The Evolution of Youth Peer Support: Engaging the Champlain LHIN on an Unmet Need Presenters: Alice Hutton, Champlain Pathways to Better Care Taylor Linseman, CHEO’s YouthNet RéseauAdo Kim Reveler, YouthNet Volunteer Maureen Fedorus, Pathways Steering Committee April 29 th, 2016

THE NEED FOR PEER SUPPORT IN THE CHAMPLAIN REGION: A CONVERSATION o Emerging adults on local adult inpatient units in need of age appropriate support o CHEO’s YouthNet data: youth are most likely to speak to other youth about mental health o Submission of project idea to Champlain Pathways to Better Care Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 2

THE NEED FOR PEER SUPPORT IN THE CHAMPLAIN REGION: STATS Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 3

What is Pathways to Better Care? o A program of Eastern Ontario – focus on capacity building o Ability to submit ideas for improvement; such as Youth Peer Support o Ideas reviewed by Steering Committee o Ideas -> Action Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 4 Response to the Need

Idea: Youth Peer Support as an Unmet Need Project Scope: Identify the current capacity to provide peer support for Youth (12-25) in Champlain and with key stakeholders identify the desired future state for Youth peer support Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 5

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 6 Initially staff members from: Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa/Recovery Connections CHEO’s Youth Net Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa CMHA – Champlain East Addiction Services of Renfrew County The Project Team

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 7 Youth Engagement “Youth engagement is about empowering all young people as valuable partners in addressing and making decisions about issues that affect them personally and/or that they believe to be important.“ - The New Mentality

Kim’s Perspective Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 8 Youth Engagement

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 9

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 10 Youth Engagement: Helps organizations & coalitions by… o Making decisions about youth programs and services more practical and logical o Improving the group’s ability to work with youth o Creating a culture of inclusion o Improving health outcomes for young people o Improving credibility

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 11 Youth Engagement: Tips on implementing it in your organization o Obtain Buy-In from staff and stakeholders o Create a safe and accessible space for youth o Create meaningful opportunities for youth(and don’t assume capability limits) o Develop organizational knowledge of YE o Set goals & roles o Compensate/employ young people o Take on co-op students! o Evaluate

o First, we asked youth how best to engage other youth in the project. They advised us to take on a multivariate approach: o We sent out online surveys o We conducted localized focus groups with youth across the region o We organized a large consultation evening with youth, parents, and professionals o Overall, we heard from over 115 young people about what the Champlain region really needs Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 12 The NEW Project Activities: By Youth By Design

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 13 Youth Engagement: Champlain Project – Report Card Obtain Buy-In from staff and stakeholders ?Create a safe and accessible space for youth Create meaningful opportunities for youth (and don’t assume capability limits) Develop committee knowledge of YE Set goals & roles Compensate/employ young people XTake on co-op students! ?Evaluate

Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 14 What Youth Said (Results)

Results: There is a strong interest in accessing youth peer support in the Champlain region Need to have peers supported by key adults Peer supporters need support and proper training Lots of interest in supporting Emerging Adults Need to differentiate between Peer Support and youth-led services Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 15

Led by youth of a similar age range (within 2-5 years); older, not younger Mobile; ability to meet in various places Use of technology to stay connected Compensation for peer supporters Relaxed and safe environment Life skills development embedded within the program Flexible Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 16 How might a Champlain Peer Support Program look?

Both youth & community need to know more about what Peer Support really is and what type of value- add it brings to recovery Youth Peer Support is the product whereas Youth Engagement is the process used to develop it The gap in support is now more obvious than ever in the Champlain region A seed has been planted; agencies/networks now know that the gap is there and that there is interest in finding a solution together Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 17 Reflections

o 3 agency members of the Pathways Project Team submitted a proposal to the LHIN for the development of a youth Peer Supporter training fellowship o Organizations in our region are beginning to adapt existing services to the youth context o The Suicide Prevention Network of Ottawa has taken an interest in further investigating the possibility of a youth peer support program for Emerging Adults Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 18 Future Directions for Peer Support in the Champlain Region

Q&A DISCUSSION Pathways to Better Care Improvement through Collaboration 19 1.How do you develop a collaborative funding proposal? 2.How do you incorporate technology into youth peer support? 3.How do you engage rural youth most successfully? 4.What are the unique considerations for youth peer support from your experience?