$500K donation expands youth mental health services at JBH

NEWS RELEASE
JOSEPH BRANT HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
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The RBC Foundation has once again demonstrated their commitment to innovative solutions that improve access to youth mental health care with a donation of $500,000 to support the expansion of youth mental health services at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH).

RBC’s investment into the further expansion of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric (CAP) Clinic will enable JBH to expand services to meet the surge in referrals, and continue to offer early intervention and early treatment for youth in need. The gift will also provide much needed funding to support the relocation and redevelopment of mental health and addictions programs to a new, bright and healing space within the hospital.

“We want to thank The RBC Foundation for being an essential and committed partner with JBH to provide youth in our community with the high quality care they need, close to home,” said Anissa Hilborn, president and CEO of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. "Their support for the expansion of the program will provide immediate access for those in need, and the redevelopment and relocation of the mental health unit and associated programs will provide a positive healing environment for years to come."

This gift is a demonstration of continued support from the RBC Foundation, who through an earlier gift demonstrated leadership in improving access to mental health care by investing in a pilot project to expand JBH’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatric (CAP) Clinic from one-day to five-days a week. The expansion of the CAP Clinic has had a tremendous impact on youth in our community since 2013, including a 400 per cent increase in referrals since the expansion, a significant reduction in wait times for youth waiting for assessment and treatment from 52 days in 2013 to a zero wait time prior to the pandemic, and a 30 per cent decrease in children and adolescents presenting to the Emergency Department for mental health issues and assessment due to increased access to urgent outpatient services.

“RBC is thrilled to provide this continued support to help the youth in our community effectively manage their mental well-being so they can reach their full potential,” said Rick Atherton, regional vice president, Halton Market. “Ensuring these important resources are accessible where and when they’re needed – and so close to home – will help to strengthen our community today and for the future.”

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