June 24, 2024 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada

Prompt access to appropriate mental health care is a fundamental element in ensuring that every young person in Canada can reach their full potential. Stress and anxiety have damaging consequences for young people’s mental health. It is important to provide them with easy and equitable access to mental health services, where and when they need them, to help them cope.

In Budget 2024, the government announced it would allocate $500 million over five years to establish the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMFF), which will provide resources and financial support to communities, organizations and advocacy groups across the country that offer mental health supports and services to young people. This will enable community health organizations to expand their mental health care offerings for young people living in Canada and better refer them to larger mental health support networks when needed.

The FSMJ is an investment that offers a unique opportunity to our young people at a time when they need it most. It is important that the Fund accurately reflects the voices of young people and is designed to have the greatest possible impact. To that end, the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Deputy Minister of Health, today launched a public consultation to guide the development of the FSMJ.

This online consultation, which will run from June 24 to July 31, 2024, will invite participation from people to share their views and contribute their expertise to the creation of the Fund. The consultation is open to all Canadians, including young people and their families, academics, as well as representatives from other levels of government, Indigenous organizations and community organizations that provide mental health services to youth.

The information gathered during this consultation, together with that gained during other engagement opportunities with provinces and territories, Indigenous communities, community organizations, academics and young people themselves, will help ensure that this new initiative meets the complex mental health needs of young people across the country.