Youth Suicide Prevention Plan Now Complete Hundreds of participants donned

their walking and running shoes for YouthLink’s first charitable walk held Sunday, May 3. Organized by the Canadian Italian Business Professional Association Ladies’ Auxiliary, the 5K walk attracted supporters of all ages. They started out at Bambury Community Centre and made a 5K trek through the neighbourhood, raising a grand total of $16,000. YouthLink’s work with young women at risk sparked the Auxiliary’s support.

Summer 2015

In this issue:

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and support services for Scarborough youth.

~Tickets available at

416-967-1773 ext. 2 or visit Blueslink.ca

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Community Suppor t for YouthLink Rolls InCommunity Support for

YouthLink Rolls In

Measuring YouthLink Client Satisfaction

Triple P Parenting Groups Score High with Parents

Canadian Italian Business Professional Ladies’ Auxiliary Hosts First 5K Walk

MLSE Foundation Presents Toronto Raptors Community Action Grant

YouthLink was the first recipient of a $50,000 Toronto Raptors Community Action Grant for its Triple-Double program, which combines five-on-five

basketball, literacy and numeracy to increase youth physical activity and improve academic success. Following a cheque presentation May 26, Raptors basketball development coaches hosted a clinic for youth in the program.

Pictured with YouthLink staff and youth, MLSE Foundation Chair Aris Kaplanis was also joined by Toronto Raptors Basketball Development Consultant, Community Ambassador and Scarborough native, Jamaal Magloire and Just Energy Vice President of

Marketing Alan Shulman.

2 YouthLink Connector Summer 2015

Triple P Parenting Groups Score High with Parents

Results from a recent survey of parents taking part in YouthLink’s Triple P Parenting Group

demonstrate the Group is having significant positive effects. In the winter session of this award-winning, evidence-informed program, parents were surveyed in the first and last group meetings to measure changes in how they parented their teens, whose average age was 14.5, and almost 80% of whom were female. Scores demonstrated a 37% decrease in conflict behaviour between parents and youth. Parental depression, which often accompanies extended parent-child conflict, also improved with 51% of parents feeling less depressed at the end of the group. The 25% of parents who were most severely depressed were only mildly depressed by the end of the groups. Similarly, parental anxiety, which can be a debilitating side effect of parent-child conflict, decreased by 35% by the end of the group. The most severely anxious parents at the beginning of the group sessions were in the low moderate range for anxiety by the end.

Parental stress has a particularly negative effect on parental resilience and the ability to cope with day-to-day parenting issues. Stress levels of parents in the groups decreased by 35% by the last session and parents who, in the first group session, indicated that they were under severe stress, were only mildly stressed by the end. Overly permissive and authoritarian disciplinary techniques were typical parenting styles at the beginning of the sessions. By the last session, permissive parenting had improved by 13% and authoritarian approaches had decreased by 37%. Severe inter-parental conflict was identified as a significant issue by most group participants. However, over the course of the sessions, the intensity of this conflict decreased by 48%. Parental ability to cooperate and work together improved by 19%. Similarly, the quality of the relationships between parents improved over the course of the groups by 16%. Triple P will resume in the fall of 2015 with registration taking place over the summer months.

New software that measures client satisfaction with YouthLink programs is now being tested to positive feedback. This tool will help staff ensure clients receive the support they seek through YouthLink programs. This software was developed thanks to funding from Ministry of Children and Youth Services. It includes a survey for parents and youth to tell us how we are doing, and website pages in English, French, Tamil, Hindi, Spanish and Chinese. Fourteen agencies across Toronto are participating in the initial release.

YouthLink Connector Summer 2015 3

Measuring YouthLink Client Satisfaction

The Youth Suicide Prevention Plan reported on in the Spring 2015 issue of Connector is now complete and has been sent to participating agencies and youth for feedback. The report is part of a Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy of Ontario’s youth suicide prevention plan designed to help communities better respond to young people in crisis. Thanks to YouthLink staff, The Etobicoke Children’s Centre and Deborah Goodman, Violeta Dubov, Shanelle Henry, Patricia Appleton, and Sarah Holden of the Child Welfare Institute who prepared the literature review and compiled the report.

Youth Suicide Prevention Plan Now Complete

YouthLink Main Office:747 Warden Ave.

Toronto, Ontario M1L 4A8Tel.: 416-967-1773 Fax: 416-967-7515

info@youthlink.cawww.youthlink.ca

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4 YouthLink Connector Summer 2015

Community Support for YouthLink Rolls In continued...

Marianno Vegas was one of 11 youth to receive a 2015 scholarship from YouthLink’s My First Guitar Program. Pictured here with Steve

Worrall from 4 the Music, Marianno looks primed for the 10 guitar lessons he will receive under Steve’s tutelage. In a wonderful partnership formed in 2014, YouthLink manages the scholarship program and the Tyler McGill Memorial Benefit Concert funds the guitars and lessons for each recipient. Tyler McGill died in an act of violence in the summer of 2007 at the age of 22. The Benefit Concert celebrates his life and his love of music, and aims to make a positive contribution to help stop the violence. To date the Benefit has raised over $30,000 to support programs for “at-risk” youth.

Scholarship Winners Picked for My First Guitar Program

There was tremendous community support for our Youth Mental Health event held May 6, featuring Dr. Peter Szatmari, Chief of the Child and

Youth Mental Health Collaborative between CAMH, the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto. Dr. Szatmari shared important insights on the factors making youth mental health such a present day concern. As part of this event, YouthLink recognized funders including long-time supporters Donway Ford/Lincoln and Royal Bank of Canada. Also recognized was the team of Daniel Brum of Group M, Ari Ojansivu from Google and creative writer Steve Koch, who, with the help of producers, directors, technicians and many others, produced the Let us Help You video. The video was officially launched at the event.

Suppor tive Turnout for Children’s Mental Health Week Event

New Video Encourages Youth to Seek Help

Many Years of Giving from Kingsway-Lambton United Church

Thanks to the dedication of the superb team of Brum, Ojansivu and Koch, mentioned above, YouthLink’s

newest video reaches out to youth in crisis, encouraging them to seek help for whatever challenges they might be facing. Take a look at www.letushelpyou.ca.

Part of the mission of Kingsway-Lambton United Church is to support the charitable work of organizations in

its community and beyond. Proceeds from the church’s many special events, including an outstanding art sale, has benefitted YouthLink over many years.

Marianno Vegas and Steve Worall

L to R: Paul Leannerd, Donway Ford/Lincoln; Tina Campbell, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC); Vaheeda Visram, RBC; Karl Smith, YouthLink

Board Member; Matthew Fisher, Donway Ford/Lincoln