An update from Lutherwood and Carizon
Effective February 1, Lutherwood and Carizon will have moved our Front Door services out of the 1770 King St. E. location and into our offices at 35 Dickson St. in Cambridge and 400 Queen St. in Kitchener. Our Front Door services continue to serve the community.
Lutherwood and Carizon opened 1770 King St E as a single access point for families needing children’s mental health services in Waterloo Region. Over time, our services have grown, family needs have changed, we offer more virtual service options, and our 1770 King St. location no longer meets today’s accessibility requirements.
This move will allow us to continue to jointly deliver safe, flexible, and responsive services to families when and where they want them.
Front Door Services Remain Open
During this transition, our Front Door services continue to operate as they have since the spring:
- Referrals: We continue to welcome referrals from families and professionals. Please visit our Front Door website or call us at 519-749-2932 and press “1” to speak to a professional.
- Quick Access: People who need child or youth mental health support can schedule an appointment by calling us at 519 749- 2932 or contacting us through our website. Quick Access single session counselling is available five days per week by phone or video.
- Phone Numbers: Staff phone numbers and extensions remain unchanged.
- Mailing Address: All mail for Front Door will be received at 35 Dickson, Cambridge, ON N1R 7A6.
Pathways to Care
Do you live in Kitchener-Waterloo? Are you concerned about the current state of mental healthcare and access to care for Black children and young people in our community?
Pathways to Care is hosting three (3) focus groups in Kitchener-Waterloo with
- Black youth (12+)
- Family and community members of Black youth and,
- Mental healthcare workers
They want to speak with Black people living in Kitchener-Waterloo about what can be improved in how mental healthcare is provided for Black young people.
Pathways to Care is a collaboration between Black Health Alliance, Strides Toronto, The Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), TAIBU Community Health Centre, and The Wellesley Institute. The project aims to improve access to care and shift the way Black children and youth are served by organizations.
They hope to do that by partnering with existing services and providing them with tools to help them better serve the needs of Black children and youth. They will also be providing resources on mental health directly to the community.
A paid honorarium is available for your time and knowledge. This research project has been reviewed by the Community Research Ethics Office [CREO #154]. If you are interested, or if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail Tiyondah Fante-Coleman at Tfante-coleman@Blackhealthalliance.ca or call/text 226-989-2141 for further details.
Keep Families Safe Coalition, the Coalition of Muslim Women
As part of the work of the Keep Families Safe Coalition, the Coalition of Muslim Women KW (CMWKW) are conducting a needs assessment to look at the community programs and services available to Muslim women. The needs assessment is an effort to better understand the experiences that Muslim women have in accessing supports and to help identify any gaps that may exist. In addition to a survey for Muslim women, the CMWKW have developed a survey for service providers, community groups and associations as part of the broader assessment. The final report will be shared with the community as a resource for organizations to use in creating better programming for Muslim women in Waterloo region.
All services are encouraged to participate; however, there is a specific focus in programs and services in the following areas: employment, youth, mental health, harm and violence in the community, family violence and violence against women, and financial decision-making.
We need your help! Please:
- Complete the organization survey on your experiences, strategies, and challenges in serving and engaging Muslim women.
- Please share this survey with your networks within Waterloo Region, including others from other departments in your organization.
The following is a link to the organization survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C63V6HV
The CMWKW survey for Muslim women is anonymous and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete; and, there is a chance to win three $75 Grocery Gift Cards! If you are a Muslim woman /community member, please fill the survey and forward it to your friends and family. If you are a service provider in Waterloo region, please share/forward this survey link to your colleagues and your clients. Link to the community survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QCQJFDL
If you would like to share more ideas after completing the survey, or if you would prefer to have a conversation instead of completing the survey, Please contact Cameron Dearlove at cameron@common-cause.co to set up a phone or Zoom call.
We hope to have all survey results completed no later than Feb 15th. Thank you for helping us get the word out.
Chelsea’s Series
Chelsea’s Story is based on a true story. It centres on a group of three students who discover the diary of a 15-year-old girl named Chelsea, who is targeted and groomed by a man posing as her boyfriend to be trafficked for sex. Chelsea’s Story was written by Sean McGrath from Alter Ego Creative Solutions in the UK for people as young as 12 to understand what trafficking is about and the ways in which those who are vulnerable, particularly girls and young women tend to be targeted and groomed. This is not something that only happens in other countries and is very relevant to Waterloo-Region. 70% of all human sex trafficking in Canada happens in Ontario.
This event is virtual and free. The talk back at this event is geared specifically toward parents or other caregivers and their children, but if you are unable to make this time there are two other play readings on Tuesday, Feb 23rd or Thursday, Feb 25th. You can register for any of these events though the talk back sessions are geared to different audiences (Tuesday for educators and school boards; Thursday for parents and the general public). If you think of anyone else who may be interested in these events, please let them know!
Between July-September of 2020, the Sexual Assault Support Center of Waterloo Region’s (SASC) Anti-Human Trafficking Program experienced a 27% increase in requests for support. To help SASC respond to the increase in survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation, please consider making a donation. These play readings are part of a longer series of events addressing Human Sex Trafficking and Online Sexual Exploitation, for more information on all events and links to register please visit: http://bit.ly/ChelseasSeries