January 22, 2025 – Bell Let’s Talk Day is an important opportunity to highlight the dedication and innovation of Ontario’s community child and youth mental health centres that support over 130,000 infants, children, youth, and families each year. CMHO welcomes this year’s campaign for its focus on the importance of supporting children and youth, who are facing a growing mental health .

We know that 1 in 5 children and youth will experience some type of mental health problem. A recent report, A Generation at Risk: The State of Youth Mental Health in Canada, by Mental Health Research Canada and Bell Let’s Talk found that youth mental health is in serious decline, with increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The report highlights that this decline is particularly pronounced among marginalized groups such as 2SLGBTQI+ communities, newcomers, and Indigenous youth.

We also know that at least 70% of mental illness starts in childhood and adolescence, so the importance of early intervention when it comes to young people’s mental health is crucial. The report found that nearly three in five (57%) youth who need mental health support are not getting the help they need and stresses the need for more equitable access to mental health services. This new report echoes CMHO data, which found that in 2020, there were 28,000 children and youth waiting an average of nine months for treatment, some as long as two and a half years.

CMHO and its community child and youth mental health care centres play a critical role in providing mental health supports and treatment to infants, children, youth, and families, and continue to advocate for new investments to address long wait times and inequities in access to child and youth mental health care.

CMHO’s 85 member organizations operate in every region of the province, providing free treatment and supports, including targeted prevention, early intervention, short- and long-term counselling and therapy, addictions services, and intensive services such as live-in treatment.

CMHO members are also at the forefront of innovative initiatives such OneStopTalk, a free, virtual counselling service where children and youth under 18 can get immediate access to mental health support through a network of community-based child, youth, and family mental health agencies.

We are pleased to see that two of CMHO’s member agencies received funding through the 2024 Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund and were recognized for their contributions to improving access to mental health care, supports, and services for people in Canada.

The Youth Services Bureau supports Ottawa youth and their families in the areas of mental health, shelters and housing, justice, and employment. With support from the Community Fund, the organization will develop and deliver annual workshops for parents, focusing on how best to support a young person struggling with disordered eating.

EveryMind Mental Health Services is the lead agency for child and youth mental health services in Peel Region. Bell funds will support a full-time clinician who will provide 16 weeks of weekly counselling sessions for young adults facing mental health challenges as they transition to adulthood, removing barriers to participation and increasing access to services.

As the community health sector faces challenges like high wage gaps, compared to other sectors like hospitals and education, and staff turnover, increased government funding is needed so we can serve more families and reduce wait times for accessible mental health care in the community. Bell Let’s Talk Day reminds us that while we have made tremendous progress reducing stigma, much work remains to address the challenges in child and youth mental health and close the gaps in care, in particular for transitional-aged youth, Northern, rural, and remote communities, and equity-deserving groups.