TORONTO, March 14, 2025 /CNW/ – To mark the 10th anniversary of its Youth Wellness Champions (YWC) Program, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is hosting a two-day event titled Stronger Together: RNAO Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Summit on March 18 and 19 in Toronto. It will bring together nurses, other health professionals and leadership in the education and social service sectors to celebrate the successes of RNAO’s YWC and plan for the future of youth mental health through the world-renowned Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) Program.
According to a 2023 study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 38 per cent of students in grades 7-12 rated their mental health as fair or poor. To address this, RNAO’s YWC Program (formerly Youth Mental Health and Addiction Champions) works with public health units, school boards and health organizations to improve the health and wellbeing of children and youth through stigma reduction; an increase in mental health literacy and awareness of mental illness; enhancement of supportive, inclusive and resilient environments for youth; and an increase in youth engagement.
“RNAO is proud to work alongside our provincial partners for over a decade to offer this evidence-based program that benefits youth and communities across Ontario,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. “Significant progress has been made over the last decade, and we look forward to continuing to engage community partners to enhance supportive and inclusive environments with youth leading the way. The RNAO MHSU Summit will help us garner and advance ideas on additional ways to enhance the program and ensure youth and champions continue to have the support they need.”
The summit features collaborative sessions led by RNAO staff and leaders in the sector, covering topics such as:
celebrating a decade of impacts of the YWC Program across Ontario
equity, diversity and inclusion in youth mental health
the role of the education and health sectors in mental health and substance use in Ontario
envisioning an integrated system of mental health supports
influence of BPSOs in mental health
More information about the MHSU Summit is available online.
WHAT: RNAO’s Mental Health and Substance Use Summit: Stronger Together:
WHEN: Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19, 2025
WHO:
Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO
Jann Houston, board chair, Street Health (day two)
leaders across the mental health and substance use sectors in Ontario and beyond
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