Youth wellness hub opens in downtown Sudbury

Tuesday in Sudbury was the grand opening of the Sudbury Youth Wellness Hub.

It's located at Centre for Life downtown and offers one-stop shop for social services for youth ages 12 to 25. It officially opens Wednesday.

Compass, the lead agency for child and youth mental health services for Sudbury-Manitoulin, led the hub’s development in partnership with Public Health Sudbury & Districts.

“In a safe and inclusive manner, youth are going to be very welcome when we open the doors,” said Stacey Gilbeau of Public Health.

“They can come here simply to access services. They can come here to spend time with one another. They can come here to have a safe space to be."

Officials said the youth hub will help address the diverse needs of people ages 12-25, from substance use counselling to mental health support.

“In addition to addiction services, youth will also be able to receive mental health services, as well,” said executive director Mark Fraser.

“So we are hoping that this combination is a powerful combination to change the trajectory of their lives.”

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Officials with Compass and Public Health said youth were involved in the creation development and implementation of the hub.

“We see what's missing -- we see the gaps that need to be filled,” said youth ambassador Halley Baker.

“And to be able to actually have that direct input, it's the representation that I think really shines through.”

“It's important that there can be a safe space for youth in Sudbury because a lot of times youth are overwhelmed to bring issues to their parent within their families,” said Asma Bilgasem, also a youth ambassador.

“So I think the youth wellness hub will serve as a place where you can get along with peer support workers.”

The site is one of 22 provincially funded hubs across Ontario.