At the annual Mental Health in Motion in Newmarket, not only was more than $113,000 raised toward the $130,000 goal, but a new mobile youth walk-in clinic was unveiled.
More than 400 community members from across York Region and Simcoe County attended the Canadian Mental Health Association event that is York Region’s largest fundraiser for youth mental health by running, walking and cycling from five kilometres to 60 km on June 11.
The mobile clinic, known as MOBYSS, offers youth aged 12 to 25 a safe and welcoming space to receive free medical or mental health care, according to a CMHA York Region South Simcoe news release.
After an official ribbon cutting to open the new mobile clinic, community members toured the bus and met CMHA’s MOBYSS team.
“When we originally launched MOBYSS in 2015, it was the first and only of its kind in Ontario,” said Rebecca Shields, CEO of Canadian Mental Health Association York Region South Simcoe. “Our innovation with MOBYSS has inspired mental health agencies across the province serving as the prototype for the launch of new mobile walk-in clinics providing youth with more convenient and welcoming access to life-saving care.”
The new MOBYSS vehicle will begin visiting local schools in September, while the previous bus will be retired after serving more than 16,000 youth across York Region and south Simcoe.
Staffed by a nurse practitioner, youth mental health worker and peer support specialist, the next generation of MOBYSS will continue to deliver free and confidential medical and mental health care in a friendly and welcoming space, the agency said.
The new MOBYSS vehicle features: an accessible wheelchair lift; three private counselling spaces; additional meeting space with a table and chairs; multiple exits in case of an emergency evacuation; enhanced storage to ensure medical supplies are stored safely.
In addition to the modern interior, MOBYSS sports a new logo and eye-catching exterior.
“Our new MOBYSS vehicle was designed in consultation with the youth we serve,” says Kylee Goldman, director of services at Canadian Mental Health Association York Region South Simcoe. “The care and passion that went into designing the next generation of MOBYSS is a true reflection of how MOBYSS has been integrated into our local communities as a safe space to talk to mental health experts youth can rely on and trust.”
