Manitoba will be investing close to $3 million to improve mental health and addictions programming for youth.
Three new initiatives were announced including $823,000 to increase mental health and addictions counselling, Indigenous cultural supports, primary health care, as well as recreation and training opportunities for youth through NorWest Youth Hub.
$621,000 has been earmarked to Project 11 that will provide virtual and in-person lessons and activities to improve mental health awareness and positive coping strategies for students from kindergarten to grade 8.
$1.5 million will be spent on the distribution of Thrival Kits for garden 4 to 6 students. Thrival Kits are in-class resources that include activities in support of children’s mental health and can be adjusted to meet the needs of individual classrooms
“These initiatives, which include enhancing and expanding mental health and addictions services at the NorWest Youth Hub, will ensure more Manitoba children and youth are given the educational tools and professional services they need to make positive choices in their lives,” said Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen. “These meaningful programs are the first of more than a dozen initiatives we will be bringing forward over the next three months as part of our government’s continuing efforts to improve mental health and addictions services for all Manitobans.”
The announced initiatives all meet various recommendations made in the VIRGO report.Nearly one in four Manitobans over the age of 10 has been diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder. 75% of mental illness onsets occur before the age of 24.
© News4.ca 2020
