Jayden uses the life lessons he learned at Higher State of Mind to help others
Young people are struggling: Only 20% with mental health issues receive proper treatment. Of the remaining 80%, many youth use substances to cope. Far too many.
Programs like our Higher State of Mind are critical to prevent young people from falling through the cracks. Designed for racialized youth who use cannabis and prescription drugs, the program employs peer youth to provide harm reduction and coping strategies. That shared experience helps young people deal with the symptoms and root causes of mental ill-health. Jayden learned this first-hand.
“Higher State of Mind really helped me reflect on things that I was doing that I shouldn’t. The program really changed the way I looked at things going on in my life and motivated me in high school. I started going to classes more often, recovered the credits I was missing, and got into a co-op program. Then I did my placement with the Game Changers mediation program and was lucky to land a job with them. Now I’m a peer mentor and help other young people by giving advice and strategies to avoid situations like the ones I went through.
“Higher State of Mind and Game Changers really built my character so I could help other youth and make my community better.”