Factors that Impact How Black Youth Access the Mental Healthcare System

TORONTO KITCHENER-WATERLOO We conducted focus groups on the The Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee campuses of the University of Waterloo are (ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy (aka the situated on the Haldimand Tract, land Six Nations Confederacy), the Wendat, and granted to the Haudenosaunee of the Six the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. [...] Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka the Six LONDON Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek We acknowledge that the land on which we (ah-nish-nah-bek), and allied nations to gather is the traditional territory of the peaceably share and care for this land, its Attawandaron, Anishinaabeg, waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapeewak people. [...] SAPACCY has been one of the few Black children and youth, implement an mental health programs that focuses effective knowledge translation of the specifically on the needs of Black youth in project’s findings, and use those findings to the mental healthcare system. [...] 5 PATHWAYS TO CARE AIMED TO: Conduct community-based Define and improve the research across six Ontario pathways to care for Black cities to better understand children and youth in need each community’s needs, of mental health and challenges, and addiction services opportunities for change Develop a comprehensive Develop resources, tools and strategy to inform the supports to increase the sector’s. [...] The over-discipline of Black youth in the education system, and Black youths’ lack of access to the mental healthcare system, were compounded by the fact that Black youth were criminalized for displaying signs of mental illness.