Hunter Family Foundation supports Kids Help Phone to help transform e-mental health services in Alberta

Gift will be used to mobilize Alberta's Youth Mental Health Mapping Project, eliminating service deserts across the province

TORONTO, Sept. 10, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Hunter Family Foundation deepens its partnership with Kids Help Phone, donating $750,000 to a three-year initiative aimed at identifying and addressing significant gaps in access to youth mental health services in Alberta.

The Hunter Family Foundation Logo (CNW Group/Kids Help Phone)

A longstanding partner of Kids Help Phone for over 15 years, the Hunter Family Foundation is committed to supporting innovative and entrepreneurial projects that drive solutions to critical challenges. The Foundation's most recent gift will launch Kids Help Phone's Alberta Youth Mental Health Services Mapping Project — a three-year project to identify and address glaring gaps in access to youth mental health services in Alberta.

Through the collection and analysis of key data, which will be conducted in partnership with HelpSeeker Technologies, the Mapping Project will identify "service deserts" across the Alberta — geographical areas where youth mental health services are underutilized or non-existent. With this information, Kids Help Phone will strategically target specific communities or groups of youth to enhance their access to e-mental health services.

The Foundation's gift will also focus on advancing the charity's artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure to enhance service delivery, reduce wait times and fill gaps in service with virtual solutions.  

This new investment reflects the Hunter Family Foundation's extraordinary track record of bringing thought leaders together to advance change, including through its support of CONVERGE Mental Health — a coalition of almost 100 organizations from across Canada working to create a more coordinated, human-centered mental health system.

FAST FACTS

• Kids Help Phone has supported young people over 20 million times since the onset of COVID-19, and this number continues to grow every day.
• 37% of youth in Alberta face issues related to anxiety and stress.
• Kids Help Phone supported youth across Alberta over 239,000 times with a continuum of services – an over 100% increase as compared to pre-pandemic, 2019 volume.
• In Alberta, 82%of young people feel better after connecting with Kids Help Phone.
• On average, 75% of young people who reach out to KHP share something they've never shared with anyone else.

QUOTES

"At a time when young people are facing increasingly complex challenges, the Hunter Family Foundation's investment transforms access to youth mental health services across the province of Alberta," said Aaron Sanderson, Senior Vice President, Advancement & Chief Development Officer, Kids Help Phone. "The Foundation's generous gift unlocks hope for the young people of Canada leveraging the power of innovation, partnership and philanthropy."

"The Hunter Family Foundation invests into organizations that address complex social issues using innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.  Kids Help Phone is determined to drive real change for the youth of Canada by using innovation, collaboration and partnership to enhance access to much needed mental health support in Alberta and nationwide.  We are proud to be a part of this collaboration that will bring together experts, philanthropists, governments, policy makers and most importantly youth. Ultimately this project will ensure that our youth, no matter where they are located, will have access to appropriate mental health and wellness services when they need it," said Mona Hunter, Hunter Family Foundation.

"As someone who struggles with mental health, it's important to have support and access to services in your time of need no matter where you are. Hunter Family Foundation is proud to work with Kid Help Phone with the aim of making this access possible for all youth. KHP's innovation with AI will enable counsellors to quickly find the appropriate services and information for the youth in need. This will allow counsellors to be fully focused on the youth," said Dani Hunter, Hunter Family Foundation.

About Feel Out Loud
Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud movement, a $300 million fundraising campaign is the largest movement for youth mental health in Canada's history. The campaign is aimed at providing young people support without obstacles and help with any hardship. Because no challenge is too big, and no feeling is too small for Kids Help Phone.

About Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 national, e-mental health service offering free, confidential, multi-lingual support to young people. As the country's virtual care expert, we give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to Feel Out Loud over the phone, through text, or in self-directed supports for any moment of crisis or need. The Feel Out Loud campaign is the largest movement for youth mental health in Canada's history - it will raise $300 million to unlock hope for young people to thrive in their worlds. Kids Help Phone gratefully relies on the generosity of donors, volunteers, stakeholder partners, corporate partners and governments to fuel and fund our programs. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca.

About Hunter Family Foundation
The Hunter Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Calgary, Alberta that was established in 1984. The Foundation's vision is a healthy society where innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset drive solutions for complex social issues. The Foundation invests into three major pillars - Entrepreneurial Thinking, Health and Free Markets.  

SOURCE Kids Help Phone

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