THE GEORGE

Issue #28: January 30, 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As we look forward to Black History Month in February and Black Mental Health week at the beginning of March, we are reminded of how critical the work is in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and anti-black racism.

Over the last several years, we have made work in this area a priority at the George Hull Centre. We believe the George Hull Centre is a place where all children, youth and families should feel welcome and receive services that acknowledge and understand their lived experience. Through the introduction of the R.I.T.E.S. Collaborative, which you will read about below, we have developed a culturally responsive treatment team situated in the Rexdale Community.

We continue to evolve our entire staff complement to ensure we have a dynamic and skilled staff team which includes representation from diverse communities and provide a work environment where everyone feels respected and valued.

The inclusion work of DEI also includes meeting our clients where they are that. Our Intensive In Home Services program does just that, led by our skilled team of Child and Youth Workers. You will meet one of those amazing CYWs, Don Fasciano, in this issue of The George.

Through our Family Gift Match program during the holiday season, we are able to help bridge the equity gap for some of our most vulnerable families. This year we supported over 104 families thanks to the generous support of our community.

In these and so many other ways, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work we have done and remain committed to doing has made the George Hull Centre a stronger organization.

Susan Chamberlain, MSW, RSW

Executive Director

THE R.I.T.E.S. COLLABORATIVE

FOR BLACK YOUTH

Resilience, Identity, Transformation, Empowerment and Self-Determination are the five powerful goals lying behind the simple acronym, R.I.T.E.S. A culturally specific, identity development initiative that supports the empowerment of Black, African-Canadian, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latinx youth between the ages of 13 and 17, the R.I.T.E.S. Collaborative combines the highly respected clinical excellence of the George Hull Centre, and the knowledge and expertise held by Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) in relation to Black youth and Anti-Black Racism (ABR) practices.

R.I.T.E.S offers a comprehensive spectrum of coordinated and culturally responsive services meeting a broad range of needs among Black youth and their families in Northwest Toronto. Groups and individual counselling help participants create goals and address issues such as their mental health concerns/diagnoses, trauma, addictions, anger management, grief, as well as the impacts of anti-Black racism, and structural oppression. Clients who participate in the program work towards developing effective coping strategies using an Africentric lens by incorporating evidence-based research on Anti-Black racism, stress management, mental health and wellness. Clients of these groups can be referred to psychiatry at the George Hull Centre, and several have joined our Day Treatment program.

In addition to providing Black, African-Canadian, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latinx youth with individual clinical services and groups, psychiatric support and access to our intensive treatment programs, the R.I.T.E.S. Collaborative offers an environment for knowledge building, community voices, and linkages with formal partners like CTYS and the University of Toronto Faculty of Social Work, and informal collaborations with community organizations including the Jean Augustine Centre, Delta Family Services, Rexdale Women’s Centre, Jamaican-Canadian Association, and the Somali Women’s and Children’s Network.

EXTRAORDINARY CARING

It has been an extraordinary few months of extraordinary caring from our donors!

Board member and trustee Chetan Baweja’s 4th Annual Real Estate and Friends Fundraising Campaign kicked off the giving season raising a remarkable $130,000 from 47 companies and individuals, including a fabulous $55,000 from Menkes Golf Tournament and $10,000 each from Colliers Inc., Centrecorp and CMLS Financial Ltd.

FDC Foundation continued their incredible three-year support of our Clinician - Child and Youth Worker Collaboration with a $150,000 contribution of their $500,000 pledge.

We deeply grateful to the following for their generous donations and pledge support between $15,000 and $50,000: TD Securities Underwriting Hope Fund, Laura Syron and Keith McLaughlin, The Gordon and Donna Feeney Family Foundation, The Michael & Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation, The Michelle Koerner Family Foundation, Moffat Family Fund and The Henry White Kinnear Foundation.

Loyal friends Bob and Cathy Hull, Larry and Christine Foy, The P&P Murray Foundation, The Hope Charitable Foundation, Paul and Lina Smith, Jim and Janice McInnis, David Pauli, JRP Insurance, and Cadillac Fairview, joined new supporters JBS Foundation, MFS Canada, Nicola Wealth, and the Nadine Martel and Jean-Michel Lemieux Fund with meaningful gifts between $5,000 to $10,000.

Giving Tuesday was our best yet raising nearly $23,000, including a $10,000 donation as part of a new $30,000 three-year pledge from Darlene Cade + Cade Associates Insurance Brokers Limited. Our annual Holiday Appeal was also a tremendous success, raising $90,000 from 100 donors, several of whom are included in the above, who gave the gift of mental wellness this holiday season.

Thank you one and all – you are changing the trajectory of children’s mental health!

Yes! I want to DONATE TODAY

STAFF PROFILE - Don Fasciano,

Child and Youth Worker

Don Fasciano has been a smiling, familiar face at the George Hull Centre for over 25 years! First joining us when he was a student earning his degree as a Child and Youth Worker (CYW) at Humber College, Don volunteered in the classrooms of our Day Treatment School Program and never looked back!

As a youth, Don worked as a camp counselor and lifeguard. He wasn’t clear on what career path he wanted, but through these experiences he realized he had a passion for working with children. When he came across the program description for Child and Youth Work at Humber, and discovered that there was a job that combined his desire to help youth with his love for camp, being active, and not sitting behind a desk, he quickly enrolled.

Over his 25 years at the Centre as a CYW, Don has worked at our live-in programs, in our substance use program Clear Directions, and in the School Program. Don continues to be an integral part of the George Hull team and now dedicates his time to the Intensive In-Home Service program. He finds the requirements demanding, complex, and challenging but helping to change the lives of youth and their families extremely rewarding.

While working with families within the context of the Intensive In-Home Service program, Don helps youth develop conflict resolution skills, addresses parental conflict, self-harming behaviours, school avoidance, damaged relationships in the home and many other significant situations that can contribute to mental health challenges. His work focuses on the areas of attachment, play therapies, experiential education, and life space interventions with dysregulated children and teens. Don shares that he is “motivated by witnessing the strength and ability of children and families to work towards health and change.”

As a CYW, Don appreciates the multi-disciplinary team approach the Centre provides to clients and to its staff. This method allows for sharing and learning from varying perspectives. It provides families with support and unique access to social workers, child and youth workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists all under one roof - a complete continuum of care.

HELP US PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

The George Hull Centre for Children and Families is in the exciting process of developing a new strategic plan. Through this process, we want to shed light on important issues in children’s mental health and uncover the most promising opportunities to guide us as we plan for the best future for children and families, and our dedicated team.

Feedback from our key stakeholders and partners is an important input into the planning process, and we are seeking your participation in the following survey.

All survey results will be confidential and anonymous and in no way identifies respondents. It should take 10-15 minutes and will be open until February 1^st. THANK YOU!

TAKE THE SURVEY

EVENTS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

WINTERFEST 2023

The George Hull Centre's R.I.T.E.S. Program partnered with our EarlyON and Intensive In-Home programs to host Winterfest, a community event for our neighbours in Rexdale at our 2670 Islington Avenue location. In the evening twilight of December 14th, amongst a sea of festive lights, families enjoyed hot chocolate, cotton candy, raffles, and giveaways. In the spirit of winter and community, "Winter Warmth Kits” containing gloves, hats, lip balm, hand warmers and more were given to families thanks to the very generous donation by Nicola Wealth whose Toronto team assembled the 192 kits amidst holiday music and cheer.

FAMILY GIFT MATCH

Our 9th Annual Family Gift Match Program was another huge success with 104 families supported through the generosity of our community! It is very meaningful for our staff to help provide items of need to so many of our vulnerable families, especially during these pressing times. Thank you to the students and families at Kingsway College School who were once again heroic in their contributions through their Reason for the Season initiative. A special shout out to Julia and Matthew Pantalone for their annual donation of 100 turkeys! To everyone who participated in this year’s Family Gift match, thank you. Your donations make a substantial and memorable difference in the lives of these families!

LIVE MUSIC WITH GEORGE

On November 16, 2023 at The Rivoli, our Young Leaders’ Group We Are George held their 6th Annual Fundraiser in support of the Centre. It was a great evening of live music and merriment, made all that more meaningful by clinician Tracy De’s moving story about one of her clients. Thank you to all the guests and the We Are George Committee for such an engaging event!

SCHOOL FUNDRAISING

We are excited to launch our School and Community Fundraising Toolkits!

Visit our website to look through a step by step guide on how to support children’s mental health and fundraise on our behalf! Parents, teachers, students, and community members can organize activities that are both fun and for a wonderful cause!

Please contact us at

[email protected] if you have questions or would like us to support you in putting together your own event.

TIPS AND RESOURCES

Canada has now launched a three-digit 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline.

If you are feeling like you have lost hope and are struggling to cope, if you are dealing with thoughts of suicide, or if you are worried about someone else, you can now call or text 9-8-8. When you reach out, a trained responder will listen without judgement, provide support and understanding, and can tell you about resources that will help.

Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in French and English. To learn more, visit www.talksucide.ca

COMING SOON

Celebrate Spring with the George Hull Centre

Join us for a fun, free, family event at Sherway Gardens Shopping Centre! On Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm we will be on site in front of Saks 5th Avenue to welcome the community. Enjoy an Easter egg hunt, arts and crafts activities, treats, and more. It's a perfect chance to learn more about the George Hull Centre, spend time with family and friends, and take a stroll through Sherway. No registration required. See you soon!

Do you have a child or know a youth struggling with a mental health issue? The George Hull Centre is here to help. Call to speak to our intake coordinator Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm at 416-622-8833 ext 258. If your matter is urgent, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.