By Priscilla Wiredu
A 2023 study from Black Mental Health Canada showed that 38.3 percent of Black Canadians dealing with mental health issues “used mental health services compared with 50.8 percent of white Canadians.”
A 2018 survey also showed that 60 percent of Black Canadians would be more willing to use mental health services with a Black mental health professional. Of the Black Canadians who participated in the survey, 35.4 percent were experiencing significant psychological distress and 34.2 percent never sought out mental health services. Overall, 95.1 per cent felt that access to mental health services for Black Canadians was an issue that needed to be addressed.
Factors that inform these statistics include unemployment rates in the Black community, longer wait times, and challenges in finding a physician. There needs to be a free, online support community for Black Canadians, particularly, youth, who can safely access the resources they need for their mental health.
Enter the Black Youth Helpline.
What is the Black Youth Helpline?
The Black Youth Helpline’s (BYH) first location opened in Manitoba in September 1992 and consisted of community volunteers. Almost 11 years later, the first Ontario location was launched in March 2003. The Black Youth Helpline was created in response to a community-based project from Youth for Youth for their school. The results of the assignment stretched out to shopping malls, streets, and other places in Manitoba urging youth out of school for their return into the education system.
At the time, Youth for Youth faced many challenges in starting an active initiative for Black mental health — they had only one Black mental health professional who was swamped with calls from Black youth about their problems. Further research has shown that challenges in schools and culture/professional school-based support systems lead to significant mental health stress. Such findings helped shape the BYH program into what it is today. Now nationwide, BYH has two core foundations: the resilience of its community and volunteers, and the Canadian people and its values.
Black Youth Helpline’s core values include:
- Productive futures for Canada’s children and youth
- A mission to present socio-psychological breakdowns in communities with a strong focus on education, health, and community involvement
- Respect for the inherent worth of others
- Education for positive citizenship and lifelong success
- Health access opportunities that are barrier-free, professional and mainstream for every person
Services
BYH has an abundance ofservices available to anyone in need. As one example, they offer Multicultural Youth Helpline & Services, a helpline that serves as a first contact for BYH’s professional services for youth, families, school districts, and other youth-serving partners. Services are offered in many languages.
Stay in School Initiatives
These initiatives help build healthy relationships between schools, families, and communities by identifying the root causes of the issues and challenges at hand. Their main focuses are helping youth succeed in school, communicating and addressing issues in the school system, and supporting schools with concerns of diverse student populations.
Parent & Family Support
BYH helps families understand the challenges that confront their children and youth. Support includes development counselling, coaching, parental guidance, community school consultations, and community development initiatives.
Systems Navigation Assistance
This assistance allows individuals and families to seek appropriate professional health services for early, pre-crisis support.
Community initiatives
BYH also offers community programs and initiatives in Black communities, namely,
Effective Parenting, The Role of Mothers in Youth Violence Prevention,
Fresh Minds: A Focus on Wellness,
The Maxwell Project, and Women’s Development.
Getting Involved
Volunteering
Volunteers are key to the success of the BYH since its origins from volunteering. Interested volunteers and partners can fill out anapplication form and send it to info@blackyouth.ca.
Faith-Based Partnerships
Churches and other faith-based organisations also play an integral part in the work of the Black Youth Helpline organisation. They lead youth outreach, provide support and guidance, and help deliver health education initiatives. These organisations can contact BYH throughhere.
Donations
BYH is a registered charitable, not-for-profit organisation. Donations are welcome and tax deductible. BYH appreciates the support of all its financial partners. Ways to donate are:
E-TRANSFER
Send to info@blackyouth.ca
WIRE TRANSFER
Email info@blackyouth.ca for wire transfer information
CHEQUE
Make payable to Black Youth Helpline
Mail to 1111 Finch Ave West, Suite 411, Toronto, ON, M3J 2E5
ONLINE
Donate online at CanadaHelps.org
Black Youth Helpline is available for marginalised communities to get the help they need. For anyone dealing with mental health issues, feel free to contact the Black Youth Helpline at:
Call 416-285-9944
Toll Free 1-833-294-8650
Everyday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.m
Priscilla Wiredu is a writer for this year’s Black Voice project. An alumni of York University, she graduated with Honors where she studied Social Sciences. She then went on to get an Ontario Graduate certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers, and a college certificate in Legal Office Administration at Seneca College. She is currently studying for the LSAT in hopes of going to law school. Her main goal as a Black Voices writer is to ensure Black issues and Black Pride are enunciated through her works.