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November 2024 Update
Youth are more likely to connect with and confide in other youth when talking about mental health and suicide. Peers with similar mental health experiences have a shared understanding from an adolescent perspective and are seen as a trusted source of support.
“It would be nice to be able to help my friends feel better.” (Youth at April 2024 Focus Group)
In April 2024, over thirty youth attended a focus group at Clareview Recreation Centre to voice their experiences with and understanding of mental health. They shared that some of their current coping strategies included social interactions such as sports, talking with friends, or playing video games. When asked why their friends played such an important role in their mental health, they responded that their friends were aware of what they were going through and had similar experiences. Youth then identified what they felt would be helpful in promoting youth mental health in their own lives and communities, with responses such as:
Young people may be reluctant to ask for mental health support due to social stigma or perceived judgment from adults or professionals. Peers offer understanding in ways that adults are not able to. By offering care and compassion, Wellness Ambassadors can create a safer space for conversations about mental health and suicide and help young people build supportive relationships with peers. These relationships promote mental well-being over time by increasing youth’s natural supports.
What Makes This Project Unique Youth are the authorities on their own experiences. Their voice and guidance are the driving force behind how Youth Connect is created and executed. The project will be leaning on the strengths and talents of its participants, while constantly adapting to their self-identified needs. Respect for youth knowledge and experiences and flexibility in the process and content are core tenets of our approach. By project wrap-up in Summer 2026, Youth Connect could look very different than it does now – it entirely depends on the youth!
What Makes This Project Unique
Youth are the authorities on their own experiences. Their voice and guidance are the driving force behind how Youth Connect is created and executed. The project will be leaning on the strengths and talents of its participants, while constantly adapting to their self-identified needs. Respect for youth knowledge and experiences and flexibility in the process and content are core tenets of our approach. By project wrap-up in Summer 2026, Youth Connect could look very different than it does now – it entirely depends on the youth!
Project Description
The C5 Youth Connect Project is a comprehensive initiative designed to empower youth and agency staff to take an active role in promoting mental health and well-being within their communities, with the long-term goal of reducing youth suicide. The project is aimed at the “Prevention” stage of the Suicide Prevention Continuum and aims to “increase protective factors and instill hope by promoting mental wellness, building resiliency, reducing stigma, and building supportive environments” (Building Strength, Inspiring Hope: A Provincial Action Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention 2019 to 2024, page 16).
The project is led by Cheyanne Welch (Project Coordinator) in collaboration with the C5 agencies. Design and implementation will be strengths-based and draw on the Search Institute’s research-based 40 Developmental Assets Framework. There are three main components to the project, working together to create a network of support for youth mental health within north Edmonton.
Wellness Ambassador – Recruitment and Training
Approximately thirty youth from diverse backgrounds are being recruited from the C5 agencies to become mental health Wellness Ambassadors within their own communities. The Project Coordinator works with the Wellness Ambassadors to identify strengths and gaps in their knowledge and skills surrounding mental health and suicide and coordinates relevant training opportunities for them. Examples of training topics may include how to talk to peers about mental health, recognizing warning signs for mental health and suicide, and available community resources for mental health. Wellness Ambassadors will be accessible to their peers through places youth already gather and spend time, such as schools, community centers, and online.
Agency Staff Training
To increase the C5 agencies’ capacity to support youth mental health, approximately twenty staff from each C5 agency who do not have previous or formal mental health training but who may interact with youth as part of their work receive training to identify early warning signs of suicide, provide empathetic support to youth, and effectively intervene in crisis situations. The Project Coordinator conducts needs assessments with the agencies to identify and coordinate the types of training appropriate for each agency based on their work, target population, and current gaps in skills or training.
Youth Connect Network
A Youth Connect meeting is held about once a month for the Wellness Ambassadors and youth interested in becoming Wellness Ambassadors. These meetings, facilitated by Cheyanne (Project Coordinator) and Daniel Loki (C5 Clareview Hub), are guided by the interests and self-identified needs of the participants, but generally consist of fun activities, continued training, and opportunities to discuss mental health together in a safe, inclusive space. Meetings are held at varying locations around Edmonton, and on varying days/times, to be accessible for the most Wellness Ambassadors possible.
The Project Coordinator also works with the Youth Connect Network to identify gaps in mental health awareness, knowledge or support in the participants’ communities. With guidance and mentorship from the Project Coordinator, Wellness Ambassadors work to address these gaps through youth-led events, projects, or campaigns.
Logistics
This project is funded by the Government of Alberta through the Youth Suicide Prevention Grant Program. It supports implementation of Building Strength, Inspiring Hope: A Provincial Action Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention 2019 to 2024. The grant period is from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2026.
This project is conducted in collaboration with the C5 agencies.
Project planning and participant recruitment will be conducted between October and December 2024. Training and Youth Connect meetings are expected to commence January 2025.
Evaluation of this project is supported by Deanna Marler, Health Promotion Facilitator with Alberta Health Services, and Dianna Fondo, Research and Planning Officer with Alberta Health Services. Continuous evaluation will be conducted on a monthly basis to determine program accessibility and equity. A summative evaluation to determine project effectiveness will be conducted in Summer 2026.
The Project Coordinator is Cheyanne Welch, MPH. She can be reached at cwelch@terracentre.ca or via text or call at 368-882-1256.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day
“Alberta has one of the highest provincial rates of youth suicide in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death in this age group.”[1] Every day, eleven people in Edmonton attempt or die by suicide.[2] The impact of suicide, and particularly youth suicide, is far reaching.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (November 23) is for recognizing the unique and complex grief that comes from losing a loved one to suicide, supporting those who have experienced loss, and promoting mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. We would like to take this opportunity to express our support for those affected by suicide.
Point people from most agencies have been recruited. An orientation session to their role in the project was held on November 21. Additional orientation sessions have been scheduled for those who could not attend.
Youth Connect officially launched on November 12 with a one-page description of the project, sent to the Point People for intra-agency distribution. A staff postcard is available for staff to have a quick project summary and further information through a QR code.
Development of the evaluation plan is ongoing, with support from Deanna Marler and Dianna Fondo from AHS. The team is considering how to ensure evaluation is accessible and reflective of youth experiences.
[1] Building Strength, Inspiring Hope: A Provincial Action Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention 2019 to 2024
[2] https://11ofus.edmonton.ca/
More information, as well as all project updates, can be found at: https://terracentre.ca/what-is-terra/c5-collaboration/c5-youth-connect/
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at terra@terracentre.ca. We're here to help.