Mental health care access continues to be a significant need for youth. According to a report released by the Canadian Mental Health Association, youth are not receiving appropriate mental health, addiction, and substance use health care, particularly in rural and remote areas. The report identifies suicide as the leading cause of death for youth ages 10-17, with the suicide rate among Indigenous peoples 4.6 times higher compared to the rest of Manitoba.
Child poverty is a significant concern for the CMHA, with Manitoba leading in child poverty rates among the provinces. A considerable portion of Winnipeg’s Indigenous and racialized communities are affected by poverty. CMHA acknowledges that access to services is a significant barrier for those in rural and remote areas and those experiencing poverty.
Grassroots organizations play a key role in meeting some of these needs. Huddle is an initiative centred on a youth-serviced approach, creating a welcoming and safe space where youth can seek help. Levi Labelle, Huddle’s Youth Services Manager, says conversations with funders and community partners are ongoing to expand its services outside of Winnipeg and Brandon.
“There’s a lot of active conversation right now about how we can expand this to other places, how we can scale this initiative up, and how we can find ways to reach more youth across the province. Yeah, that’s an ongoing conversation. We’re always looking for those opportunities and finding ways that we can make that happen. I’ve got big hopes that there will be some news about that in the near future.”
Huddle’s model empowers youth to take control of their mental and physical care. Labelle explains that it is a priority for the organization to create a space where youth are comfortable opening up and seeking support.
“Often, these spaces, where people would go to ask for those supports, are in the school. So that can be intimidating. I have to go and talk to a guidance counsellor who might be connected with my parents and tell my parents what’s going on, or I have to access a formal service somewhere in the community. Which means I would have to ask my parents or ask our caregiver to help me get there.”
That’s where Huddle started, officially 3 years ago as of December 13, 2024. Recognizing that the way services have been designed traditionally doesn’t meet the needs of youth, Huddle took a different approach.
“How do we create a service that’s going to benefit them? That’s what we asked the youth, so we started with a youth advisory before we had doors and a program plan. We were just a dream.”
These conversations are built on trust, where input is actively sought from the youth. Youth are involved in every step of the process, providing feedback on everything from the colour of the walls and furniture to the design of programs and policies. Their input has shaped all aspects of the initiative.
According to Labelle, the Huddle model has helped to connect with youth better and understand their experiences. It allows Huddle to provide support through six pillars of care. The six pillars include peer support, mental health services, primary health care, walk-in health care, group programming, and social support. Within these pillars, Huddle hosts activities such as mental health programs, movie nights, or as simple as offering a safe space for youth to connect. Huddle also offers cultural support, ensuring there is space for individuals to reconnect with their culture.
Some ongoing challenges Labelle and others have heard include physical and mental health issues exacerbated by the pandemic, the winter season, and housing instability. Labelle says many young people, particularly those without a stable home, struggle with isolation, lack of social connection, and increased anxiety or depression. Basic needs like food, sleep, clothing, and shelter remain central to addressing their well-being.
“We’re meeting youth where they’re at, really asking them, what is it that’s bringing you here today? What is the one thing that we can change right now that would make the biggest difference for you?”
A sense of community is equally important.
David Ness is a mental health counsellor at the University of Manitoba. One-on-one counselling services are available for students, but Ness says they’ve seen tremendous success in their group programming. He explains community is one of the most potent tools a student can have.
“One of the things I encourage all people to consider themselves to do is when they think of counselling or mental health support, try to be open-minded to the modality because I think most people think of just a one-on-one counselling arrangement. Most people prefer that, and I get it, not just students but everyone. But research shows that that’s not the most effective way to get help for a lot of difficulties, like most anxiety difficulties. The research says that group treatment is superior to individual treatment. So consider those modalities too, because the students who do go to groups and workshops find it really helpful and rewarding and rate them very highly.”
Ness notes that one of the first places students will go when they require help is to their community and that community supports them in many aspects of life.
“One of the strongest indicators of post-secondary academic success was a sense of community on campus. The students who had that sense of community tended to do better with their performance than students who did not.”
Huddle believes community and connection are core to making Huddle’s locations feel safe and comfortable. Many volunteers and staff have lived experiences with the challenges the youth coming in for services face, and many have participated in Huddle’s programming themselves.
“Having a space where folks can just come and explore, what’s possible, to come in and first feel comfortable and just feel like, you know, this is a space where I can just be me and determine whether or not this is the place I want to even have those conversations or ask for help,” says Labelle.
Like many organizations, funding is always an ongoing challenge. Labelle says they do the best with what they have and work with community partners to find innovative ways to do more. Beyond monetary support, Labelle says food donations, warm clothing, or menstrual products are always welcomed. For anyone interested in volunteering, Labelle encourages them to reach out as the many Huddle sites are always happy to provide a tour and talk more about how the community can support youth.
– Ryan Funk, U Multicultural