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Across the province, 27 Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) Network partners provide high-quality integrated youth services to support the well-being of young people aged 12 to 25, including mental health and substance use supports, primary health care, community and social supports, and more. The YWHO team is comprised of a Provincial Office team that provides support to the entire YWHO network and the local hub team that provides services to youth and families in the community. The Peer Navigator role is an integral member of the local YWHO team. A core function of the role is to create and support the development of a Youth Advisory Committee at the local YWHO.
In February 2023, Keonna Shadane Chambers saw Yorktown’s posting for a Peer Navigator at the local YWHO—Yorktown’s West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub (WTWH)—and she knew it was the role for her. Yorktown’s WTYWH at the Jane St. Hub is located five minutes from where Keonna grew up. A key qualification for the Peer Navigator role is “lived experience”—to have utilized local community programs and services as a youth/young adult. Keonna had participated in local programs in the neighbourhood as a youth and felt that she had benefitted from them. Keonna was inspired by the opportunity the Peer Navigator role presented to make community programs offered to youth and young adults better. By elevating the voices of local youth they could shape their own futures.
Keonna was hired as the WTYWH Peer Navigator in April 2023, and by June of that year, she had successfully recruited four Youth Advisory Committee members and would later grow this to eight! The dedicated and engaged committee hit the ground running, creating the Youth Advisory Committee’s Terms of Reference, Guidelines, Confidentiality Agreement, Code of Conduct, and Role Description.
One of the Youth Advisory Committee’s major accomplishments in their inaugural year, 2023/24, was to take on the creation of a much-needed Harm Reduction Policy to guide Yorktown Family Services and the West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub. The Youth Advisory Committee set out to understand Harm Reduction through research and inviting experts to speak with them. They also organized an education session for Yorktown staff. Through researching policies of other organizations, they created a Harm Reduction Policy for Yorktown from the ground up and presented it to Yorktown’s Board of Directors.
Three of Yorktown’s Youth Advisory Committee members share their experiences:
“As a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) advisor, I gain a deep sense of purpose by contributing my perspective to shaping youth programs. Being part of this committee allows me to collaborate with other leaders and, together, make a positive impact on our community. I hope to continue driving meaningful change by advocating for youth needs, fostering collaboration, and empowering others to take action in building a stronger, more supportive community.”
— Afreen Jeelani, YAC
“It was a challenging, scary, and lonely process navigating the immigration system as an unaccompanied youth. I felt there wasn’t a space for me to excel. That changed when I connected with Keonna and the opportunity to join the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). Keonna believes and trusts in me. Since that day, I see myself shaping my future by helping others to empower themselves–especially those who are underrepresented. The YAC is my safe space; I can dream and contribute my strengths to meaningful projects and activities. I embrace the responsibility that being an advisor comes with. I am proud of my role as a Youth Advisory Committee and our objective to contribute to shaping a future that is an equitable world where all youth, regardless of race, gender, status, or religion, can thrive. I am very grateful to my YAC colleagues and to Yorktown.”
— Fernanda Morales Rodriguez, YAC
“The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) has provided me with a safe space to make a positive impact on the community, and in the process, I’ve experienced significant personal growth. I’ve developed and continue to receive opportunities to improve my communication and interpersonal skills, while working with a dynamic team of advisors from various age groups and life stages. Through the YAC, I’ve been able to contribute to community initiatives that bring hope and excitement to others. What I hope to achieve during my time in the YAC is to positively impact at least one person’s life and to leave the council in a place where future advisors feel empowered to safely exercise their creativity and lead meaningful community initiatives.”
— Priscilla Mensah, YAC
