Monday’s opening of the new Chatham-Kent ACCESS Open Minds Centre means the municipality is on the forefront of youth mental health.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Integrated Vice-President of Mental Health Paula Reaume-Zimmer says the centre will focus on youth from the ages of 11 all the way to 25.
“That age range, that’s a group of individuals that go through a lot of milestones in a short amount of time,” says Reaume-Zimmer. “In the past they’d start off in one program and have to leave it because they’ve grown age and have to leave it a very critical time in their life.”
The facility is located in the former YMCA on King St. and is the country’s first large-scale youth mental health hub.