London youth wellness hub: Where it could go, how it will work

What's the plan?

A number of agenciesin London that provide services for youth, including mental health and addiction services,are working to establish a youth wellness hub. The idea is to group many servicestogether inone location, where they are easier to access.

Dr. Elizabeth Osuchis working with the agenciesto get a wellness centre here. She says London already has many effective servicesbut they are "siloed" and not always easy to access.

"If you talk to any young person or any family member who's been through this process, they will tell you it is arduous, it is confusing and it is difficult to navigate," she said.

Osuchsaid even people working to provide help for youth aren't always aware of all the different service agencies. The wellness hub, which follows a model that's proven effective in Australia, strives to make accessing the services easy.

Where will it be?

That's not set yet, but the London group iskeen on a location at the northwest corner of Richmond and York streets.Londoners will know it as the former bar GT's. The storefronts from 329 to 333 Richmond St. are owned byYouth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), which provides a number ofservices across the street from this location including:

• Affordable housing.
• A youth-run cafe.
• Access to mental health services through London Health Sciences Centre.
• Addiction services.

YOU wants to build 36 affordable housing units on the northwest corner of Richmond and York and also house other services there as part of the wellness hub. YOU would also move its offices there from its current location at 141 Dundas St.

What services willit provide?

The plan is to add more housing for young families, single parents and others at risk for homelessness. Connecting youth with mental health services would also be a key component of the plan.

Why is this needed?

YOU executive director Steve Cordes said research has shown that a space that has a non-institutional,informal atmosphere works best, one where clients can get the service they need quickly, often on a drop-in basis.

He says the mental health component of this particularly crucial. London police are reporting a sharpincrease in the number of calls related to mental health involving young people.

What's next?

Much of the funding for youth wellness hubs will come from the provincial government. Earlier this year, the province announced they would fund nine such hubs across the province on a trial basis. Four are up and running (three in the Toronto area and one in Chatham-Kent). The London group is working to prepare itsproposal to receive funding.

Osuchsaid London has many advantages: an effective group of existing service providers already working together, a stronglocation and a community with a demonstrated need. But it's a competitive process, so funding isn't assured. London's proposal will likely be submitted this fall.

Not all the money will come from the government. Some money from donations is available to renovate the building.