How United Way-funded programs are meeting mental health needs in the GTA through a place-based, community-led approach
One in three Canadians will be affected by a mental illness during their lifetime. And each and every one of us deserves effective care and the support of a loving community when facing those challenges.
For Katie, a United Way Greater Toronto board member, that supportive community looked like her friends, family and colleagues accepting her for who she truly was.
Almost five years ago, she came out as a woman with gender-affirming experience. In the years leading up to that decision, Katie experienced her own mental health challenges. She became isolated because she wasn’t living as her authentic self and was worried about being judged and rejected by the world.
“The thing that got me through was that I had a community of support,” she says. “I had access to family, friends and advisors that were at my side every day. I had two of the dearest friends who called me every Sunday to build me up. I had professional support.”
And when Katie did come out in front of her colleagues and community members, the opposite of what she feared happened.
“I experienced an unimaginable level of love and support,” she says. “What came with that love and support were countless people opening up to me about their own hurts, fears and struggles.”
She saw that there were many others who struggled with their mental health — and not everyone had access to the same kinds of support that she did.
For Katie, being part of an accepting community made a tremendous difference in her well-being. But her personal experiences also showed her the deep need that exists across the GTA.
Across our community, people are struggling to access mental health support. Stigma, long waitlists and the high cost of mental health and addictions services pose significant barriers for many of our neighbours, especially those living on low incomes.
“Poverty isn’t only a money thing,” says Katie “It’s about access to healthcare, access to mental health support, access to tools that help build one’s hope and self-esteem.”
A key part of United Way’s work addressing poverty across Peel, Toronto and York Region is improving the health and well-being of our neighbours. We’re delivering more than 70 mental health programs across the GTA. These programs not only help our neighbours gain the tools and resources they need to manage their mental health and addiction challenges, but also help them build networks of support and access a range of other services.
That can look like African Community Services of Peel connecting people to counselling and group sessions to help people manage their mental health, employment and financial issues. Or like Toronto’s LOFT Community Services providing transgender adults experiencing mental health challenges, addiction and homelessness with long-term housing and mental health support.
As United Way continues to fund these vital programs, we’re also looking for new ways to ensure everyone in our region has access to the mental health support they need. One example of that work in action? Giving microgrants to residents so they can design their own community-led programs.
United Way has always worked closely with residents to meet the unique needs of the communities we serve. In York Region, we’re building on that tradition with a new approach to funding: Quick Action Grants.
These micro-grants help local residents design and implement non-traditional mental health and well-being supports. The community-led approach means programs are informed by lived experience, reflect the cultural diversity of the people being served and meet real gaps in services. Most importantly, they empower residents to share resources and find effective ways to support each other long-term.
“Many programs are offered in a variety of languages and are culturally appropriate, which helps engage residents,” says Ronni, United Way’s Manager, Neighbourhoods. “They’ve reached populations that would otherwise not have access to mental health programming.”
Take for example a Tamil women’s program that ran in South Markham. The program was focused on creating a space for these women to connect in their own language and expand their social networks. As time went on, the women opened up, sharing stories about their lives, their families and difficult experiences like fleeing civil war. They supported one another, fostering stronger connection and understanding.
“We’ve heard from project leads and our community partners that these programs are reducing isolation and providing an opportunity to have conversations that destigmatize mental health issues before they become crises,” says Ronni.
As United Way continues to meet the mental health needs of people across our region, this place-based, community-led approach is critical.