Youth Wellness Centre
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What this program does
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Youth Wellness Centre is a safe, accessible environment for young people age 17 to 25 to receive expert mental health and substance use care by self-referral.
We believe it is never too early to #ReachOut.
The Youth Wellness Centre is located in downtown Hamilton.
We offer confidential clinical care for:
- Young people who are experiencing emerging mental health and addiction concerns. This stream is called Early Intervention.
- Young people who are looking for support transitioning from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health and addiction services. These services are delivered by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's adult Mental Health and Addictions Program and our community partners. This stream is called Transition Support.
- Young people who are students of Mohawk College, McMaster University, or Redeemer University College, and/or who are facing significant barriers to accessing care for their mental health and addictions concerns. This support is provided by our Mobile Team.
- Children and youth between the ages of 4 to 25 who have encountered racism in different parts of their lives such as school, work, social settings, etc. Our program defines racism as the experience of marginalization and/or oppression of Black, Indigenous, persons of colour based on characteristics such as skin colour, language, or racial/cultural identity. The aim is to provide mental wellness services to children and youth who have experienced discrimination based on race-related factors that affect their overall quality of life. This program is called YouThrive.
- Please note that young persons between the ages of 4 to 15 years will have their referral directed to a YouThrive staff person at Lynwood Charlton Centre, while youth between the ages of 16 to 25 are directed to a YouThrive staff person at the Youth Wellness Centre.
How this program helps
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Youth Wellness Centre is a unique service that provides expert mental health care by appointment including counselling, support, and navigation services for young people aged 17 to 25. This service is covered by OHIP and confidential.
Unlike other specialized services, our centre accepts self- and family/friend referrals in order to decrease barriers and make our services more accessible. Medical professionals and service providers can also refer their clients.
We offer Early Intervention, Transition Support, and a Mobile Team.
If you are a young person experiencing mental health difficulties, it is never too early to #ReachOut.
In fact, research has proven that the earlier mental illness is identified, assessed and treated, the better the outcome for that young person.
As part of this stream, our team of mental health professionals assess the symptoms and needs of young people experiencing emerging mental health and addiction concerns in order to provide the right type of expert care as quickly as possible.
Young people who access this service will work directly with our team to develop a custom plan for recovery. We provide assessments, counselling, peer support, family support, psychiatric consultation, brief individual therapy and help navigating community mental health services. Access to addiction counselling is also available through a partnership with Alternatives For Youth, who are located in the same space as the Youth Wellness Centre. The services offered to every client will vary based on their needs.
The Youth Wellness Centre is similar to other clinical programs in that it is appointment based and requires a referral and assessment – however, in addition to the traditional physician-referral process, the centre is making it easier for young people to access care by enabling self-referral. In fact, even a family member, friend, teacher or school guidance counsellor can refer someone to the centre. (See How Do I Access Care section below)
The Transition Support Stream is designed to assist youth who are already receiving intensive or specialized mental health services from our community partners and will likely need ongoing services past their 18th birthday.
Many youth in need of ongoing support and services “age out” of the child and youth system just when they need services the most. Our team can support youth transitioning from child and youth services to adult services that are best suited for their needs.
The mobile team provides services to youth who have significant barriers to accessing mental health and addictions who are:
McMaster University Students
in collaboration with the Student Wellness Centre.
Mohawk College Students
in collaboration with Counselling, Accessible Learning and Health Services.
Redeemer University College Students
in collaboration with the office of the Dean of Students.
Marginalized and Street Involved Youth
in collaboration with Hamilton’s Street Youth Planning Collaborative.
A place to create. Youth Wellness Centre mural allows Hamilton youth to be seen.
Read about one of the YWC’s recent projects connecting youth to their community here.
Providing culturally responsive mental health care to BIPOC youth
Meet one of the YWC's mental health workers, Jaleesa Bygrave and learn how she is using her own experiences to connect with BIPOC youth in Hamilton here.
How to Access Care
There are three ways to access care in the Early Intervention Stream:
Self Referral Form:
If you are a young person with emerging mental health or addiction concerns you can refer yourself to the YWC by clicking here.
Family/Friends Referral Form:
If you know a young person with an emerging mental health or addiction concern, you can refer the young person to the YWC by clicking here.
Provider Referral Form:
Referrals to this program are processed by Connect, St. Joe’s centralized intake service for Mental Health and Addiction outpatient programs. Click here to access the Connect referral form.
Transition Support Stream Referral:
The Transition Support Stream is for youth already connected with child and youth mental health and addiction treatment services who need support transitioning to adult services. For this reason, referrals are only accepted from our partnering child/youth agencies:
- Child & Adolescent Services
- Contact Hamilton
- Lynwood Charlton Centre
- McMaster Child & Youth Mental Health Program
If you or your loved one already receive such services, please consider or encourage a conversation with the child/youth clinician about the Transition Support Stream at the Youth Wellness Centre. If you are a child/youth service clinician and wonder if Transition Support would benefit someone you are working with, please contact the YWC and ask to speak with the Transition Coach.
Mobile Team Referral:
Referrals to the Mobile Team can come from our post-secondary partners:
McMaster University Students—in collaboration with the Student Wellness Centre
Mohawk College Students—in collaboration with Counselling, Accessible Learning and Health Services
Redeemer University College Students—in collaboration with the office of the Dean of Students
Or, if you are concerned about a youth who is facing serious barriers to accessing mental health or addictions care, contact the YWC to see if they could benefit from the services of the Mobile Team.
Your Care Team
Our services will be provided by a compassionate, multidisciplinary team of clinicians including an intake coordinator, youth mentor, registered nurse care coordinator, transition coach, social worker, psychiatrist, family educator and psychologist.
Our supports for youth struggling with substance use or addictions concerns are provided by Alternatives for Youth.
Additional Resources
Please visit ReachOutHamilton.ca for more information about St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Youth Wellness Centre including:
Our Services – Learn about the expert mental health care we provide.
Our Team – Learn about our team of mental health professionals.
Q. & A. – Questions and Answers young people and mental health.
Contact – Learn about how to get in touch and where we’re located.
#ReachOut Hamilton – Learn about how young people are thinking, talking and sharing about mental health and addiction in Hamilton by following:
Instagram: @StJoesYWC
Contact
Email: YWCintake@stjoes.ca
Telephone: 905.522.1155 ext. 31725
Fax: 905.527.8291
Location:
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Youth Wellness Centre
2nd Floor, 38 James Street South,
Hamilton, ON L8P 4W6
The centre is located on the corner of James St. S. and Main St. W. in downtown Hamilton.
This is what the entrance to the centre looks like from street level:
Map and Directions:
Click here for a Google Map of the location.
Within Google Maps you can click on “Directions” tab to access directions from your location by car, transit, or walking.
Transit:
Within Google Maps you can click on “Directions” tab to access directions from your location by car, transit, or walking.
For more information about transit schedules, please click here to visit the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR or bus) trip planner.
Parking:
Paid parking is available surrounding the Youth Wellness Centre. Municipal street parking spots and parking lots are indicated at street level.
Private and municipal parking lots are indicated on this Google Map (click here).
Parking is not validated or reimbursed at the centre.
Please visit ReachOutHamilton.ca for more information