COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

MOVING FORWARD
Youth across the country were clear: to prevent
youth homelessness, we need to provide young
people with mental health and addiction supports
that are visible, accessible, immediate, and free
before they become homeless, as well as during
and after. Further, it is essential that caregivers have
safe and accessible spaces in which to address their
mental health and addiction issues without fear of
legal repercussions. Several youth identified that
these supports would have prevented their own
homelessness, particularly when combined with
family mediation and income supports.
When young people talked about agencies that
really helped them, they also emphasized the
importance of fostering a culture of acceptance,
destigmatization, peer mentorship, cultural
connection, and a focus on youth’s talents and goals.
These findings demonstrate that mental health and
addiction services need to adopt a positive youth
development approach, focused on youth’s assets
and skills, rather than just the challenges they face.
“That’s something that I struggle
with, like, how do you make it
[mental illness] more acceptable?
Because when I come around
[agency], when I come around
these places, I feel accepted. This
is my tribe. I can be myself. But
then outside of those doors, it’s
kinda like, I don’t know how to be
myself. I don’t know how to talk
about this now. I have to be this
strong, resilient person and that’s
scary because in one instance, I
know that I’m accepted and loved
and whatever I go through, I know
there’s going to be supports.
But then when I step outside of
those doors, it’s like, shit, now I’m
judged, and I can’t talk about it,
and I’m silenced.”
ST. JOHN’S YOUTH
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 111