When a young person is struggling, the first to notice is rarely a counsellor. It’s a friend, a sibling or a classmate, and too often, they don’t know what to do. That is the gap Neighbors International set out to close in Northeast Calgary. With support from Alberta Blue Cross and The Immigrant Education Society (TIES), we delivered a Youth Mental Health First Aid training at the Genesis Centre, Calgary designed for youth aged 14 to 20, with a focus on newcomer and racialized young people who face added stigma and too few culturally responsive services. Our goal was 25 participants. We trained 39, which is 56% above target, at no cost to any of them.    

  Youth Mental Health First Aid is now part of Neighbors International’s ongoing youth programming, and participants are already asking for more. Partner with us to bring this life-changing training to more youth across Alberta.