Key Learnings
- Youth continue to identify academic stress as a key factor that impacts mental health.
- Youth have identified a gap in service options and a need for more culturally sensitive/appropriate services, both on and offline.
- Youth voices and input are key when it comes to developing services that meet youth mental health needs.