FEDS GRANT $666,000 TO GILBERT CENTRE

MONEY WILL BE USED TO EXPAND VIRTUAL QT (QUEER, TRANS) YOUTH CONNECTION DISCORD MENTAL-HEALTH PROGRAM

It's going to help hundreds of young people get access to the mental-health supports they need.

A $666,054 Canadian government grant for Barrie's Gilbert Centre was announced March 17 by Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP Leah Taylor Roy. This two-year funding commitment will be used to expand Gilbert Centre's existing QT (Queer, Trans) Youth Connection Discord program, a drop-in community space for Simcoe County-area queer, transgender and questioning youths ages 12 to 29.

It aims to reduce social isolation, and related mental-health issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing young people online access to support and outreach workers, supportive spaces and activities that build resilience.

"Virtual programming has given far greater access for connection to the Gilbert Centre for youth to get resources and also to build community," Gilbert Centre family and youth program supervisor Jay Staats said. "It opens opportunities we didn't often have before. Prior to the pandemic, virtual programming was underutilized. This project has really highlighted the

amount of people who need these services."

The program already has direct contact with 288 youths throughout the region,

Staats said.

But this money will also help educate community partners, such as the Simcoe County and Simcoe

Muskoka Catholic district school boards, among others, by offering introductory sessions on how best to support 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. "Ultimately, the program is saving lives in our region, while simultaneously creating a vibrant and more colourful community for all of us," Gilbert Centre executive director Dale Boyle said.

Taylor Roy says everyone needs to be able to access the mental-health care and services they need. But youths, in particular, have faced challenges during the pandemic.

"You're making lives a lot better," she said to Gilbert Centre staff. "It's not just survive; it's thrive. It's very important work. 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals can face additional, disproportionate challenges to their mental health. In our government, we know we must do better and break down existing barriers to care for everyone." For more on Gilbert Centre, visit gilbertcentre.ca.