Then the pandemic hit. Unexpectedly, the work slowed and eventually stopped. Allisa found she had time to reflect on her life and some terrible memories and emotions she had blocked began to surface.

She realized she had been keeping busy with work to numb the pain from repressed trauma, sexual abuse and violence. Allisa says her emotions began spiralling out of control. She knew she needed help but says it was incredibly difficult to find.

After a month of researching online, emailing and calling various organizations, someone recommended that she contact Sunnybrook’s Family Navigation Project (FNP).

Developed by families in collaboration with Sunnybrook experts, FNP is a free service that pairs youth aged 13 to 26 who have mental health and/or addictions challenges, and their families, with clinically trained navigators who connect them with the services they urgently need.

After reaching out to her FNP navigator, Allisa was connected with a therapist who specialized in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and had the experience to match her unique needs.

Following her first call with her new therapist, Allisa broke down in tears of relief because she knew that she had found someone who could finally help her. And not only did her FNP navigator find a therapist for her, but she continues to check in on Allisa on a regular basis.

Allisa says that having her navigator by her side through her journey of recovery “feels like having a guardian angel.”

FNP is funded entirely by RBC Race for the Kids and other generous donors.

This is the 10th anniversary of RBC Race for the Kids in Toronto which has raised more than $18 million for FNP. Thanks to the support of race participants and the donor community, thousands of youth and their families have found the mental health services they need.

While Allisa realizes she will need to continue to work on her mental health, she is feeling positive about her future.

“I felt incredibly lost before connecting with FNP but since that first call, I have been moving forward and living life more positively. I’m grateful to RBC Race for the Kids and to donors for supporting FNP which makes it possible for youth to find help.”

RBC Race for the Kids takes place September 17 at Mel Lastman Square and virtually. To register or donate click here.

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FNP is a free service that pairs youth aged 13 to 26 with mental health and/or addictions challenges to clinically trained navigators who connect them and/or their families to the services they urgently need.

“We’re running for all the youth we’ve helped. And we’re running for those who need help,” says Kailey, who was one of the first navigators hired at FNP when the program began and has been a keen participant in the race from the beginning.

Navigators are clinically trained mental health professionals who conduct a thorough assessment of concerns, client needs, and provide expert navigation of the health care and social service system to guide youth and their families to the specialized care that is right for them.

“I’m grateful when I think of the thousands of youth and families we’ve been able to help, who were lost without a path,” says Kailey. “They contacted us. We welcomed them. We had their back. And we stayed in the boat with them.”

The need is great. As many as 1.2 million Canadian youth are struggling with mental illness and 30 per cent of Ontario families are caring for at least one youth with mental illness and/or addiction. Statistics only tell part of the story. “If one person is not doing well, it has a trickle-down effect on the whole family,” says Kailey.

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, she adds, the need has intensified. More than twice as many youth are reaching out directly to FNP. They are dealing with anxiety, depression and addiction, and they and their families are worried about where to find help.

Since its launch in 2013, FNP has seen a 70 per cent growth in the number of youth who have reached out to FNP for help. FNP’s expansion has been made possible by private donors and the more than 60,000 people who have participated in the race, contributing more than $18-million since the first RBC Race for the Kids was held on the grounds of Sunnybrook.

When Kailey first started at FNP, she was one of only two part-time navigators. Now, there are 10 full-time navigators, an intake coordinator, a parent advocate with lived experience and three consulting psychiatrists.

Kailey has witnessed the success of FNP in many forms: from a youth accessing peer support or a live-in program, to a parent feeling less overwhelmed, or a family finding a service that is a good fit.

“Without the RBC Race for the Kids and the support of donors, we would not be able to provide this lifeline for youth and their families,” she says.

This year’s race takes place on September 17.  Participants can join in person at Mel Lastman Square or virtually. To register click here.

The post RBC Race for the Kids celebrates 10 years of supporting youth mental health appeared first on Your Health Matters.