We’re recruiting!

This summer, we are recruiting six new members for our Youth Advisory Council!

We’re recruiting!

Here at the Knowledge Institute, we recognize that young people bring valuable perspectives, insights, and lived experiences related to child and youth mental health, addictions, and substance use health. Our Youth Advisory Council is a space where the voices of young people to be amplified through consultation and contributions to our work at the Knowledge Institute to improve the child and youth mental health, addictions, and substance use health sector in Ontario. 

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Our Youth Advisory Council is composed of approximately twelve young people from the province of Ontario. Young people’s locations can vary from rural towns, Northern communities, and urban settings. Each member of our Council is passionate about speaking up, collaborating, and voicing the need for action on topics that resonate with them. 

We are looking for young people between the ages of 18-25 across Ontario who:

  • Have lived or living experience with mental health or substance use health and addiction challenges
  • Have experience navigating the mental health, addictions, and substance use health system(s) within Ontario
  • Are interested in using their personal advocacy skills to support system-level change
  • Are interested in developing leadership skills
  • Are ambassadors for system-level change in the child and youth mental health, addictions, and substance use health sector
  • Are interested in fostering a supportive environment where young people can share and amplify each other's voices 

Application Details: 

  • TO APPLY: Please fill out this form with 10 multiple choice questions and 1 statement of interest.  

  • Applications open on July 20th, 2026, and close at 11:59p.m. on August 4th, 2026. 

  • New members will begin their Youth Advisory Council term in September 2026. 

  • For any questions about or support with the application process, please reach out to our Youth Advisor, Madeleine Luvisa, at mluvisa@cymha.ca 

Member responsibilities include: 

Attending monthly virtual meetings on the third Thursday of the month from 6-7:30pm 

Attending one to two in-person meetings per year (costs covered, in Ottawa or Toronto, over the weekend) 

Advising on Knowledge Institute projects and activities, and co-developing resources within the child and youth mental health, addictions, and substance use health sector 

Involvement in Knowledge Institute work that is external to the Council (e.g., research projects, toolkits, conference presentations, evaluation methods, feedback mechanisms, reports, strategic planning, etc.)  

Members will receive: 

Honorarium for each monthly team meeting, in recognition of their time and contributions 

Leadership and support from a Youth Advisor aged 20-29 

Clinical support via an on-call counsellor during meetings 

A collective agreement on safe(r) space principles including the use of pronouns, boundary setting, transparent agendas, participation opt-outs, and ongoing feedback opportunities 

Thank you for being open to sharing your voice and experiences.

 

We are excited to meet and grow with all our Council members!