Abstract
Integrated youth services (IYS) have developed at a rapid rate in Canada and across the globe as an innovative way to organize and deliver mental health and substance use (MHSU) services to young people, centering youth co-development and engagement as core components of model development. Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) is Ontario’s commitment to improved service access and outcomes for youth aged 12-25 through the implementation of IYS hubs that provide rapid access to walk-in, low-barrier MHSU, physical health, and social services in a convenient, youth-friendly setting. There are 22 funded YWHO networks operating youth hubs in 31 communities (large urban, small urban, rural, Francophone, Indigenous) throughout Ontario. These hubs provide mental health, substance use, primary care, education, employment, housing, and other health and social services. YWHO teams, embedded within existing local services, provide a single point of entry for young people to access a range of services.
Aligned with flexible services and approaches to mental health service delivery that empower youth in their own service journey, YWHO has developed a virtual platform (YWHO Virtual) co-designed with youth, families, and service providers that provides for young people, safe, secure and timely access to mental health and substance use services, as well as other primary care, community and social support services. Platform development and features have been co-designed with several provincial and local youth and family groups: YWHO has established a Digital Action Advisory Group (DAAG) made up of youth and family members who have been involved in the development of the platform; a Provincial Youth Advisory Council, a Provincial Indigenous Youth and Family Advisory Circle, and local youth at YWHO sites.
The virtual hub offers an accessible solution for youth facing challenges in reaching in-person hubs, whether due to geographical constraints or personal circumstances. This youth-centric platform, co-designed by and for young people, provides a safe and welcoming space for them to receive the care they require. The virtual hub contributes to ensuring youth can access services from any location. This is especially advantageous for those residing in remote or underserved areas, those who are hesitant to access services due to stigma and those who experience physical and mental health challenges that make it challenging to access in-person services away from home.
Youth have the independence to request and schedule appointments at their own convenience, eliminating the necessity for travel or support from a family member who may be a barrier to accessing services due to stigma. The virtual hub ensures that youth can maintain uninterrupted access to the support they require. In situations where it is not feasible for youth to attend regular in-person appointments, they can request a virtual appointment to provide them with access to continuity of their care.
This presentation will share the web application platform and features, the co-designed elements and innovations, the integration of data collected on the platform with in-person service-level data, and the lessons learned in the pilot launch across five sites of this initiative. Next steps is implementation across all Networks.