Social wellness

Mental health challenges among young people are more pressing than ever. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 70% of mental health challenges begin during childhood or adolescence; and research highlighted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shows that people ages 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness than any other age group. That’s why we’ve partnered with organizations across Canada that provide mental health support for youth.

Get to know our social wellness partners

Enactus Canada

Enactus Canada is a registered Canadian charity offering programs to inspire post-secondary students to initiate and operate socially and environmentally positive enterprises. Currently, more than 2,000 students on 78 campuses across Canada are engaged in Enactus projects dedicated to improving the quality of life for people in their communities and around the world. Our partnership with Enactus Canada empowers students to build their mental health resilience through training, access to resources and in-person learning at Enactus competitions.

Jack.org

Jack.org is a national charity that empowers youth to share their mental health experiences and address barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Our partnership supports their innovative platform, BeThere.org. It outlines five golden rules to assist struggling peers and offers a free, self-guided online course called the Be There Certificate.

Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is a national e-mental health service that offers free, multilingual and confidential support to young people. Since 2018, Co-operators has provided over $1 million in funding to support Kids Help Phone’s vital services for Canadian youth. This includes the Peer Support Program, an online forum where youth aged 12 to 26 can connect with others across Canada, sharing experiences, offering inspiration and seeking advice.

Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario – Wellington Guelph

Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario – Wellington Guelph operates seven locations that offer Integrated Youth Services. They provide young people with access to various supports under one roof, from education and employment counselling to mental health resources and life skills training. Co-operators provides funding to enable the delivery of the Youth Ambassador Program.

“The solution for youth is to make access to service as easy as possible, by bringing services to youth in the communities where they live, in a place where they feel safe and embedding youth representation at all levels of planning, implementation and evaluation activities.”

Jeff Hoffman, Executive Director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario – Wellington Guelph