Youth Wellness Hub Welcomes New Team
New staff arrive to open a new Hub Headquarters in downtown Port Hope, bringing proven Integrated Youth Services model to Northumberland County
Alexis Forde and Jennifer Pendergast meet Sam Rockbrune (new Executive Director of Rebound Child and Youth Services, one of the CPT members) at the site for the Port Hope Headquarters.
Port Hope/ Northumberland County, ON, October 8, 2024 - Today, the Youth Wellness Hub Northumberland announced a new team spearheading the development of its Port Hope Headquarters at 15 Cavan Street and bringing integrated health and social services to Northumberland. Alexis Forde and Jennifer Pendergast are the first dedicated staff members working with the broader Collaborative Partnership Team (CPT) to get ready for planned opening early next Summer.
The Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) model is funded by the Government of Ontario and is implemented across twenty-seven Hub Networks across Ontario. These hubs provide high-quality Integrated Youth Services to support the well-being of young people aged 12 to 25, including mental health and substance use supports, primary health care, community and social supports, and more. At YWH Northumberland, youth will arrive at an accessible, welcoming space where they can study, play or relax, with wait-free, low-barrier access to an on-site care team ready to aid them in their wellness journey without judgement, cost or delays.
Regan Turner, Executive Director at Community Living and Respite Northumberland and a member of the CPT said “having dedicated staff members means that the implementation work can begin. It means that youth in our community will have access to much needed services, while we work towards building this incredible space with and for youth.”
Alexis Forde joins the team with a background of working in Child and Youth programming in both front line and supervisory roles. As Care Coordinator, she’ll be bringing together a team of professionals and developing programming that brings youth together.
“I’m excited about joining the YWH Northumberland Team because it will be the first of its kind within the entire region of Northumberland County. Joining at this stage means we’ll be building everything from the ground up, ensuring that everything we do is informed and shaped by the voices of youth and families within the community,” Alexis says.
Jennifer Pendergast is putting together plans for the space itself, turning the former bistro at 15 Cavan Street into the Port Hope Headquarters for YWH Northumberland.
Jennifer says, “I’m thrilled to be part of a project with so much potential to benefit our youth across a broad spectrum of needs, but especially where the youth will be creating the solution as well as benefiting from it. This place will belong to them; and will be a place where they can feel they belong.”
Jennifer and Alexis have hit the ground running, putting together the designs for what young people will find inside the doors at 15 Cavan Street - and launching a new website this week to keep youth and community members up to date with the project. They are also recruiting for the crucial Youth Advisory Council – a diverse team of engaged potential Hub users, who will be guiding decisions at every stage.
“We are thrilled to be taking this next vital step in our Youth Wellness Hub Northumberland journey. Alexis and Jennifer both bring such incredible skills to the team, and we feel confident that our community will see real progress over the coming months,” Regan shared.