TORONTO – As many as two million young people in Canada are struggling with mental health issues, but only one in five will get the specialized treatment they need.
Kim Beckman has two boys who went through mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
“It’s a terrifying experience to have your children either holed up in their room, not able to face the world outside, or out in the world doing things that you know are not safe.”
Beckman spotted the issues when things didn’t seem ‘normal’ with her boys anymore.
“When they had trouble getting to school, when we got calls they weren’t staying in school, and they were isolating at home more, when their friends changed,” she said.
All of these things were clues that her boys needed help.
“It’s these features you may have seen all the time with children, such as anxiety, or worry, or sadness, but now they’ve become amplified and they start to interfere with daily function,” said Dr. Anthony Levitt, medical director of Family Navigation Project.
The Family Navigation Project is in its second year and has proven to be a valuable asset for families who have had a hard time finding help.
“We didn’t know where to start, we didn’t know where to go, and we were told there was a waiting list of six months to a year and there was no one who could help us connect the dots,” said Beckman.
The Family Navigation Project is a free program that has helped over 850 youth since its start. It is also funded by the RBC Run for the Kids which is set to welcome over 8,500 participants Saturday morning at Mel Lastman Square. Last year organizers raised $1.8 million and this year are hoping to raise over $2 million.
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