Accelerating access

Kids are changing faster than ever; technology even faster.

To keep up with the constantly changing needs of the young people we serve, we set the wheels in motion to radically scale our ecosystem of supports and maximize access to services through the power of technology, data and innovation.

With transformational support from The Lang Family Foundation, RBC Foundation, Bell Canada, an anonymous donor and many other generous supporters, we launched the Innovation Centre for Youth Mental Health at Kids Help Phone – a place of bold thinking and bold solutions that will bring to life a truly user-focused and collaborative approach to service delivery.

The work taking place at the Innovation Centre will equip Kids Help Phone to triple our capacity – unlocking hope for every young person reaching out in their time of need.

Radical change through innovation

The Innovation Centre is home to three core programs:

Multi-modal e-mental health platform

Integrates all Kids Help Phone services onto one platform and ensures young people are receiving the right level of support at the right time

Data Hub

Leverages real-time data insights to inform new services and access points

Systems change incubator

Incubates innovative system solutions, leverages data to guide advocacy and influences policy through knowledge translation

As the country’s only 24/7, nationally available, bilingual e-mental health service for young people, Kids Help Phone has a responsibility and an ambition to radically build, scale and transform access to life-changing support across Canada.

Gateway to hope

Kids Help Phone will always be there for young people, wherever they are. Today, they’re online more than ever before.

To make sure young people can always find the help they need online, we enhanced the digital environment of Kids Help Phone’s Gateway for E-Mental Health Solutions at kidshelpphone.ca and launched our new Peer-to-Peer Community – a bilingual, online mental health support forum available to young people nationwide.

Through the Gateway, young people are now able to access engaging guides, articles and interactive clinical tools that build resilience, offer comfort, and help users move forward with the hope and confidence they need to truly thrive in their world.

For young people who aren’t sure what type of support they’re looking for, Kip – our AI-powered website navigation bot launched in 2020 – is there to direct them to the resources matching their needs and interests.

In the Peer-to-Peer Community, which was co-designed together with young people, youth between the ages of 12 and 26 can come together in a safe, anonymous space to share their personal experiences, offer inspiration and celebrate what gives them hope for better days ahead. New in Canada and the first of its kind in the world, Kids Help Phone’s Peer-to-Peer Community is continuously being evaluated and improved as we work to embed it as an impactful new resource for youth Canada‑wide.

These initiatives were made possible thanks to our long-time partner and Innovation Catalyst: Canada Health Infoway and other generous supporters for making these initiatives possible.

Since its launch, Kids Help Phone’s Peer-to-Peer Community has seen over 100,000 interactions from young people across the country.

During the pilot phase of the program, 94% of users reported feeling they had the space to have the conversations they wished to have.

"The service felt incredibly unifying. It’s easy to feel alone, especially right now, and reading stories that felt relatable – and even ones that felt painfully unrelatable – was an eye opening and amazing experience.” – Peer-to-Peer Community user

A year of unlocking hope. A future of amplifying impact.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Kids Help Phone resolved once and for all to turn our grief and anger into action. Throughout the remainder of that year, we embarked on a journey of unlearning across the organization – engaging in conversation, inviting guest speakers, publicly sharing our commitment to anti-racism and making plans.

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