Get Homeless Ontario Youth the Medical Care they Need to Survive and Thrive!
- by: Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth
- recipient: Minister of Health Dr. Eric Hoskins
There are about 10,000 homeless youth in Toronto each year and as many as 2,000 on the streets on any given night. Every year Eva's provides shelter to almost 1,000 young people - and last year alone over 5,000 participated in Eva’s programs and services for homeless youth.
But for too many of these homeless and at risk youth throughout Toronto the search for a place to sleep is just the beginning of the immense challenges they face.
Many of the youth Eva's serves are experiencing significant mental health challenges. Often they have experienced trauma and may be self-medicating the emotional pain with street drugs, which puts their long-term physical health in further jeopardy.
While shelter staff are professionals in the field of social work, they are not medical professionals and are often the only ones caring for young people in urgent physical and emotional distress.
There is hope, though. If the Ministry of Health funds and prioritizes access to mental health and addictions counselling, psychological services, crisis support and case management we could ensure these young people, don't end up becoming homeless adults with needs that will put greater strain on the health care system.
It's time to get homeless youth in Toronto the medical and emotional support they need to survive and thrive.
Send a message to Minister of Health Hoskins today: give homeless and at risk youth the medical support they need and help brighten all our futures!
But for too many of these homeless and at risk youth throughout Toronto the search for a place to sleep is just the beginning of the immense challenges they face.
Many of the youth Eva's serves are experiencing significant mental health challenges. Often they have experienced trauma and may be self-medicating the emotional pain with street drugs, which puts their long-term physical health in further jeopardy.
While shelter staff are professionals in the field of social work, they are not medical professionals and are often the only ones caring for young people in urgent physical and emotional distress.
There is hope, though. If the Ministry of Health funds and prioritizes access to mental health and addictions counselling, psychological services, crisis support and case management we could ensure these young people, don't end up becoming homeless adults with needs that will put greater strain on the health care system.
It's time to get homeless youth in Toronto the medical and emotional support they need to survive and thrive.
Send a message to Minister of Health Hoskins today: give homeless and at risk youth the medical support they need and help brighten all our futures!
Minister Hoskins:
I am concerned about the lack of support for homeless youth in Ontario who are experiencing serious mental health challenges and addictions.
Right now Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth provides a quarter of all shelter beds in the Greater Toronto Area. Eva's houses 123 homeless youth (age 16 to 24) each night and provides shelter for over 800 youth a year, here in Toronto through two emergency shelters and a transitional housing facility. These young people come from communities all over Ontario and frequently migrate to Toronto seeking a better life. Although Eva's is a leader in the field of harm reduction support, I was alarmed to learn that many of the clients they serve are experiencing significant mental health and addictions challenges and Eva's does not have access to, or funding for adequate or frequent on-site medical support for the young people who are staying at Eva's facilities.
Young people who are discharged from hospital, the criminal justice system or foster care, with little or no family support end up in shelters in Ontario. While shelter staff are professionals in the field of social work, they are not medical professionals and are often the only ones caring for young people in urgent medical, physical and/or emotional distress. Many of these young people have experienced trauma and may be self-medicating the emotional pain with street drugs, which puts their long-term physical health in further jeopardy. They lack the skills and experience to navigate the health care system and the trust in professionals they need to assist them. Their needs are unique and they are in a state of crisis, experiencing homelessness and having few other supports or advocates.
There is an urgent need for full funding for more comprehensive supports including on-site mental health and addictions counselling, prioritized access to psychological services, crisis support and evidence-based interventions and case management to ensure that these young people don’t end up becoming homeless adults with needs that will put greater strain on the health care system. Your office has the unique opportunity to remedy this complex situation for young people experiencing homelessness in our province. All people experiencing homelessness at Eva's and other shelters in the province deserve access to quality health support. But for young people at Eva's, access to medical care is a right that is not being fulfilled and will likely lead to chronic and costly health care in future or sometimes even premature and preventable death.
I urge you to take action today to to assist young people at Eva's. It's time to get homeless youth in Toronto the medical and emotional support they need to survive and thrive!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionI am concerned about the lack of support for homeless youth in Ontario who are experiencing serious mental health challenges and addictions.
Right now Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth provides a quarter of all shelter beds in the Greater Toronto Area. Eva's houses 123 homeless youth (age 16 to 24) each night and provides shelter for over 800 youth a year, here in Toronto through two emergency shelters and a transitional housing facility. These young people come from communities all over Ontario and frequently migrate to Toronto seeking a better life. Although Eva's is a leader in the field of harm reduction support, I was alarmed to learn that many of the clients they serve are experiencing significant mental health and addictions challenges and Eva's does not have access to, or funding for adequate or frequent on-site medical support for the young people who are staying at Eva's facilities.
Young people who are discharged from hospital, the criminal justice system or foster care, with little or no family support end up in shelters in Ontario. While shelter staff are professionals in the field of social work, they are not medical professionals and are often the only ones caring for young people in urgent medical, physical and/or emotional distress. Many of these young people have experienced trauma and may be self-medicating the emotional pain with street drugs, which puts their long-term physical health in further jeopardy. They lack the skills and experience to navigate the health care system and the trust in professionals they need to assist them. Their needs are unique and they are in a state of crisis, experiencing homelessness and having few other supports or advocates.
There is an urgent need for full funding for more comprehensive supports including on-site mental health and addictions counselling, prioritized access to psychological services, crisis support and evidence-based interventions and case management to ensure that these young people don’t end up becoming homeless adults with needs that will put greater strain on the health care system. Your office has the unique opportunity to remedy this complex situation for young people experiencing homelessness in our province. All people experiencing homelessness at Eva's and other shelters in the province deserve access to quality health support. But for young people at Eva's, access to medical care is a right that is not being fulfilled and will likely lead to chronic and costly health care in future or sometimes even premature and preventable death.
I urge you to take action today to to assist young people at Eva's. It's time to get homeless youth in Toronto the medical and emotional support they need to survive and thrive!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
See more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.