Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund Invests in the Black Lives Accessing Care (BLAC) Program

Yorktown Family Services operates in culturally, racially and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto. Providing culturally adapted services to meet the needs of the members of the communities we serve is one of our key priorities.

In the fall of 2020, Bell Let’s Talk launched the Diversity Fund, and Yorktown was a successful applicant receiving a $100,000 grant in January 2021! One of the first steps to get the project underway was to seek feedback on the program design from community members, including black identified youth, parents and caregivers, and community partners. A BLAC Advisory Committee was formed to provide guidance on best practices and share their lived experiences.

The objective of the BLAC program is to address the mental health needs of Black identified youth, young adults and families by providing culturally appropriate supports through an integrated care team. Clients are supported by a Black-identified Clinical Therapist and Child and Youth Worker and have access to Yorktown’s team of Youth Outreach Workers.

Thanks to the support of the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund, the BLAC pilot project was ready to receive referrals within the last quarter of 2020/21. We look forward to providing updates and success stories from this intensive mental health support program for Black-identified youth, young adults and families.

To learn more about the program, please reach out to Abokar Mohamed at 647-242-8403, or by email at AbokarM@YorktownFamilyServices.com, or by vising our website.