TSF aims to enhance and improve mental health and addiction resources and support networks for youth between the ages of 12-24 within Huron County.
Together, we work to create a system that provides:
- Rapid and easy access
- Stigma free, low-barrier physical and virtual settings
- Evidence-based, youth-specific interventions matched to the level of need
- Early intervention
- Youth and family partnership, engagement and support
- Co-development and collaboration with youth, families, and community
- Authentic partnerships with community service providers
- Peer Support programs and training
- Education and advocacy
- Diversity and inclusion
- Continuous improvement and evaluation
We maximize our impact by following the evidence, partnering with others in the system, and most of all, listening to youth.
What does this look like in action? Here’s how we work to create a culture of change for youth mental health and addiction services in Huron County:
We help youth & their caretakers navigate the mental health & addictions system by connecting them with local support and service agencies
Empower youth to voice their needs, actively contribute to solutions, and set the direction of the Tanner Steffler Foundation through a Youth Advisory Council
We collaborate with local parents, community members and school boards to facilitate and promote wellness and resilience in schools, while building a community of support for youth
Educate parents, caregivers, community members and politicians through advocacy and presentations within the municipalities of Huron County
Current initiatives & opportunities
Peer Support Program (Youth and Family)
Our peer support program connects individuals in need of support with a trained volunteer who can relate to their situation firsthand.
To volunteer as part of this program, click here.
Presentations and Advocacy
Invite a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member to speak at your event, school, work, or community organizations. Virtual and in-person presentations are available on a variety of mental health topics, including stigma reduction, wellness strategies, supporting others, and local resource sharing.
To book a presentation or meet with a youth mental health advocate, please email admin@tannerstefflerfoundation.com
Past Programs & Partnerships
Crisis and Mental Health Support Training
In the past, TSF has hosted crisis and mental health support training in Huron County including certified programs such as ASIST, mental health first aid, and naloxone.
If you are interested in booking a training through TSF, please email admin@tannerstefflerfoundation.com
My Journey Program - Partnership & Sole Funder
My Journey was launched in partnership with Huron community Family Health Team. Within this program, a mental health professional acts as a System Navigator (SN) and a central point of contact to assist youth 12-24 who are experiencing mental health and/or substance use difficulties. The SN is located in the building in Seaforth, with service available to youth across Huron County.
The purpose of the My Journey Program is to provide a service wherein the SN helps to develop a treatment plan and works alongside the family physician and any other mental health community services in the individuals treatment plan to assure open communication between healthcare providers. This includes using one record to contain all health information, coordinating referrals with physicians and community services, collecting reports from all referrals with your family physician, monitoring progress and follow-up.
This coordination of care can significantly increase perception of satisfaction with services, as well as reducing stress and frustration when trying to self-navigate a complicated system.
Mental Health & Wellness Coach Program - Design Partner & Partial Funder
TSF funded the first Youth Wellness Coaches in Huron County high schools. The program has evolved, and now each school has a Youth Wellness Coach. This program is now overseen by the local school boards, and TSF continues to advocate for in-school resources in our area.
Growing Resilience: Youth Social Emotional Learning (SEL) - Partial Funder
TSF was able to partner with Rural Response for Healthy Children as they introduced Youth Social Emotional Learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children, youth and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Proficiency in SEL is key to building relationships, emotional and behavioural regulation, and making decisions; all of which play important roles in how we learn and engage with the world around us. In fact, SEL has been found to be as vital to school and work success as academic knowledge!
To learn more, visit: https://www.rrhc.on.ca/social-and-emotional-learning
