Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.

Hats On For Awareness raises funds to further the reach of mental health programs which enhance the lives of those living with and affected by mental illness and addictions. We believe that mental health is a vital component to overall wellness and we need to make it a priority in our personal, business and community lives. We need to raise awareness regarding these illnesses, consistently battle against the stigma they hold, and fund the research and programs to truly achieve Mental Wellness For All.

What problem does it aim to solve?

We are dedicated to breaking barriers and building brighter tomorrows for mental health care in the Greater Toronto Area. In 2023 alone, this organization continues to fund local mental health and wellness programs, including Jack.org and Humber River Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic.

When did you start/join it?

In 2009, I started Hats On For Awareness alongside my fellow co-founder Enza Tiberi Checchia. Enza asked me if I would help with a fundraiser to raise awareness for mental health in honour of her father. That fall, we hosted the inaugural Hatsuqerade gala and raised $70,000! Since then, our team of board of directors, volunteers, and donors have worked tirelessly to bring real-life experiences of those young and aged who have overcome battles with mental illness and addiction that affect everyday people, their families, and their neighbours. The Hatsquerade is still going strong 14 years later and has propelled our organization to raise and distribute $1.3 million dollars to local mental health and wellness programs including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Jack.org, and Humber River Health.

What made you want to get involved?

It was an easy YES for me as it’s in my nature to help others and try to make small impacts in the world around me.

What was the situation like when you started?

Hats On For Awareness came to be out of a necessity to bring light to hard topics around mental health. At the time we started our journey, mental health was not a commonplace term and it was not a widely discussed issue. There was more misunderstanding about what mental health fully encompasses, and the term ‘mental wellness’ wasn’t even a thought. It was much harder for people to talk openly about how they were feeling due to the stigma associated with this. We started Hats On For Awareness knowing that there was a long road ahead of us to change this perspective.

How has it changed since?

Nowadays, we are talking openly about our mental health and finding ways to apply mental wellness to all aspects of our lives. There are many notable organizations, programs, and services that have stepped up to join our mission and vision. I’m so glad to see there are more mental health service providers, more walk-in counselling options, and more open crisis lines available for anyone who needs to talk. When I look around at the people in my community sharing their struggles with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alike, I see the stigma around owning our feelings shifting. There’s still a lot of work to do. At Hats On, we know that access to mental health programs and services are one of the biggest barriers for those needing help.

What more needs to be done?

Unfortunately, wait times for programs and services are long, and show no sign of getting shorter. According to the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, in the province of Ontario, average wait times for children and youth are 67 days for counselling and therapy, and up to 92 days for intensive treatment. Access to these services differs based on geographical area; in some areas, children and youth are able to access services almost immediately, while in others, wait times can be up to two and a half years.

How can our readers help?

Join us in raising awareness and supporting mental health programs. We are proud to announce our inaugural challenge, Pass The Hat, has raised over $12,000!

Our Pass The Hat Challenges encourage company-wide teams to engage in fundraising together, alongside corporate donation matching, exciting workplace activations, and games. Help us create access to mental health care for all, and pass the hat with us in May 2024!

Find out how Hats On For Awareness breaks barriers and creates more access to mental health by visiting our website.

No matter your economic or situational status, there are ways you can get involved to help us make a difference in mental health care. From holding a fundraiser, engaging with us on social media to volunteering, there is something for everyone. Together, let’s raise awareness, break down barriers, and build a brighter future for mental health!

Do you have any events coming up?

Hats On For Awareness hosted its 14th signature fundraising gala, the Hatsquerade, which is an incredible event that creates real change in the lives of those struggling with mental health. We are proud to announce that $577,000 was raised to further support local mental health and wellness programs in the Greater Toronto Area!

What sets this gala apart from other fundraising events in its community? Hats On For Awareness committee volunteers and passionate leaders gather incredible spokespeople from across the Greater Toronto Area who continue to build relationships with many different corporations, and distinguished new and returning guests.

Additionally, the Hatsquerade has a reputation of being an event to look forward to each year. As one of the Greater Toronto Area’s not-to-miss events, this gala is known to be an elaborate party scene for all ages, from guests in their early twenties and through to retirement. The event always evokes a fulfilling, happy feeling for its guests, allowing more than 700 people to partake in an outgoing, fun, colourful celebration. Rather than focusing on multiple speakers at this prestigious event, the run of show focuses on a decadent meal, delicious drinks, and themed, coordinated entertainment to last all night long. Past guests have said this event has a “crazy energy” and is a “massive party”. It is easy to feel like you are in a room surrounded by a tight network of friends and family, even if you are a new guest to this annual celebration.

Join us next year in 2024!

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | TikTok

PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?

Hats On For Awareness has supported Jack.org since 2013 and donated more than $125,000 to provide education and training about mental health. As a national charity that trains and empowers young leaders to revolutionize mental health, Jack.org hosts national and regional summits where over 1,200 student advocates share ideas and strategies for action in their communities. The Canada-wide non-profit is based in Toronto, with Eric Windeler at the helm. I highly suggest you visit their website to learn more. Jack.org is changing the landscape of mental health.

The post Charitable Choices: Benny Caringi of Hats On For Awareness appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.

Across Boundaries provides equitable and holistic mental health and addiction services for racialized and Black communities across the Greater Toronto Area.

What problem does it aim to solve?

Racism (individual and systemic), and other forms of intersecting oppressions can prevent individuals from getting the mental health support they truly need. Services offered from a Eurocentric perspective and rooted in white supremacist ideologies, even if unconsciously, alienate people, and they do not get the right support at the right time. Across Boundaries works to remove these barriers and provides a welcoming space centring its services in anti-oppressive and anti-Black racism approaches that respond to the lived realities of racialized communities. The organizational culture also plays a big role in ensuring space is created that is life-affirming and life-changing by hiring staff who are all from racialized communities and bringing their own lived experiences to their work with the service users. This creates a level of safety, as service user experiences are validated from the moment they come through the door and they do not need to “explain” the daily microaggressions that impact their life and health, leading up to their connection with us.

Services are free for racialized and black individuals aged 16+ in the GTA. Plus, services are offered in 17+ different languages.

When did you start/join it?

In September, 1995

What made you want to get involved?

The organization’s mission and vision revolve around social justice. And social justice and equity all are values that require actions, which Across Boundaries has and continues to take in many ways. There is a freedom and an expectation to be a voice for the marginalized communities we serve. The ability to do this is not only satisfying for me but also holds me accountable.

What was the situation like when you started?

The situation was and continues to be dire for racialized and Black communities when it comes to mental health, addictions, homelessness, food insecurity etc.  Lack of awareness of the issues and a denial to address them caused a lot of harm to marginalized communities and this harm continues to perpetuate and grow exponentially.

How has it changed since?

The main difference between when I started and now is that there is more of an awareness and some efforts to address these challenges. And while that is very welcome, unfortunately, we continue to offer band-aid solutions that don’t fix the root causes of poverty and unfair health outcomes for the communities we serve.  Until we can do so, the struggle for fair opportunities and better living standards for marginalized communities will remain a reality.

What more needs to be done?

It’s essential to recognize that the challenges faced by racialized, Black and other marginalized communities are deeply rooted in systemic ideologies based on white privilege. Consequently, addressing these challenges demands comprehensive changes in policies and funding allocations. To foster a more inclusive approach we need to look at how we understand different communities, their needs, and their access (or lack of access) to support and apply an anti-oppressive lens to decision-making processes. To achieve this, we need to shift from a Eurocentric model of care to a more holistic one that recognizes and values complementary forms of therapies (i.e., Ayurveda, acupuncture, Yoga etc.).

Furthermore, we must consider channelling resources directly to the communities that need them, allowing them to co-create their pathways to well-being, rather than funding mainstream organizations that do not and sometimes cannot provide the right support.  As such, we need to be diligent to ensure that resources invested, lead to a positive change rather than perpetuating the status quo.

How can our readers help?

Readers can help by raising awareness of these disparities in health outcomes.  There are many ways to do this. Aside from financial support, which is always welcome, individuals can help normalize conversations about mental health and addictions. We constantly strive to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and addictions and this is one very powerful way of doing so. Additionally, we hope that readers can offer their voices and become ambassadors for organizations like ours.

Changing the system requires collaboration and partnership, and we do not presume to do this by ourselves. We need to be allies for and with each other, as only then is true change possible.

Do you have any events coming up?

York United FC Fundraiser for Mental Health and Awareness Day:  Join us on September 8th, 2023 at 7 PM for York United FC vs. Winnipeg’s Valor FC soccer match. Enjoy the game and meet with the team at Across Boundaries for the fundraiser. A portion of the ticket proceeds ($5) when purchased through this link will be donated to Across Boundaries.

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?

The Sesheme Foundation – an organization designed to build economic and inclusive connections for black women and their families with the goal of securing them on their path to personal and collective well-being.

The post Charitable Choices: Aseefa Sarang of Across Boundaries appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Shift Collab is one of Canada’s leading virtual therapy practices, offering counselling and custom therapy matching across the country. We founded Shift Collab in 2016 out of a desire to modernize the therapy experience, making it more human and more accessible. We are bootstrapped, female-founded and clinician-owned with a curated team of over 125 Registered Social Workers and Registered Psychotherapists helping Canadians navigate all of life’s challenges.

What made you want to do this work?

Our mission to create Shift Collab came from our own mental health journeys. We wanted to develop a model of care that wasn’t available for us during a time in our lives when we needed it the most. Megan lost her mom at 16 to cancer and didn’t know what to do with all of those huge emotions. In 2010, Megan became a Registered Social Worker and informed by her experience of feeling alone in her grief, struggling with anxiety, and the frustration of being paired with older therapists who just didn’t “get it”, she knew that the therapy space was ripe for change and new generation of clinicians. Megan knew that Canadians could receive quality and accessible clinical care that resonated with their needs and if it didn’t exist, she’d have to build it. Jordan entered the picture from a mental health education and business lens, and had an affinity for this work from his own struggle in finding relatable therapists, too.

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

Basically, it’s hard to find a therapist that gets you. Initially, we set out to innovate an industry that had become so afraid of risk and change that it was alienating its clients and creating barriers to quality mental health support for the people who needed it most. Our goal was to create a simple, relatable and accessible mental health solution to champion quality therapy across the lifespan, especially for young adults and millennials. That goal remains today, only we’ve extended our reach to a wider group of Canadians as therapy becomes more and more mainstream. In fact, over the past three years, we’ve grown just over 300%.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Generally speaking, our clients are typically highly-driven millennials unified by a shared internal belief: while they have big dreams for their lives and might be doing awesome things, they don’t feel like they’re enough. They’re the kind of people that have a growth mindset and lean into the discomfort not settling. However, we welcome a wider range of folks! We also support a ton of Gen Z that are wrapping up their student lives and navigating early adulthood, and Gen X who are well into adulthood and working on themselves. As we’ve grown, so too has the ethnic, demographic and psychographic diversity of our therapy team creating more opportunities to support a wide range of Canadians.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

The majority of our business comes from therapy sessions, where Canadians pay for individual, couples or family therapy sessions and get reimbursed from their healthcare benefits. In recent years, we have grown our B2B services where we provide therapy sessions to the clients of healthcare organizations and employers who are looking to provide better care than just an Employee Assistance Program.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

Since the start of COVID, Shift Collab has been available to all Canadians virtually. Today, we love being a virtual team and have figured out a lot of neat ways to bridge the virtual divide with our clients, and have some more tricks up our sleeves for the years ahead…

Between 2016 and early 2020, we had a clinic in the heart of Yorkville that we were outgrowing like crazy. In late 2019, we started looking for a new space at Bloor and Avenue where we’d go from about three to 12 therapy rooms plus a bunch of space for staff, rooms for phone and video sessions, a workshop space and more. We found an awesome spot, negotiated a lease, and even had the interior floor plan done. Then one month before COVID hit, in February 2020, Megan woke up one morning and said to Jordan, “We can’t do this, it’s just too big of a risk.”

And we backed out. Only weeks later, businesses were shutting down their offices. Had we moved ahead it would have completely ruined us. Needless to say, we thank our lucky stars that we went in a different direction…

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

We get asked all the time, “How do I find the right therapist for me?” Over the past 10 years, there’s been a dramatic evolution from Canadians caring about credentials, clinical specialities, modalities and advanced training of their therapists to valuing relatability first and foremost. Our answer is simply, “The best therapist is one that you can connect with as a person first, and as a therapist second.”

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is knowing that our team is doing incredible work and impacting dozens of clients each day. We often meet people randomly who self-disclose that they go to Shift Collab and that it’s changed their lives. It’s a pretty profound thing.

The worst part is that our industry is changing really fast and is increasingly dominated by venture-backed startups who are building therapy networks, rather than collaborative practices, and are burning therapists out. We’re all for change, but not for it being on the backs of the actual therapists.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

There’s a joke in the therapist world that goes like this, “If you want to feel self-conscious, remember that someone’s therapist knows all about you.”

Where can we follow you?

You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. Also, visit our website and get hand matched to a therapist here.

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

We love businesses that are authentic and change the conversations within their industries. Some that come to mind are Lake and Oak Tea and SoYoung.

The post Homegrown Business: Megan Rafuse and Jordan Axani of Shift Collab appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

You see, parents are already aware of how hard the COVID-19 pandemic has been on their kids. A recent Abacus Data report for BGC Canada found that 42 per cent of parents say the pandemic negatively impacted their child’s mental health. You need only read the headlines to hear about the very worst of the crisis. Violence on the TTC up 46 per cent year over year. Youth committing violence, youth falling victim to violence. Have you read the statements by Andrea Magalhae whose 16-year-old son was stabbed on the TTC? “We need more social services, said Magahae. We need more investment into physical and mental health. We need more supports for housing. I feel like, as things go the way they are going right now, so many people are going to be suffering the horrible pain that I am going through right now.”

May 1 -7th is Mental Health Week. As more children and youth struggle with their mental health, the challenges increase for workers in local youth-serving agencies. Child and youth workers are taking on more significant responsibilities to support those children.

Yet despite the critical value these front-line workers bring, they don’t often have the mental health training and supports they need. A study from Mental Health Research Canada found only one-third of employees have access to burnout prevention programs and few are comfortable talking to their supervisors about their mental health.

This adds additional stress, often quite often leading to frontline-worker burnout for those helping the most vulnerable and impressionable part of our society.

According to the Abacus Report, 95 per cent of parents with children and youth aged five to 18 support additional government funding for front-line workers in child and youth-serving agencies. Parents want staff to receive accredited training and access to mental health support.

Investing in mental health services will not only support youth and front-line staff now but will have impacts on the future of this great city. When children and youth have access to early intervention and prevention programs, they carry those skills throughout their lives.

In addition, if staff have mental health training and access to their own mental health services this will prevent burnout – and lead to less staff leaving a sector that is already struggling with recruitment and retention.

Dear future mayor, it’s time to focus on supporting ECEs and child and youth workers mental health in a timely way so they can support groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We ask that you and City Councillors work with our Clubs across the City to support children, youth, and the staff that work with them. We realize it’s going to be tough. It will mean a strong lobbying for more help from all levels of government. But we are hoping you will be our advocate. Making these investments will have an unbelievable impact on children, youth, and the front-line staff that support them. The is vital to the growth and development of not only children and youth, but the future of our great city.

About the author:

Owen Charters is President CEO of BGC Canada, with headquarters in Toronto, ON. BGC Canada is a national charity that provides safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life. In this piece, he draws from a report published by BGC Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian Child Care Federation, and YWCA. The full report can be found here.

The post Dear Mayor: Our children and youth are suffering. And so are the workers supporting them appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

The science behind the Unbounded approach is unmatched. The urban wellness spa provides a healthy and lively dose of tranquil. Unbounded is situated in the heart of downtown Toronto and facilitates accessible somatic wellness experiences resulting in greater physical and mental well-being. With a variety of peculiar classes and educational retreats under its belt, Unbounded is a lifestyle brand that prioritizes contributing to brighter, healthier lives for everyone. Through its customized workshops, participants and guests get to indulge in different types of self-care routines.

“Founded in 2020, our aim at Unbounded is to provide an unparalleled experience of living. Unbounded Well not only gives people the opportunity to interact with the outdoors, but our aim is to bring nature into the city and motivate people to step out of their comfort zone in a healthy and safe way,” says founder of Unbounded, Nick McNaught.

The seasoned entrepreneur shares more about the first-hand mental benefit of the existing therapies. “There is a sense of confidence and courage that comes with embracing the full experience. It is an exhilarating challenge to overcome the discomfort and remind yourself that you can do hard things. Besides building one’s sense of self, other physical benefits include reducing global systemic inflammation, releasing cold shock proteins that repair synapses in the brain, mobilizing brown fat (BAT), improving circulation and respiratory function, activating up to 300% norepinephrine and 500% adrenaline, among other things.”

Nick explains further. “Although there are many benefits, there are also contraindications and if someone has any heart or blood pressure issues, or is pregnant, then it is advisable that they see their doctor first and get clearance before trying cold exposure.”

Unbounded Well is a destination spa with high-end program offerings, including a guided, uninterrupted, and self-guided experience. You will get to enjoy traditional Scandinavian Spruce saunas, firepit lounges, A-1 cold plunge wells, the geodesic dome studio in the form of supported sessions and exclusive member events.

It was certainly a thrilling adventure for us. We visited the serene location and cycled through the cold tub session and sauna, gathered at the outdoor fire pit lounge, and relaxed in the dimly lit meditation dome complemented with soothing live music. Let’s just say your energy levels will get boosted and the relaxing outcome is certain. It was so absorbing taking part in the breathing exercises, mindset, and focus training with cold exposure.

Additionally, Unbounded has an excellent team that will genuinely support you along the way. At the wellness venue, you will find a haven that prides itself on providing transformative meditation, healing, and spiritual space. Inclusive packages (CA$49.50) and membership deals are available like the “unwind” classes. Through the self-guided mindfulness sessions, there are moments in time for you to soak up the positive vibes and glide within your unbounded well, as you desire. Again, Unbounded is equipped with nature-focused amenities and sustainable comforts ready to reset your mind, body, and soul.

Are you looking to hop into an icy bath, a sauna, untangle and connect with the community, then this is one place you don’t want to miss out on. We all know things get super busy, and stress from work and real-life stressors do arise. If you want to discover something utterly new about yourself or feel enriched, then Unbounded Well is worth checking out.

The post Toronto’s First Outdoor Wellness Spot Is A Must-See Destination appeared first on Toronto Guardian.