youth and children generally

Our bi-weekly Saturday Peer Mental Health Support groups (Rising Together) seek to improve  or support the overall mental well-being of youth through empathetic, holistic and healing-centered conversation. Our groups adopt a person-centered approach to navigating through the circumstances and things that impact our mental health.

We are almost a year into the worldwide pandemic and the fatigue of this life is definitely settling in or has settled for too long! This year has provided a time of reflection and a personal exploration of what is important, what is not so important and maybe even, what is not important anymore. For young people, this world has thrust them into a new way of living - in ways that are quite counter to the instincts for the developmental age.

We are starting a new 8-week virtual Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Course for Youth, with the First Class on Monday, March 8th @ 6:30PM.

Since starting this program in a virtual format in September 2020, the feedback from participants has been very positive, the youth who have completed the program reported improvement in their overall wellbeing, improvement in their mental health, a better handle on the stressors in their lives, and a greater overall ability to cope with difficult situations.

Are video games like Candy Crush gambling? How do video games promote gambling among youth? What is a Freemium Model game?

All these questions and more will be discussed in this free webinar being conducted by the YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program.

Game-Bling is an interactive webinar designed for service providers and parents of youth, during which we will explore the dangers of the blurred lines between gaming and gambling and provide tools to understand and support youth.

YouthREX has partnered with Strides Toronto and Central Toronto Youth Services on a new online certificate that can support Ontario’s youth sector with this important work.

Centering Black Youth Wellbeing: A Certificate on Combatting Anti-Black Racism will provide the Ontario youth sector with the foundational knowledge to cultivate practices, policies and alliances that challenge, disrupt and combat systematic anti-Black racism.

Join us in a conversation about Ontario’s Child Welfare Redesign Strategy released in July 2020. This conversation will feature a presentation by David Remington, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services.

Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada presents:  How Nature Benefits Kids and Youth

In the last ten years, there's been a deluge of evidence which shows the strong connection between Nature and Stress some of which may surprise you. In this webinar, we will explore the findings from studies done all over the planet, from outdoor settings to the effect of having plants in your bedroom.

Expert Panelist: Dr. Robin Alter

You’re invited for our next educational webinar:

Our Youth in Need: Comprehensive Mental Health Treatment for Young Canadians

With Richa Sharma MHA MACP CHE RP(c), Manager Special Program Initiatives, Bellwood Health Services

Do you work with young people? Do you have a trusting relationship with the youth you work with? Then, you are the best person to talk with youth about cannabis!

Do you work with/support young people?

How many youth were exposed to a gambling ad during lockdown? Can Twitch be used to gamble? Are influencers being used to market gambling products?

The YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program's (YGAP) Media Impact presentation will tackle these questions and more, in a free hour long session.

17 year old doesn't like school, doesn't know where he wants to go in life, unmotivated. A service on the West side of Mississauga preferred, as he will likely need to continue after  the pandemic and might prefer in-person or group therapy then. Affordable service preferred. Any suggestions? Please email.

Leading the way in mental health training and education

The youth mental health crisis goes well beyond Blue Monday. Toronto’s young people seek out support 365 days a year, often running into barriers in accessing the help they need. And the isolating effects of the pandemic are only making things worse.

RBC Pathway to Peers is an innovative partnership between Stella's Place and Mount Sinai Hospital's Emergency Department created to provide mental health support for individuals 16 - 29 years old through lived experience.

Accountability & Responsibility in a Digital World for Teens and Parents

This session is intended for parents and students in Grade 7 and up

Join us for an evening to talk about the digital world for teens and parents. For nearly three decades, Paul Davis advised executives on a variety of information technology issues. He is now presenting to parents and children about the potential dangers of social networking.

Paul will cover the following: Social Media, Smartphones, Apps, Passwords, Photos and Sharing, Privacy and more!

Join the next EENet webinar featuring CAMH researchers and representatives from School Mental Health Ontario and Kids Help Phone.

Register for this webinar now!

About this event

In this webinar, the panelists will provide:

Are video games like Candy Crush gambling? How do games geared towards youth promote gambling? What is a Freemium Model game?

All these questions and more will be discussed in this free webinar being conducted by the YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program.

Game-Bling is an interactive webinar designed for service providers and parents of youth, during which we will explore the dangers of the blurred lines between gaming and gambling and provide tools to understand and support youth.

While food is recognized as being critical for our survival, it is less frequently considered in the context of security, power, and sovereignty. In youth work that is intentional about incorporating an anti-oppressive lens, food cannot be forgotten.

This engaging 3-hour online workshop will be segmented into three parts, including an opening presentation, a panel, and an interactive discussion. As we examine the Transformational Power of Food Security & Sovereignty for BIPOC communities, we aim to:

How many youth were exposed to a gambling ad during lockdown? Can Twitch be used to gamble? Are influencers being used to market gambling products?

The YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program's (YGAP) Media Impact presentation will tackle these questions and more, in a free hour long session.