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Published on January 27, 2023.
By: Lavanya Kathirgamanathan
The city of Toronto offers an ample of support groups to help out every community member as much as it can. In specific, there are many available organizations that support the Black community. These organizations are here to empower these communities and give them a voice.
Here are a few organizations that support the mental health and the fight against anti-Black racism in Toronto:
Across Boundaries is an organization that provides mental health and addiction services for racialized communities. This organization specifically caters to the youth who suffer from oppression and racism. This organization involves building skills, offering wellness services, individual support, and support groups. These services give people the chance to acknowledge and address the systemic barriers within racialized communities and support individuals who suffer from a mental illness or addiction.
Access Alliance is a health and community service for multicultural youth in Toronto. The organization’s goal is to address mental health concerns and system inequities for people who are refugees and immigrants. Access Alliance gives immigrants and refugees the opportunity to challenge systemic barriers to achieve a healthier lifestyle. This organization encourages continuous learning and provides illness and prevention treatment for newcomers.
CAMH SAPACCY / Substance Use Program for African Canadian Caribbean Youth
The Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth, also known as SAPACCY, is an organization that supports African and Caribbean youth in Canada. They provide counselling and guidance to those dealing with substance abuse, as well as mental health concerns of these youths and within their community. This organization focuses on youth who are 25 years old or younger. The types of treatment offered includes assessment, individual treatment, and group treatment.
R.I.T.E.S for Black and African Canadian Youth
R.I.T.E.S. is a program that is specific towards the Black and African Canadian youth in Canada. This is an initiative that supports the empowerment of the youth ages 13 to 17. This organization addresses the mental health problems for youth and provides supporting resources for those suffering from discrimination, homophobia, violence, and poverty.
These are many of the key factors that play a role in the development of teenagers’ self-esteem. The R.I.T.E.S. program encourages the overall success of the youth they work with and informs them through research about the effects of discrimination, and build the youth with leadership and practical skills.
TAIBU Community Health Centre is an organization that serves the Black Community in the Greater Toronto Area. TAIBU offers four programs that support and mentor Black youth to strive for success:
LEARN: This program offers one on one mentorship and tutoring programs for students who are in elementary and high school.
IMARA: This program offers to find solutions to prevent mental health issues and promotes wellness through interventions.
THE PLUG: This program helps youth who face suspensions, expulsions, or other challenges within the school system.
The From School to Success Pipeline/F.S.S.P: This program gives the opportunity for youth to design their own path and gain access to education, employment and training.
TAIBU’s main goal is to listen and help navigate the Black community, achieve their best potential, and provide empowerment.
To find more resources that support the Black community in Toronto, click here.
Lavanya Kathirgamanathan is one of the Writers for this year’s publication at Black Voice. She’s a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she studied Journalism and will further her education in Human Resources at George Brown College. Lavanya has experience writing for multiple publications and has her own food blog on social media. Lavanya’s main goal as a writer for the Black Voice publication is to showcase Black excellence within the community, and in the city of Toronto.