GUELPH – The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHAWW) and the Grove Youth Wellness Hubs have announced the opening of 737 Woolwich Street North in Guelph.
The three-floor building will welcome 9,000 local children, youth, and families in need of mental health and developmental services support each year.
The new building is opening at a pivotal time in the community, officials state.
Early identification of mental health concerns, easy and seamless access to support, and building resiliency are essential and will lead to better outcomes for children, youth, and their families, so they can cope better, and then thrive during their adult years, officials state.
CMHAWW and The Grove are working together to address the mental health challenges children and youth are facing in the community.
Not only is the building designed for children and youth, it has been designed by them as well.
Half of the first floor and all of the second floor are home to the children’s services team, which includes:
– counselling and treatment for newborns to age 18;
– child psychiatry;
– crisis, youth outreach;
– intensive service coordination;
– childcare and early years programming;
– family support options;
– infant and child development support; and
– a walk-in service for children, youth, and families on Tuesday afternoons.
“After many years of dreaming, planning and constructing, we are so excited and grateful to be able to open our doors to support the wellness of children, youth and their families in Guelph Wellington,” CEO Helen Fishburn stated.
“We have created this new building, in generous partnership with Vesterra and many others in our community, to be a place of care and hope for young people who are struggling. Our doors are open – we are here for you.”
Robert Eilers, president of the Vesterra Group of Companies, donated $50 million in land and cash to the CMHAWW to construct the new facility.
The first floor will also be home to the Grove Youth Wellness Hub – the fifth Grove site in the region and the second in Guelph.
The Grove is a collaborative initiative, providing youth ages 12 to 26 with the support they need to build positive futures.
The Grove offers tangible solutions to an ongoing youth mental health crisis.
From recreation, education and career support to counselling and peer-to-peer programs, The Grove provides help and encouragement to every youth in the community.
“This wonderful new space, designed by youth, for youth, will substantially increase our ability to connect with and support youth across Guelph,” The Grove interim executive director Jeff Hoffman stated.
“The vision of this space was led by the Rotary Club of Guelph, and supported by so many members of our community, and it provides youth with a warm, welcoming environment, ensuring youth have access to all the supports they need.”
The second floor of 737 Woolwich St. N. has a commercial kitchen and multi-purpose spaces to deliver community-based workshops, providing participants with valuable learning opportunities that develop skills to support themselves and others.
The third floor is home to CMHA Waterloo Wellington administrative offices.
A formal grand opening will take place in the spring.
