On the weekend following Thanksgiving and in a tremendous show of support for youth mental health, the Sunnybrook community, RBC employees, and RBC friends and family participated in the RBC Race for the Kids, raising 1.9M for the Family Navigation Project (FNP) at Sunnybrook.
The past two years have been increasingly challenging for youth and the mental health of young people has been a concern for many families.
“Social isolation, missed milestones, and decreased in-person interactions are some of the factors that are having a continued effect on youth mental health throughout this pandemic,” says Dr. Amy Cheung, youth psychiatrist in Sunnybrook’s Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program. “We’re seeing more youth with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, among other symptoms. Young people are needing more support than ever before.”
Developed by families with lived experience, FNP is a non-profit program that guides youth (aged 13-26) suffering from mental illness or addiction, and/or their families through the complex mental-health system to access specialized care.
Professional navigators partner with youth and families and become allies in guiding them toward the right care at the right time. Navigators are clinically trained health professionals who conduct a thorough assessment of concerns, assess the needs, and provide expert navigation of the health care and social service system.
Since the program started in 2013, the FNP team has assisted thousands of youth and their families find the care they need.
This vital program is fully funded by RBC Race for the Kids and private donations.
“We are deeply grateful for the generous and long-standing support of RBC and our donor community who share our vision, says Dr. Anthony Levitt, medical director of FNP and chief of Sunnybrook’s Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program. “ In our current climate, connecting youth and families to vital mental health resources is more important than ever. Our supporters make it possible to meet the growing demand for FNP’s expertise.“
This was the ninth year the RBC Race for the Kids was held in Toronto and to date has raised close to $18 million for FNP.
