Markham Stouffville Review, November 2023

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4 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 2023 A lifetime of helping youth Seneca grads can launch medical careers in Grenada BY ANDREW FUYARCHUK Bonnie Harkness, chief operating officer of 360kids, describes the organization and shares her experiences and impressions of young people in Markham and York Region. Harkness has worked with youth for over thirty years and has been working with them in York Region for over twenty-four years, initially, at Youth Homes in Markham in 1996. Since referrals were coming from Richmond Hill, she became the director of Home Base Drop-in Centre in Richmond Hill. It is now known as Richmond Hill Youth Hub. She also served as the director of Big Brothers and Sisters in Durham before joining 360kids. 360kids is dedicated to the long-term success and well-being of low-risk to multibarriered youth the latter of whom may be homeless or at risk of homelessness. To that end, they manage employment programs, house young people on a broad spectrum, provide family support and help to stabilize those with possible drug addiction or possible exploitation by human traffickers. Their motto is “Every kid matters. No kid is left behind.” Harkness reflects on the youth today, “In the past, trade schools were there to help but when they were phased out, people who ought to have been placed there were channelled into academic streams. This created anxiety for them.” She explains that immersion in technology is also creating problems. Young people benefit most from healthy social interactions, but the technologies they use today stand in the way. Harkness adds that in addition to academic pressures and the negative influence of technology on social skills, youth are experiencing stress at home. She explains that further stress is added when middle-class families are getting by paycheque to paycheque. One of her memorable experiences happened late at night at a bus stop in Newmarket. She had just finished work and recognized a man she remembered having helped twenty years ago. He hugged her and said, “I was thinking of you last week.” He told her about his life and success. Harkness reflects, “What we do today really matters to their future.” Harkness relates that there is poverty in Markham. There are multigenerational families living together, and some youth in Markham are ending up on the streets. “Kids left on the street are preyed upon by drug dealers and pimps. That is our competition.” Since support services in the city are lacking, “360kids” partners with community centres to help young people access services. As COO of 360kids, Harkness is resilient. She solves problems and overcomes obstacles to deliver the best service possible. She concludes, “Our backyard is their backyard. They have a right to live and be successful in their own communities.” A new partnership opens the door for Seneca Polytechnic graduates to launch their careers as medical doctors at a university on the tropical island of Grenada in the West Indies. A new partnership with St. George’s University will offer qualified Seneca students fast-track status and expedited entry into the five- or six-year M.D. programs at the St. George’s School of Medicine. “We are excited to offer this direct pathway to M.D. programs,” says Marianne Marando, Vice-President of Academic & Students at Seneca Polytechnic. “This new partnership will provide our students with an outstanding opportunity to pursue further studies in medicine and the long history of excellent medical education at St. George’s makes them an ideal partner.” St. George’s draws students and faculty from 140 countries to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science and business. Its School of Medicine is accredited by the Grenada Medical and Dental Council, which is recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education. Seneca students can apply for the special admissions pathways to St. George’s when applying to or while enrolled at the polytechnic. In addition to completing all required prerequisite coursework, they must maintain a strong undergraduate GPA and score competitively on relevant entrance exams. Seneca’s Arts and Science – University Transfer diploma program graduates who complete all required prerequisites enter St. George’s five-year M.D. program. Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas & Degrees certificate program graduates who meet St. George’s admissions standards enter the six-year program. Students in the five-year track must complete one year of preclinical coursework in Grenada, while those in the six-year track will complete two years of preclinical coursework there. Students in both programs can then complete their first year of medical study in Grenada or at Northumbria University in the U.K. Students will complete their second year of medical study in Grenada and their final two years in clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals in the U.S. and the U.K. Publisher Nicole Fletcher General Manager Duncan Fletcher Creative Design Sam Pun Editorial Contributors Jeff Jones Connor Simonds George Redak Andrew Fuyarchuk Stephen Sweet Nick Cagna Rebecca Simkin 178 Main Street, Suite 306, Unionville, ON nicolefletcher@rogers.com (416) 884-4343
NOVEMBER 2023 COMMUNITY 5 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW Mental Health First Aid course built for veterans, supporters BY DUNCAN FLETCHER At this time of year, thoughts often turn to our veterans as we remember those who served and sacrificed at home and abroad. They do a tough job, and sometimes the price of duty is injuries that follow them back into civilian life, both physical and mental. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also known as operational stress injury, has become better recognized with some supports already in place. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) – a course supported by Veteran Affairs Canada – is being offered locally at no cost to participants. This program is designed for veterans and those around them — family, friends, supporters, health professionals, and caring community members. Ryan Mitchell, a Markham resident and member of the Markham and District Veteran’s Association (MDVA), has been front and centre in the push for such supports and is a point person for MHFA locally. With 18 years of service, including tours of duty in Bosnia, Croatia and several domestic tours under his belt, Mitchell had to confront the hard reality that he was physically too damaged to continue and was medically discharged in 2013. But he also discovered as he found his way back to civilian life that he carried emotional damage too and was diagnosed with PTSD. But while his recovery continued, a new recognition hit home with him as it Ryan Mitchell, kneeling centre-left, is one of the organizers of the MHFA course. Here he poses with recent graduates of the course held recently at the Markham and District Veterans Association. has for many in his place, that the burden of recovery lies not just on their shoulders but those around them too and scant attention has traditionally been paid to those very important people in the lives of vets who are often the core of their support network. This is why Mitchell has chosen to become a public promoter of the program offered locally at the MDVA and in cooperation with other Royal Canadian Legions in York including Stouffville, Aurora and Newmarket. “The reason I am so involved (with the program) is that I’ve seen a real difference in people’s lives, including my own and my family and the community around me,” says Mitchell. The course, taken over 13 hours, is not meant to replace professional counselling but rather to make people more comfortable responding to emerging mental health issues. Or, as the title suggests, applying mental health first aid. Topics covered include recognizing common mental health issues like traumarelated, psychotic, mood and substancerelated disorders and best responses for incidence of panic attacks, psychosis, overdose or acute stress reactions. The course is part of a bigger societal issue to decrease the stigma and discrimination around mental health. This broader veteran’s support group trained by MHFA now totals over 200,000 people nationally and about 500 so far in York Region. The sessions at the MDVA are offered quarterly. To register or find out more about the course in the Markham and Stouffville area, contact ryanmitchellcd@gmail.com or markhamveterans@ rogers.com or visit www.mhfa.ca. LJI funding from the Government of Canada
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Markham Stouffville Review, November 2023

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