Grand River is grateful to the Optimist Club of Conestogo Winterbourne for their generous donation to mental health care in support of the people in our community who have struggled with mental illness. A contribution of $4,000 was made to lend support to child and adolescent mental health care.

The goal of the child and adolescent inpatient mental health program at Grand River is to instil hope and foster recovery for children and youth who have a mental illness and their families. As a regional program, we see patients from Cambridge, Guelph and Wellington County in addition to those from the Kitchener-Waterloo area and provide individual assessments, treatment and support. This includes a group program, and schooling is also provided in partnership with local teachers and school boards for youth ages 17 and younger.

As part of providing youth with the tools and skills they need to manage their symptoms and improve overall mental health and well-being, we are fortunate to offer music therapy, yoga, pet therapy and, most recently, art therapy for our patients. We also work with youth and their families to develop a crisis plan before patients leave the hospital; this helps them return home with the support they need to successfully continue their recovery in the community.

By sharing how much they value these services, the Optimist Club of Conestogo Winterbourne also hopes to raise awareness about mental health services in our community and inform others about the programs that are available at Grand River Hospital should they need to access them. For more information about Grand River’s mental health and addiction services, visit the hospital’s website. You can also make a donation and learn more about the difference community supporters like you make on local mental health care by visiting our Mental Health collection.