This program is a partnership between St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Youth Wellness Centre, Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, Thrive at LCC, and De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre.

This program is geared towards children and youth between the ages of 4 to 25 who have encountered racism in different parts of their lives such as school, work, social settings and so on. We define racism as the experience of marginalization and/or oppression of Black, Indigenous or persons of color based on characteristics such as skin color, language, or racial/cultural identity.

Our services involve offering culturally-informed assessment, counselling, therapy and peer support to children and youth who have experienced discrimination based on race-related factors that affect their overall quality of life.

YouThrive also acknowledges the barriers that racialized and Indigenous communities face while accessing mainstream services. As part of our efforts to support BIPOC communities through these barriers, we continually strive to build capacity of the mainstream service providers to offer barrier-free and effective services to diverse and multi-cultural populations.

The YouThrive team regularly visits local community groups and organizations, such as schools, community centres, and cultural centres, to build connections with BIPOC youth and provide direct access to culturally appropriate mental health and substance use supports. Youth can also self-refer to YouThrive services through the YWC, or be referred by family, friends, a medical professional, or other service providers in the community.