TD READY COMMITMENT GRANT

Youth Diversion is excited to announce a $25,000 grant from the TD Ready Commitment Grant towards our newly formed Kairos Street Outreach Services. The TD Ready Commitment is a true embodiment of TD’s purpose in action knowing that we can only thrive when the communities around us thrive, and that building a more sustainable and inclusive future is critical for both our communities and for our Bank.  These funds will support our Kairos Street Outreach Services targeting children and youth under 18 struggling with substance use issue or who has family struggling with a substance use issue. Growing research shows that substance use and addictions in young adults over the age of 18, often started before then. When a young person uses substances, their delicate balance of neurotransmitters is lost, and the reward pathways of the brain are altered. Young people who persistently abuse substances often experience an array of problems,including academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the justice system. Understanding that early identification and intervention is key to positively impacting long term substance use and addictions issues in children and youth is one of the driving forces behind the urgency of this new initiative. The Street Outreach Addiction Counsellor will endeavor to connect with street involved young people in our community who are under 18 with a focus on early detection and intervention, aimed at reducing the development and severity of chronic diseases and other illnesses that are associated with substance use. We anticipate this new service to improve access to health education through our psychoeducational workshops. Counsellors will incorporate screening tool to help identify and implement early intervention strategies that will improve health outcomes. Using a Harm Reduction and Trauma Informed Care Approach, the Counsellor will engage with at risk youth creating a safe and supportive environment for adolescents during their journey to recovery.