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THE NEWS BRAVA PROGRAM EXPANDS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE REGION ANIL JHALLI ANIL.JHALLI@EAP.ON.CA
Representatives from Valoris for Children and Adults of Prescott and Russell and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute have announced a collabo- ration to support the implementation of a program designed to support youth and their families struggling with mental health. Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents (BRAVA) is a pro- gram designed for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who are experiencing suicidal ideation and their parents or care- givers. The BRAVA program addresses an urgent need in the community by providing faster, more timely access to mental health services. “By investing in initiatives like BRAVA< we are investing in the potential of our youth, in the strengthening of families and the overall health of our communities,” said Caroline Granger, Executive Director, Valoris for Children and Adults of Prescott and Russell. “Access to services should never depend on the language you speak, your place of residence or the ability to navigate complex systems.” The BRAVA program is being expanded into the region of Prescott and Russell courtesy of a significant contribution from Health Canada through the Youth Mental Health Fund totalling f $902,769 will allow Valoris to increase the capacity of its youth mental health team. “When a young person is struggling, the entire family needs support and resources,” said Prescott-Russell-Cumberland Member of Parliament (MP) Giovanna Mingarelli. “Access doesn’t just mean that the program exists. It means more such as whether a young person can understand the re- sources, trust them and feel safe with them. This program makes sure that support is closer to home by also providing caregivers and families the support they need. The resources will be mad available and the language of their choosing, so they don’t have to go through any challenges alone.” The BRAVA program is offered in a six- week group format with rolling registration, allowing participants to join at any time without having to wait for a new group to begin. Adolescents and their parents or caregivers participate in separate groups, with the goal of strengthening family bonds and reducing suicidal ideation. “Timely access to mental healthcare is essential especially for vulnerable youth and their caregivers and parents,” said Dr. Alli- son Kennedy, who was one of three people at CHEO who launched the BRAVA program along with researchers Paula Cloutier and Clare Gray. “We have many young people and their families who continue to face long wait times for specialized services which often means the difficult choice of receiving care in a second language or waiting even longer to receive care and the language their comfortable with such as French.” Dr. Kennedy noted that in the early stages of BRAVA, in a randomized control trial, 99 youth and their caregivers were
From left to right Clarence-Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth, Paula Cloutier, a researcher at CHEO, Dr. Allison Kennedy with CHEO, Caroline Granger, Executive Director of Valoris, Giovanna Mingarelli, Member of Parliament for Prescott-Russell-Cumberland, Jo-anne Laviolette, Chair of the Valoris Board of Directors and Stephane Sarrazin, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell were all present for an announcement regarding a collaboration between Valoris and CHEO regarding expanding mental health services for youth and families across the region of Prescott and Russell. (Anil Jhalli, EAP)
assigned to the program or enhanced treatment-as-usual (ETU), a control group design used in clinical research where the standard "usual care" is supplemented with additional features. During this period, researchers measured changes in suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, and stress at intake, exit, and at a three-month follow-up. BRAVA participants showed improvements in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress compared to ETU, with suicidal ideation improvements maintained at the follow-up. Notably, youth participants in the program had significantly fewer emergency depart- ment (ED) visits during the study period, suggesting the program may help reduce acute care demand. “I have seen young people make mea- ningful progress when they have meaningful support,” added Dr. Kennedy. “Caregivers and parents are also equipped with what support they need so they can respond to what the young people are experiencing. The program allows youth to better unders- tand and manage their emotions, navigate conflict more effectively and at the same time, caregivers are support by reflecting what their role is and lean practical stra- tegies while connecting with others facing similar challenges.” The funding will also support the trans- lation and validation of the BRAVA program into French, allowing it to be offered in both official languages. Valoris plans to offer the BRAVA program on an ongoing basis in both French and English across three regions of
Prescott and Russell (in Rockland, Embrun and Hawkesbury) creating a new access point to youth mental health services within local communities. “Whether we like it or not, when our kids suffer from mental health, we as parents, also suffer with them,” said Clarence- Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth, who also
serves as Warden for the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. “The younger gene- ration is growing up in a changing world with more opportunities and challenges than before. And our youth need us now more than ever, and they need us to step up and offer meaningful support rather than just talking.”
Caroline Granger, Executive Director of Valoris, talks about the BRAVA project, a program designed to support youth and their families struggling with mental health. (Anil Jhalli, EAP)
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