Front Door Adds Saturday Walk-in Counselling & Improves System Access

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kitchener, ON: The demand for child and youth mental health care has been steadily rising and families need better access to the system. So Front Door is now providing Walk-in Counselling on Saturdays.

What we’ve heard:

Emergency visits by Ontario youth for mental health concerns increased by 32 percent over six years as reported by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

People who need counselling support have better results when they receive help immediately, local university researchers recently disclosed.

Parents and community partners are requesting access to walk-in on weekends as well as evenings.

What we’re doing about it:

Responding to the mental health needs of children and youth, as of April 9th, Front Door will begin providing our Walk-in Service on Saturdays instead of Mondays at our Kitchener location at 1770 King Street East.

Front Door provides walk-in counselling, helping children and teens with the first step to strengthen and sustain mental health. Through a single family counselling session, our experienced counsellors help identify issues and equip families with tools and strategies to address their concerns. A single free counselling session can help with: behaviour, emotional state, self-harm, unsafe activities, conflicts at home, troubles at school, struggles with peers or a mental health diagnosis. These sessions also provide access to more intensive mental health services.

“For a parent whose child is struggling with their mental health, nothing is more important than accessing the help they need as soon as possible,” said Lutherwood CEO Dr. John Colangeli. “As Lead Agency, we see improving access to the child and youth mental health system as a top priority. So we are working closely with partner agencies including Camino on initiatives such as this that will enable our system to better provide compassionate, quality mental health supports to children, youth and their families, when and where they need them.”

 “We are grateful to the families who participated in our focus groups and who shared their experiences and suggestions on how we could better meet their needs,” adds Camino CEO Tracy Elop. “Engaging our stakeholders is critical to ensuring that we deliver impactful services that make a difference. Kudos to the Front Door staff for focussing on clients’ needs, breaking down barriers and always looking at ways we can improve our services.”

FRONT DOOR WALK-IN COUNSELLING IS OFFERED AT THREE LOCATIONS IN KITCHENER AND CAMBRIDGE:

KITCHENER:

• Wednesdays, 12 – 6:30 p.m. – at 1770 King Street E., Kitchener (Front Door)
• Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – at 1770 King Street E., Kitchener (Front Door)

CAMBRIDGE:

• Tuesdays, 12 – 6:30 p.m. – at 35 Dickson St., Cambridge (Lutherwood)
• Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – at 1145 Concession Rd., Cambridge (Langs)

To access Walk-in Counselling, just go to the above location during those times. No appointments needed. For more information, contact Front Door.

Front Door is a joint initiative of Lutherwood and Camino Family and Community Services, accredited non-profit mental health organizations that serve children, youth and their families in Waterloo Region. By combining our resources and experienced staff, we are able to provide a broader range of programs and services to assist children, youth and families living in communities across Waterloo Region.

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