These are just some of the collaborators who are inspiring YouthLink to be at our best. Others are listed in these pages and on our website.• All of the youth (and their folks or friends) now lined up for our walk-

in clinic as well as those at our treatment home, in our co-ops, at our LGBTQ drop-in group, or on our waiting lists

• The volunteers on our Youth and President’s Advisory Councils, and golf tournament committee

• Children’s Mental Health Ontario and its groundbreaking Kids Can’t Wait campaign

Spring 2018

Stories of us “YouthLink joins with youth, families and partners....”

With these opening words to our mission statement we at YouthLink have placed collaboration at the heart of all that our agency is, says and does. Catch up here on some of our key collaborations that are strengthening Scarborough for youth and their families to thrive. For YouthLink’s full mission statement visit www.youthlink.ca.

Timely psychiatric assessment for local youth: that’s the aim of Scarborough’s Tele-Mental Health team that includes YouthLink’s Zohra Rahman (left), Jessica Bentley of SickKids (centre) and Karlene Haughton of East Metro Youth Services (right).

YouthLink / SickKids / East Metro Youth Services / Professionals in psychiatry A province-wide S-T-R-E-T-C-H for youth mental health

YouthLink is the former Big Sister Association of Metropolitan Toronto, a registered Canadian charity (126207786) and an anchor agency of the United Way Greater Toronto. It is accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation.

INSIDE

YouthLink and …… United Way; Pathways to Education Canada; CanTYD; Sheridan College P. 2

… Supporters of housing for homeless youth in Scarborough and City of Toronto; TD Bank; Betty Van Wyck P. 4

… Tyler McGill family and friends / Long & McQuade / TD Music Counts / Home Depot P. 3

Interview with Board President Chilton Ng P. 5

Join us / Save these dates / Next in Connector P. 6

Children’s Mental Health Ontario reports that Ontario youth are waiting a year or more for mental health services, creating added stress on them that can lead to more doctor or emergency room visits, hospitalizations, even death by suicide. To reduce such wait times, the provincial government has launched Tele-Mental Health. This referral-based service uses sophisticated, highly-protected video conferencing technology to match young people

YouthLink / You

Psst! Pass this along!Young people are not getting the mental health services they need in part because they, their families and friends don’t know where to turn. To solve this, YouthLink is asking you to share the following information with family, friends, co-workers, educators, health professionals and beyond:

For FREE, timely individual counselling to age 24, or psychiatric assessment to

age 18, contact: YouthLink,

416-967-1773, ext. 222 or info@youthlink.ca

anywhere in the province with available mental health specialists at SickKids. Zohra Rahman, YouthLink’s Manager of Community Services, is excited about the declining wait times for psychiatric assessment she is witnessing. “Before, waitlists to the few child psychiatrists in Toronto were several months long,” she says. “We’re now able to get a referral in two to three weeks.” (See Tele-Mental Health, P. 3)

The sign of a good collaboration: it makes you want to improve yourself

YouthLink / United Way Greater Toronto

In league for a caring city

2 YouthLink Connector Spring 2018

YouthLink / Pathways to Education Canada* / School Boards

YouthLink / Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre (CanTYD)

What does “male” mean?Ten boys are exploring together in their own way what being male means to them. With dreams of becoming athletes, chefs, accountants, and so on, they are discussing topics like coping, personal changes and growing, relationships and consent, health needs, peer pressure, and leadership. Facilitating these weekly chats are Youth Outreach Workers from long-standing partners CanTYD and YouthLink. The group’s name, Selvan Circle, is fitting, given that “selvan” is the Tamil word for “boy.” And yes, there is a similar group for girls.

Directions

Recruit eligible students in Grade 8 or returnees for Grades 10 to 12 and their

guardian(s), annually. Combine each student with a Student/Parent Support

Worker. Support with bus tickets for each day of high school attendance. Toss

in bi-weekly meetings with their Support Worker. Twice a week, mix in support

for them to attend tutoring, group mentoring, specialty mentoring and/or career

mentoring programs in their community. Assist with their applications to univer-

sity/college/training programs. Celebrate their achievements.

Graduation Facts:

A 10% increase in Scarborough Village’s high school graduation rate over 9

years. Research shows that people who complete high school live healthier,

wealthier, longer and happier. The community also benefits. See how in the

next * Pathways to Education Canada is a national organization that helps youth in low-income

communities to graduate from high school and enter into university, training or employment.

1 YouthLink-Pathways to Education Canada agreement

2 YouthLink partnerships, with the public and Catholic school boards

1 office and 5 program locations, all in Scarborough Village

17 staff

11 site support alumni

76 volunteer tutors and mentors

$220,000 in bus tickets

Scholarships, up to $2,000/student with minimum 2 year participation

Up to 400 registrants per year, all high school students living in

selected Scarborough Village apartment buildings

Connector.

www.youthlink.ca: The Sequel

Coming June 2018

Revamped YouthLink website coming your way based on recommendations provided by students in Website Usability, Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design, Sheridan College.

Got an idea of your own for the site’s improvement? Email it to info@youthlink.ca. We’d love to hear from you!

YouthLink / Sheridan College

One of Toronto’s most enduring partnerships began in 1919 when its Big Sister Association applied to belong to the Community Service Federation. That Association today is YouthLink, and that Federation, the United Way Greater Toronto. At that time, Big Sisters had $1,500 in the bank ($19,250 in 2018 dollars). Signing on with the Federation would obligate it to raise funds for the Federation each year yet receive less than 6 months operating revenue in return. The Big Sisters applied anyway, hoping to create a larger groundswell of support for improving the conditions for Toronto’s girls and women. Today, YouthLink is one of 62 partner and anchor United Way agencies. In return for helping the United Way raise funds and work toward positive change, YouthLink is eligible to receive what amounts to 1.5 months of operating revenue. While that’s less than 100 years ago, uniquely, United Way money can be used for infrastructure which other sources will not fund. Equally important, both organizations continue to work through their shared strength on improving the conditions for all youth in our community.

United Way’s VP, of Community Investment and Development Ruth Crammond and YouthLink’s Director of Client Services Michael Tross maintain this 100+ year old organizational tie.

YouthLink Connector Spring 2018 3

Tele-Mental Health, continued from P. 1 YouthLink, having the required technology, is the only Scarborough referring site, and only 1 of 4 in Toronto. A boardroom with a large screen TV, IPad, private intranet connection and 2-way video conferencing equipment at YouthLink’s new main office can now be used by our counsellors and clients, and those of other agencies. Assessments can last from 1 to 2 hours. A youth is accompanied by his or her counsellor for the youth’s comfort. Parents and others working with them may also be on hand. Medical students may attend with the psychiatrist. During the meeting, the psychiatrist asks questions of anyone in order to know the client and situation better. In the end though, as Zohra explains, “It’s each client’s narrative. The rest of us are only facilitators.”

Saturday mornings year-round 16 or so youth, aged 12 to 24, band together at YouthLink’s The Link to learn to play music. For free. Their instruments are new to many, as are musical terms, notes, and finger placements for their favourite tunes. They’ll figure all that out soon enough. Meanwhile volunteer music coaches Stephen Worrall and Michael Arthurs bring answers and humour to the chaos. In addition to the plucks, tooting, strums, and beats they are learning, these budding musicians are exploring a potential lifelong passion, possibly a career, certainly new friendships and definitely a new confidence. Dozens of youth and our community have the Tyler McGill Music Scholarship Program to thank. This ongoing celebration of a life that came to an untimely, violent end in 2007 began in unspeakable grief. Every year since, Tyler’s family and friends have mounted an afternoon of musical abandon to raise funds for musical training. They turned to YouthLink in 2013 to manage that training program. Their partnership now includes Long & McQuade, TD Music Counts and Home Depot.

YouthLink / Tyler McGill Benefit Concert / Long & McQuade / TD Music Counts / Home Depot

The sweet sounds in everlasting memory of a fine young man

Within a few weeks, the psychiatrist sends a report with recommendations to the counsellor. The counsellor shares it with the youth who uses it to consult with their family and doctor on how to move forward. Counsellors can consult further with the psychiatrist. “We’re able to validate the existing treatment and expand on our view of the follow-up treatment plan,” says Zohra. This inclusive approach improves the chance for follow-through on the plan. “A young person in need of mental health services can feel like a failure,” explains Zohra. “With this kind of consultation that young person can begin to feel really supported. The diagnosis and treatment plan can make him or her hopeful. And that’s what we want for our youth: to have faith in themselves and hope for the future.”

Love music?Here’s a FREE, friendly way for anyone aged 14 to 24

to learn to play an instrument.Saturdays, 11am to 2pm, Warden and St. Clair Ave. E.

• Choose electric or acoustic guitar, keyboard, drums, bass, alto or tenor sax, trombone or trumpet. Voice coaching is also available

• Borrow your instrument to take home for as long as you are in the program

• Also learn to use the sound studio with recording equipment to which you would also have access

• Start when you wish. Come as you are. Return when you can. As many sessions as you want, in a group setting

• Be coached by nationally-recognized guitarist Stephen Worrall and music arts specialist Michael Arthurs

Interested? Then download, fill in and return the application form for a Tyler McGill Music Scholarship, available at www.youthlink.ca, with your reference letter today!

Need more information? Visit www.youthlink.ca or call 416-977-1773, ext. 213.

YouthLink / Connector reader Betty Van Wyck

The ties that continue to bind

As one of our longest-standing volunteers, Betty Van Wyck pays close attention to YouthLink news. The spring 2017 issue of Connector caught her eye, prompting her to send in recollections of her involvement with the organization going back to 1941. Her letter was as infor-mative as it was unexpect-ed. See for yourself: it’s reprinted alongside key achievements from our history on the flipside of our 2016/17 annual report.

Thank you, Betty!

4 YouthLink Connector Spring 2018

The move of YouthLink’s main office to 636 Kennedy leaves our 747 Warden site ready for renovation. That transformation will unfold this summer when the property will be made into a 51-bed transitional home and emergency shelter for youth who are homeless in Scarborough. Beginning this fall a portion of the 300 to 500 area youth who each night find themselves without a home will have somewhere safe to stay. Eligible youth, aged 15 to 24, may do so for up to a year, receiving shelter, food, and staff assistance for overcoming challenges and organizing their lives to pursue fresh hopes. With this home, fewer youth will be at risk of serious abuse, human trafficking, crime, disease, the prospect of chronic homelessness and suicide. Our community will also benefit from less suffering and danger as well as reduced absenteeism at school and work, improved productivity,

and lower costs for healthcare and public safety. This significant milestone is possible thanks to many, including the 550+ people who, last year, signed our online petition or added their personal “link” to our paper chain of support. (See photos, right) This strong support was a major factor in gaining city approval of our plans.

YouthLink / Supporters of housing for youth who are homeless in Scarborough / City of Toronto

Partnership in progress

...after 1 day

...after 7 days

...and in the end

YouthLink / TD Bank

Teaming up for better performance reporting

A charity lives or dies by the results it delivers. Showing impact however can be tricky. You have to ask:• Are the results truly valuable, as judged by the youth and families served, the community as well as the funders?• Are the results tied to the organization’s work alone? • Are the results consistent with the strategic plan?

These questions are now being tackled by a volunteer team of TD Bank executives working with YouthLink’s Board and management. The answers will be applied to YouthLink’s reporting of our results at year’s end and to the process we will launch next year to devise our next strategic plan. Connector will continue to cover this important accountability story. In the meantime, check out YouthLink’s results for 2016/17 in the attached annual report entitled “Good news everyone!”

YouthLink stalwart Betty Van Wyck with her card to YouthLink and our 2016/17 Annual Report.

How many links does it take to win City Council support? YouthLink’s Jennifer Hambly displays the length of our chain of supporters...

YouthLink Connector Spring 2018 5

YouthLink / Volunteers

Straight from the heart

Meet Chilton Ng, President, YouthLink Board of Directors

Q. Why did you join the YouthLink Board?I want to help improve the world we live in! I’ve been involved with non-profits for young people since 2008: as a Junior Achievement counsellor at the Science Centre, as a judge at U of T fairs, and on various fundraising runs and walks. I wanted more responsibility as a volunteer, to have greater impact. I liked the idea of providing input on the direction an organization is going in. An online search for Board of Director openings turned up YouthLink. After checking its website and annual report, I liked the many programs it offers, and its events appealed to me. So I applied.

Q. What strengths do you bring to your role as Board President?First I would say is my desire to help young people. Then my management skills and experience followed by my previous volunteer work.

Q. What has been your greatest surprise as Board President?The not-for-profit sector is huge. The spending of billions of dollars in government and private funds is overseen by Board volunteers which is why it is crucial to have people in these positions who have the skills needed to serve as effective Board Directors. They have to know how to work with management, and how to compromise and adjust. It surprises me just how challenging it is to find individuals who possess the skill set and are able to commit to the responsibilities involved. People who understand it have to stick around.

Q. What is your main focus now?Accountability to all of our stakeholders, and ensuring that Board members feel they are contributing to moving the organization forward.

Chilton Ng (I) with RBC volunteers and YouthLInk Executive Director Janice Hayes (r)

Blind Spots: A Scarborough dialogue on youth mental health, Thursday, May 10, 2018, 5-7pm, Miller Lash House, 130 Kingston Road (RSVP: 416-967-1773, ext. 278) An interactive forum for community members to hear more about the mental health and well-being needs of youth in our diverse community.

Raising of the Pride Flag, Saturday, June 2, 12pm-3pm, Albert Campbell SquareEast Side Pride, Wednesday, June 13, 4pm-9pm, Albert Campbell Square Participate in Scarborough’s very own PRIDE month festivities at these events. Check the YouthLink website for more details as they become available.

YouthLink Celebration BBQ, Date and time to be determined, 636 Kennedy Road (RSVP: 416-967-1773, ext. 202) Scarborough is a caring community worth celebrating. Join our Board in marking the many ways in which the people of Scarborough care about their youth. YouthLink’s Drive4Youth2Thrive Charity Golf Classic, Thursday, September 27, Cedarbrae Golf Club, 55 Mac Frost WayGolf registration 11am, dinner 7pm, sign up online or call 416-967-1773, x 278. Last year, our first golf tournament ever, scored so well that doing it again is just par for the course. Come out and vie for the Hilda Burns Trophy and other prizes or, for non-golfers, join in the merry-making at a delicious dinner. In either case you’ll have a ball!

Fundraiser to benefit the Tyler McGill Music Scholarship Program, Fall 2018Stay tuned to this space or check www.youthlink.ca, “Join with us” tab, for details.

BluesLink 2019, Thursday, May 2, 2019, 5pm, The Guild, 201 Guildwood PkwyOnline ticket sales begin in January BluesLink 2017 was a record-breaker, so much so that we are taking a break this year to figure out how to continue making it better for next year! Plan to join us for the best one yet!

Next in Connector: Celebrating diversity, advancing inclusion for youth mental healthToronto is the world’s most diverse city, and Scarborough its most diverse community. What are the effects of this unique dynamic on the mental health of our youth? Supported by YouthLink’s Board of Directors, with input from the community, partners and staff, Executive Director Janice Hayes is developing a major, multi-pronged, agency-wide response in favour of mental health and well-being for those youth most at risk. More details in Connector’s summer 2018 edition.

Save these dates...then join us!

YouthLink’s main office, 636 Kennedy Road

6 YouthLink Connector Spring 2018