The pandemic has brought to the forefront various mental health issues for many, including teens.
That's why the Thorold Public Library is organizing a Youth Mental Health Symposium this Saturday.
“Our library is a community hub for teens and all demographics,” the library’s programmer Michelle McPherson tells ThoroldToday. “We want to make sure that we have an inclusive space, a place that has the resources available for all patrons.”
The symposium invites youths between 10 and 19 years old to come out and learn different strategies to deal with anxiety, depression, body image, boundaries, and other issues.
Community partners such as Pathstone, QUEST and Distress Centre Niagara will be on hand to provide resources, answer questions, and give presentations.
“Youths under the age of 13 are required to bring an adult with them,” explains McPherson. “There is a responsibility on the support folk to decide what is appropriate for them. I would say the speaker series is well rounded for all age groups but the resources available are wide ranging and it is up to the patron and their support folk to choose what areas they want to focus on.”
The symposium is an initiative of the library’s Teen Advisory Board.
“It’s a monthly meeting that I facilitate,” says McPherson. “It’s a way for teens who come to the library to voice what kind of programs they would like to have here. It’s also a way for teens to gather their community service hours.”
McPherson says it’s important to guide teens to the appropriate mental health resources.
“I think we are coming into a new phase post-pandemic,” she says. “Youths have been dramatically impacted and need to know what resources are available to them. It’s a fact of teenagehood that there are big emotions and changes.”
Creating a safe space for local teenagers is something that the library is continually investing in.
“Our local school is only two blocks away so we see a flow of teenagers every day,” McPherson says. “We see them on their breaks, after school, we have co-op students. It’s definitely something we’re focusing on expanding. We’re hoping to host [this symposium] twice a year moving forward, offering different types of speaker series every time.”
The Youth Mental Health Symposium will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. There will be a Resource Library featuring five community partners, followed by a Speaker Series with those partners presenting between 2 p.m and 4 p.m.
