Dr. Jean Costello, HRI’s Director of Research and Evaluation, and Cyndy Dearden, Executive Director of The Grove, YWHO Wellington Guelph, have received $100,000 to evaluate the reach and delivery of services provided by The Grove YWHO Wellington Guelph, a network of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) sites delivering integrated youth services within the Wellington-Guelph region.
Their project is one of only two recipients of the Ontario Youth Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions Grant funded by Mental Health Research Canada in partnership with the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions.
Integrated Youth Services (IYS) is an emerging and promising model of care designed to provide youth with a full range of mental health, substance use and well-being services in one youth-friendly space. The model aims to reduce barriers to access and to improve outcomes for youth and families.
As a Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario network, The Grove Wellington Guelph’s structure is unique in that it operates as an integrated network of multiple sites across both rural and urban communities, including one on a university campus. The Grove provides a unique opportunity to understand how this structure works, and where there may be opportunities for innovative service delivery and sharing learnings across the provincial YWHO Network.
This project aims to evaluate the reach and delivery of services provided by The Grove, as well as measuring progress towards achieving its intended outcomes.
Findings will inform improvements to service delivery across The Grove sites and IYS more broadly. Learn more about this partnership in a recent publication in the International Journal of Integrated Care (PDF).