The B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has announced funding for a new mental health youth ambassador program focusing on South Asian youth on the Lower Mainland.
The South Asian Mental Health Alliance will receive $112,000 to train 100 youth ambassadors who can promote mental wellness in culturally specific ways.
Founder Kulpreet Singh says he noticed stigma around mental health when he himself was first diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, or ADD.
“I saw that there were certain things that I would like to see changed in the system but also that there were a lot of stigmas in my not only family but in the community,” Singh said.
The alliance’s youth ambassadors will receive mental health first aid certification and learn how to use the arts to continue mental health dialogues.
A release from the ministry says South Asians tend to use mental health services less than other populations in British Columbia.
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