Aditya Thakur is a 20-year-old from Oakville, Ontario and a student at Western University. He has been actively involved with Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) and The New Mentality’s youth engagement initiatives since 2018. He has leveraged opportunities to represent youth and voice their issues in the community. He shows tremendous passion for promoting equity in the mental health system and raising awareness for underprivileged youth. Aditya was a keynote speaker and panelist at the CMHO Annual conference in 2020 and in 2021, and had the opportunity to speak to mental health professionals about leadership equity. He has also advocated for youth mental health during the pandemic and is researching the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health. Aditya is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and adolescents by raising awareness about mental health issues and stigma surrounding mental illness.
Alisha Sharma, Co-Chair
19, Burlington
Alisha Sharma is a 19-year-old from Burlington, Ontario who is passionate about mental health. Advocating for and representing youth voices within Ontario’s publicly funded mental health system, as well as creating projects to engage with the provincial youth community to raise awareness, is something that she strives to do. Having been involved with her local New Mentality group of Halton since high school, then moving into the position of a co-facilitator and now to her current position as a co-chair of the YAC, Alisha has worked on a multitude of creative projects. From writing the 2021 provincial youth-led policy paper with CMHO, presenting at the CMHO conference, and running EDI and focused events with the wonderful committee, she is excited for another year full of new ideas and perspectives.
Arpit Sharma
18, Burlington
Arpit Sharma is an 18-year-old from Burlington, ON at McMaster University and he is passionate in the advocacy of mental health. He has been involved with The New Mentality since 2019 and then gained the position of Co-Facilitator. He shows intense passion in raising awareness and helping remove barriers for underrepresented racialized individuals in the mental health system. He would like to use his voice to make sure that underrepresented communities are heard and that access to resources is easily accessible to those who need it. Being involved with the Youth Action Committee will help him to make sure that a positive impact is created with the work he does and it will help those who are in need of these resources.
Arwen Cooke
19, Sault Ste. Marie
Hello there! My name is Arwen and I am 19 years old! I tend to flip flop around in what pronouns I use but They/Them is always fine. I am a youth from a city in northern Ontario called Sault Ste Marie. I am also an Anishnaabe from Biigtigong Nishnabeg (Heron Bay), a small reserve north of Sault Ste Marie. I’m an artist with my specific passion being in illustration but I also have an appreciation for youth engagement.
Being a youth of colour, specifically as an Anishnaabe, I have long since struggled with my mental health from early in my childhood. My mother always pushed for me to be able to achieve more in my life so we moved away when I was young, but I knew individuals suffering from serious mental health deficiencies that children as young as four should not have had to struggle with. We up in the north and especially those in small reserves have low access to mental health related services and low opportunity to speak our minds or even develop opinions on mental health services. It’s always been very stigmatised and hush hush to have mental health issues and services catered to an audience that didn’t serve our needs. Those things stuck with me which has been my recent passion in terms of mental health advocacy; BIPOC youths mental health and their access to services regardless of where they live, whether they are in crisis or not, and that they deserve services catered to their needs. I hope to put my skills and passion to use as well as make some new friends along the way. I can’t wait to begin this year strong with you all!
Crystal Ward
17, Huron Perth County
Hey friends, My name is Crystal! I use she/they pronouns, I’m 17 and currently located in a small town near Stratford. I have been a part of The New Mentality since November 2020 with my TNM group – New Horizons. But I’ve also been actively a part of my school board’s mental health initiatives, As well as with my school’s GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance)! My intentions with the work I do is to drive change within the mental health system, which ranges from 2SLGBTQ+ work as a queer youth to sharing my experiences within the system to help prevent tough experiences for others in the future. I believe that every voice matters and deserves to be heard, to create a more accepting and safe environment for all within the mental health system!
Other than my volunteer work I’m an avid artist who loves listening to music! I most often use watercolour, digital imaging, and photography when doing art. I listen to all genres of music but I prefer punk rock and pop music! I can’t wait to start this new adventure with this amazing network and beyond with being a part of the YAC of 2023!
Diya Mohan
19, Scarborough
Hello! I’m Diya Mohan (they/them) and I’m a youth advocate and leader in the mental health system currently in Scarborough, Ontario. I’ll be twenty this October, and I started volunteering at my local youth hub in freshman year, focusing on targeting systemic gaps affecting racialized youth in the community. As a leader of my own New Mentality group, part of the Provincial Youth Advisory Council, and a youth representative in the Advisory Board for our youth hub- I hold positions to speak for my lived experience as a POC in a low-income household and host a voice for a demographic that is underserved in the mental health system. After years of being part of the system, witnessing and experiencing the biases and discomfort surrounding race and culture, I am devoted to making the system more accessible, aware, and socially responsible. I’m invested in intersectional identities, such as BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities being prioritized and met with an equally beneficial experience with the services and systems offered currently. I hope to make and see change by being part of the YAC, and am so happy to have the opportunity to do so!
Erin Park
19, Scarborough
Hey! I’m Erin (she/they)! I’m a nineteen year old youth advocate who is working to dismantle barriers for racialized, queer, and disabled youth accessing the mental health system. I draw from my own lived experience of growing up in low-income, immigrant communities to tackle the system inequities that still plague the mental health sector. Getting other youth involved in policy making and other forms of advocacy work is super important to me, and being able to work with the YAC to lead the way for other amazing youth is a privilege. The creativity, hard work, and of course, youthful charm of our YAC is what makes us so impactful, and I hope to keep bringing good energy for this upcoming policy term!
Gin Phillips
20, Sudbury
Hello! I’m Gin (they/them), a 20 year old university student currently in Sudbury. Aspiring to work in the mental health field and studying psychology, mental health has always been a big passion. I’m originally from Kapuskasing, and have participated in as much youth advocacy as I could and can. As an autistic youth of colour it is important for me to see and hear others voices being projected as loudly as possible, and as the world changes I’m hoping to make this possible!
With another chance to be in the Youth Action Committee, I’m hoping to contribute in helping others and even myself. I’m a growing person, in every aspect of my life and this will be another way to better myself and improve where I can
Murphy-Issac Boyse
23, St. Thomas
Hi, I’m Murphy-Issac (they/he). I’m 23 years old and have been involved in equity advocacy for 9 years, primarily focused on queer and mental health advocacy. I’m a proud Hufflepuff, and as such I strongly believe in hardwork, kindness, justice, laughter and loyalty. My passion is driven by the positive impact youth engagement and equity work has on communities that I have had the privilege of witnessing and taking part in. I hope my work through the YAC can spread this positive impact to the larger youth community and pave the way for future youth leaders who are just now beginning their advocacy journey.
Saumya Arora
22, Toronto
I’m Saumya, currently 22 and on my way to becoming a teacher. I first started working with The New Mentality during my undergraduate degree and love being a part of this diverse group of youth advocates who are working so hard to make tangible change. As a future teacher I believe strongly in the value of having diverse mental health supports that can be accessed by all youth, and I want to use my time at The New Mentality to both push for that and also learn more about mental health so I can support my peers and future students!
We are so excited to have such incredible advocates from across Ontario joining our 2023 Youth Action Committee! To learn more about the Youth Action Committee click here.
Jay and I are really enjoying our visit to all of our TNM Groups across the province. Did you know we have more than 25 youth-led groups?! It has been such a wonderful experience hearing about all the amazing work our youth and adult allies are doing to destigmatize mental health in their communities.
Last week, we had the chance to connect with our TNM Group in Huron Perth with our partner agency Huron Perth Centre. It was so nice connecting and laughing with the youth and the incredible adult ally who supports the youth leaders.
We began our visit by hearing about the work the youth and adult ally have been doing and came to learn about the self-care kits they are creating to distribute in schools to encourage young people to prioritize self-care. The youth also have been very active on social media sharing resources and having Music Mondays where they share a song from their playlist. Check out their Instagram page here, and give them a follow!
Youth shared that they are looking forward to our annual leadership retreat, Disable the Label this summer and found the experience to be positive and uplifting even on Zoom! One youth even shared how Disable the Label has changed their life, and how they view the world.
After hearing about the work the youth are doing, youth shared some of the successes and challenges their community faces when accessing child and youth mental health services. Youth shared that though there are not enough resources for transitional aged youth, school teachers have limited knowledge on mental health concerns and there are long waitlists for services, they have found that there is a lot of support with schools and mental health advocacy groups in their community.
It is inspiring to hear youth share the importance of embedding youth voice in the child and youth mental health sector, which is needed more than ever now.
Thank you to the youth and adult allies for the warm welcome! Jay and I are looking forward to visiting everyone again in-person and watching an episode of Téléfrançais with you all 🙂
If you didn’t know, Jay and I have been visiting our TNM Groups across the province and learning about all the fantastic work our youth and adult allies are doing to bring change to their community!
Last week, we had the chance to connect with our TNM Group in Sault Ste. Marie with our partner agency Algoma Family Services. It was a unique experience that we’ve experienced once before, where we joined the meeting via Zoom while the TNM Group met in person!
It was such a blast connecting and laughing with the youth and adult allies, learning about some of Starbucks’ new secret menu items and hearing the experiences some of them have had visiting Toronto…. Where folks are not as social as the community in Sault Ste. Marie. I can attest to this as I remember when I visited our TNM Group in Sault Ste. Marie, back in 2020, everyone was very friendly!
After learning more about the community, youth shared all their work at their agency. The youth members have been conducting adult ally interviews and are sitting on a sub-committee with the agency’s board to ensure youth engagement and the youth voice is embedded in all processes. Youth also shared that they are planning to host an Expresso Café for Children’s Mental Health Week, an Open Mic night where their theme will be self-care.
After hearing about the work the youth are doing, the youth shared some of the challenges their community faces when accessing child and youth mental health services. They shared that it has been difficult for transitional-aged youth to understand how to access the adult mental health system and don’t know where to go next or how to navigate the system once they are in. Youth are falling through the cracks and don’t have many resources available. As one youth mentioned, Ontario is not a cookie-cutter. There are many barriers northern communities face when accessing services, such as transportation and cost of services. These barriers lead families to decide who will get a therapist appointment each month. Our child and youth mental health system must move from a state of crisis to one of quality.
It is empowering to know that the young people in our network are leaders of today and tomorrow, and it gives me hope that they are shifting the needle to make the child and youth mental health system a place for all.
Thank you to the youth and adult allies for the warm welcome! Jay and I are looking forward to revisiting everyone in person and trying all the Starbucks secret drink menus 🙂
Hodan (she/her) is passionate about mental health advocacy, youth engagement, and health equity. She envisions a mental health system where youth across Ontario have equitable access to mental health services that meet their diverse needs. Hodan hopes to use her position on the committee to help elevate the voices of youth across Ontario.
Aditya Thakur, Co-Chair
19, Oakville
Aditya Thakur is an 19-year-old from Oakville, Ontario and a student at Western University. He has been actively involved with Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) and The New Mentality’s youth engagement initiatives since 2018. He has leveraged opportunities to represent youth and voice their issues in the community. He shows tremendous passion for promoting equity in the mental health system and raising awareness for underprivileged youth. Aditya was a keynote speaker and panelist at the CMHO Annual conference in 2020 and in 2021, and had the opportunity to speak to mental health professionals about leadership equity. He has also advocated for youth mental health during the pandemic and is researching the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health. Aditya is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and adolescents by raising awareness about mental health issues and stigma surrounding mental illness.
Nneoma Achioso
23, London
Hi my name is Nneoma Achioso. I’m 23 years old and currently reside in London, Ontario finishing up my undergrad degree at Western University. It has only been a few years since I discovered that I have a strong passion for mental health. I realized mental health is something I want to not only learn more about, but I also want to contribute to breaking down the walls of stigma surrounding it. In recent years, I have also gained some lived experience with witnessing how the various aspects of the mental health system work, and sometimes not always for the best interest of the patient, specifically those from BIPOC community. As a black woman, I can understand how intersecting identities can disproportionately impact access to services and result in differential treatment by healthcare providers.
Being a part of the Youth Action Committee provides me with the opportunity to be a voice for my fellow BIPOC, while tackling the complex issues within our child and youth mental health system. I hope through our policy work we can commence the start to a more equitable and accessible mental health system for all youth.
Erin Park
18, Scarborough
Hey! I’m Erin (she/they)! I’m an eighteen year old youth advocate who is working to dismantle barriers for racialized, queer, and disabled youth accessing the mental health system. I draw from my own lived experience of growing up in low-income, immigrant communities to tackle the system inequities that still plague the mental health sector. Getting other youth involved in policy making and other forms of advocacy work is super important to me, and being able to work with the YAC to lead the way for other amazing youth is a privilege. The creativity, hard work, and of course, youthful charm of our YAC is what makes us so impactful, and I hope to keep bringing good energy for this upcoming policy term!
Saumya Arora
21, Richmond Hill
Hi, I’m Saumya (she/her), and I’m a 21 year old university student, creative writer, and aspiring teacher based out of Richmond Hill. After becoming involved in conversations about mental health during my time at university, I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of The New Mentality at Lumenus Community Services in Toronto for two years. It is important to me to destigmatize mental illness and open up conversations about mental health in my community. I firmly believe that everyone deserves to receive the mental healthcare they require regardless of status or circumstance and am excited to contribute to the Youth Action Committee this year!
Gin Phillips
19, Kapuskasing
Hello, my name is Gin (although most may be familiar with Chy)! Properly going by they/them, I’m nineteen and aiming for a degree in psychology. I’m a youth advocate that’s been participating in the New Mentality since I was fifteen, and advocating for longer. I have particularly strong feelings regarding mental health and racial equality since both have always directly affected my life, and hope to use my experience to boost and help others, using my voice to make sure everyone within our communities is heard, and given an opportunity to speak. It’s important that cultural awareness is spread and resources are more accessible in a way that’s best fit for those with much different experiences. My goal is to create even the slightest difference and shed a much better light on the inequities of our youth, and the YAC seems like a perfect place to start.
Arwen Cooke
18, Sault Ste. Marie
Hello there! My name is Arwen and I am 18 years old! I tend to flip flop around in what pronouns I use but They/Them is always fine. I am a youth from a city in northern Ontario called Sault Ste Marie. I am also an Anishnaabe from Biigtigong Nishnabeg (Heron Bay), a small reserve north of Sault Ste Marie. I’m an artist with my specific passion being in illustration but I also have an appreciation for youth engagement.
Being a youth of colour, specifically as an Anishnaabe, I have long since struggled with my mental health from early in my childhood. My mother always pushed for me to be able to achieve more in my life so we moved away when I was young, but I knew individuals suffering from serious mental health deficiencies that children as young as four should not have had to struggle with. We up in the north and especially those in small reserves have low access to mental health related services and low opportunity to speak our minds or even develop opinions on mental health services. It’s always been very stigmatised and hush hush to have mental health issues and services catered to an audience that didn’t serve our needs. Those things stuck with me which has been my recent passion in terms of mental health advocacy; BIPOC youths mental health and their access to services regardless of where they live, whether they are in crisis or not, and that they deserve services catered to their needs. I hope to put my skills and passion to use as well as make some new friends along the way. I can’t wait to begin this year strong with you all!
Alisha Sharma
18, Burlington
Alisha Sharma is an 18-year-old from Burlington, Ontario who is passionate about mental health. Particularly advocating for and representing BIPOC youth voices within Ontario’s publicly funded mental health system, as well as creating projects to engage with the provincial youth community to raise awareness. Having been involved with the local New Mentality group of Halton since high school, then moving into the position of a co-facilitator and now to her current position as a member of the YAC, Alisha has worked on creative projects from social media interaction on Instagram, hosting and creating a podcast, and even being involved with the TNM Disable the Label Hosting Team to create an exceptional event centred around mental health for youth across the province. This summer, she had the opportunity to get behind the scenes with her advocacy and interned with Children’s Mental Health Ontario as a policy writer to write the YAC’s fourth policy paper on BIPOC youth voices in the mental health system. This paper was then presented at the CMHO conference with other YAC members. As a member of the YAC for a second year, Alisha hopes to further promote YAC projects, and work on ways to engage with the youth across the province, all the while making a change that will spark a new era.
Gregory Doucet
18, Vaughan
My name is Gregory and I am 18 years old. I live in Vaughan, Ontario and I am a strong advocate for children and their well-being. In particular, I focus on those who are often underrepresented in society, such as those with visible or invisible disabilities, and multicultural individuals. I am a part of the Youth Action Committee as I want to give a voice to those who currently aren’t able to advocate for change. Those who struggle with health related issues, whether they are solely related to mental health, or are intertwined with their physical health, everyone deserves the best support possible. I firmly believe that regardless of the perceived competency of a youth, they deserve to have their opinion heard and accounted for when making decisions that may impact them.
Diya Mohan
18, Scarborough
Hello! I’m Diya Mohan (they/them) and I’m a youth advocate and leader in the mental health system currently in Scarborough, Ontario. I’ll be eighteen this October, and I started volunteering at my local youth hub in freshman year, focusing on targeting systemic gaps affecting racialized youth in the community. As a leader of my own New Mentality group, part of the Provincial Youth Advisory Council, and a youth representative in the Advisory Board for our youth hub- I hold positions to speak for my lived experience as a POC in a low-income household and host a voice for a demographic that is underserved in the mental health system. After years of being part of the system, witnessing and experiencing the biases and discomfort surrounding race and culture, I am devoted to making the system more accessible, aware, and socially responsible. I’m invested in intersectional identities, such as BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities being prioritized and met with an equally beneficial experience with the services and systems offered currently. I hope to make and see change by being part of the YAC, and am so happy to have the opportunity to do so!
Crystal Ward
16, Huron Perth County
Hey friends, My name is Crystal! I use she/they pronouns, I’m 16 and currently located in a small town near Stratford. I have been a part of The New Mentality since November 2020 with my TNM group – New Horizons. But I’ve also been actively a part of my school board’s mental health initiatives, As well as with my school’s GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance)! My intentions with the work I do is to drive change within the mental health system, which ranges from 2SLGBTQ+ work as a queer youth to sharing my experiences within the system to help prevent tough experiences for others in the future. I believe that every voice matters and deserves to be heard, to create a more accepting and safe environment for all within the mental health system!
Other than my volunteer work I’m an avid artist who loves listening to music! I most often use watercolour, digital imaging, and photography when doing art. I listen to all genres of music but I prefer punk rock and pop music! I can’t wait to start this new adventure with this amazing network and beyond with being a part of the YAC of 2022!
Murphy-Issac Boyse
22, St. Thomas
Hi, I’m Murphy-Issac (they/he). I’m 22 years old and have been involved in equity advocacy for 8 years, primarily focused on queer and mental health advocacy. I’m a proud Hufflepuff, and as such I strongly believe in hardwork, kindness, justice, laughter and loyalty. My passion is driven by the positive impact youth engagement and equity work has on communities that I have had the privilege of witnessing and taking part in. I hope my work through the YAC can spread this positive impact to the larger youth community and pave the way for future youth leaders who are just now beginning their advocacy journey.
Eric Hendrick
19, St. Thomas
Hi my name is Eric!! My pronouns are He/Him/His. I am 19 years old and I have been on youth engagement committees for the past 5 years! I believe in using my outgoing and fearless personality to be a voice for youth across the board, I realized that some youth don’t have the resources or the contacts to voice their concerns and I want to be able to build my personal tool belt to help others build their own! In September I started my first year of the Child and Youth Care program and I have never been more excited. I can’t wait to work closely with youth to start a change.
We are so excited to have such incredible advocates from across Ontario joining our 2022 Youth Action Committee! To learn more about the Youth Action Committee click here.
Jay and I are still on our world, I mean province tour visiting all of our incredible TNM Groups!
Last week, we had the chance to connect with our TNM Group in Peterborough with our partner agency Peterborough Youth Services. Right off the bat, a couple of us began sharing our snack haul, an essential to any TNM Group gathering, of course. A snack corner is a must at all virtual meetings!
After many laughs, the youth shared that they are currently designing a mural for Peterborough Youth Services to create a more youth-friendly environment. The youth want to represent community members as “flower” people, representing both internal growth at the individual level and external growth at the community level. I was blown away by the youth and how thoughtful and intentional they were with their project.
After working on the project a bit, I asked everyone, what their ideal child and youth mental health system would look like? The youth jumped right in and began sharing that we need a diverse, equitable, accessible and person-centered approach where services cater to individual needs. One youth’s words resonated with me when they mentioned the transition between various therapists feels “audition-like” and robotic. Our meeting went over by 10 minutes, as the youth were very passionate about sharing their thoughts. We are definitely going to be coming back to hear more!
One of the funniest parts of the meeting, and one that I still can’t stop laughing about, is youth analyzing all of our zodiac signs and what it all means. I learned quite a bit!
Jay and I are looking forward to visiting all the youth again and can’t wait to meet them and see the jaw-dropping mural they’re working on in person!
Where do I start? How do I start? You may be having these thoughts come up for you when it comes to conversations around anti-racism. If you’re reading this and are a part of the TNM network, you know that we have been trying to have conversations on race in the mental health system for quite some time now.
Through our work, we’ve heard from many that they want to learn, grow and be a true ally to racialized communities. We want you to know that we are proud of you for taking this step towards learning and unlearning. It’s not an easy road, but it’s an important one to take.
We know that everyone is at different stages of learning, and also that everyone has different learning styles. Which is why, you will find a compiled list below of podcasts, movies/TV shows, and books for you all to read, listen and watch at your own pace.
We believe it’s important to learn from all different folks from all walks of life when it comes to conversations around anti-racism. One book won’t give you all the answers to solve systemic racism, but we hope it will inspire and encourage you to embark on a lifelong journey of learning.
For my racialized folks in the network, I know we many times bear the weight of having to educate others. I want you to know that it is not your job to do so. I hope this list of resources provides you a space of solace, a sense that you are not alone in feeling that weight, and a sense of community.
Reflection Questions
I ask that you do some inner reflection work as you embark on this journey, here are a couple questions to get you started:
What was an insight or an ah-ha moment while reading, listening, or watching a resource from the list below?
How do you plan on continuing your learning journey?
If you know of a resource, that isn’t added to this list please email me, Fizza Abbas, Network Coordinator for TNM at fizza@thenewmentality.ca – we want this to be a blog that we can keep adding to, as we advocate to create a mental health system that is truly inclusive to all.
