YOMA Supports Mental Health for Rural Ottawa Youth

By Youth of Manotick Association

YOMA is a proud partner with other groups and organizations who work to support youth, rural communities and mental wellness for families.  One of these groups is the Rural Ottawa Youth Mental Health Collective (ROYMHC).

ROYMHC is a team of 14 city-wide partners who care about the mental health of rural Ottawa youth. Started in 2018 by Osgoode Youth Association (OYA), ROYMHC came together because of shared concern that youth in rural Ottawa were not feeling they have resources or know how to access them. Our mission is to make sure rural Ottawa youth feel supported with their mental health or know where to go for help when they need it. ROYMHC and its partners do this by educating youth and adults about mental health, sharing resources, advocating for counselling support in rural Ottawa, and more.

The ROYMHC has conducted two surveys of rural youth to validate assumptions and quantify the need.  With that foundation, ROYMHC partnered with CHEO’s YouthNET/RéseauAdo program and Community Resource Centres to offer mental health presentations in rural schools and villages. We organize events like our Rural Youth Summit where youth can gather, share, and learn more about mental health. We have also partnered with the OYA and the Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre (NROCRC) to support a Mental Health Counsellor for rural youth. Quinn works in Osgoode and helps youth from nearby areas. The appointments are free and have been very helpful for rural youth.

A key part of our model is providing annual, free, certified mental health training to mentors of rural youth. In 2023, we certified 30 mentors in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills training and 40 mentors in SafeTALK and Motivational Interviewing. Our next training summit is in November 2024. It is important to speak up about the mental health needs of rural youth because often, support services are far away, and youth rely on adults for transportation. Sometimes, youth don’t feel comfortable talking to adults about their mental health, or adults can’t take them to get help. Our Youth Advisory Committee has stressed that young people need mental health programs in their own communities. One committee member said, “It’s lonely when you don’t know where to go for support. Knowing that someone is looking out for you makes a huge difference”. We can all help by listening to rural youth and supporting organizations like ROYMHC. You can learn more at www.ruralottawayouth.ca.

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