A major change is coming to a section of King St. in Chatham where the former YMCA will become home to a youth mental health hub.
Paula Reaume-Zimmer with mental health and addictions at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance says it will serve youth from 11 to 25 years of age, and will include a number of different agencies.
"For example Children Services have an intake process, and a walk-in counseling program and a crisis program, those type of services will be coming in," she says. "Understanding that youth mental health is very dependant on other factors such as successful education, employment, housing, so all of those services come under one hub."
The program is called Access Open Minds and is participating in a $25-million five-year research project.
The money comes from the Canadian Institute of Health and the Graham Boeckh Foundation.
Reaume-Zimmer says the integrated mental health program run by the CKHA and the local branch of the Mental Health Association attracted the grant because of its involvement in research and collaboration.
There is an open house at the site Monday from 3 pm to 6 pm and renovations are expected to be complete in September.
