How We Help
We all struggle with our mental wellness sometimes, but not knowing where or who to reach out to shouldn’t be a struggle.
We know how complicated it can be and how many barriers you are likely to encounter along the way: Long waiting lists. Services that don’t match your need. Costly specialized care. Not feeling heard. Not having a primary care provider to make referrals. The list is long and that’s why MiND-AID exists.
We’re a team of mental health advocates who help young people under 30 years old and their guardians find the right supports for them.
Our Services
We're here to support you on your journey to mental wellness.
System Navigation
Need help with your mental health but aren’t sure where to go? Our System Navigators know the ins and outs of the ever-changing – and often confusing – mental health care system and will help you find the places where you’ll be supported. You can think of us like a travel agent for your journey to mental wellness.
Meet Us At The Hub
Our Hub team and community partners travel across Muskoka to bring services, resources and care for children, teens and young adults.
Through the Hub, young people can gain access to mental health & addictions care, primary health care, social & cultural supports, food security programs, housing, employment & education supports, financial supports, and so much more.
Become a Mental Health Hero
We can only exist if people continue to give, as we have no guaranteed funding to operate. As a grassroots local organization, our overhead costs are low and our impact in Muskoka is high.
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What could your donation do for MiND-AID?
It could cover the cost of a therapy session for a young person, fill up our gas tank so we can reach youth in rural areas, and pay a bill so we can keep our services going.
Follow Us
![Weāre working on something awesome with Hunters Bay Radio. Can you guess what it is? šµļø
The Bay crew are big supporters of MiND-AID, and now theyāre up to something even bigger with us! Stay ātunedā for our official announcement to come. We canāt WAIT to tell you all about it!
[Photo left to right: Jody (our Executive Director), Jeff Carter (Executive Director of Hunters Bay Radio), Scott (MiND-AID Board Member), and Mariko (our Program Manager & Navigator) hanging out at The Bayās studio.]](https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/667501893_1543645177770578_8812900801391069797_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=IGFvQhInu78Q7kNvwHW1ot6&_nc_oc=AdpxDkbu4MYaP2JTwyqVf1k-c7GlhRS3INGwD53m3Rk0-mRsNo_TTR9yl_W9MUL_XEM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=04sdWFG_OvwaL4ikUc6JGg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQH2Fhy3V5K56i-OPt3jw2u-LIP6kK7TcYkAhOsM78NPoxWMQatB12gh-2wCedpB7ZmHzItZib5R&oh=00_Af4RffaA-l1D2q-aBQiFHON6ldXu2PzAt_ZYQ-CqeaT73A&oe=6A03FB6E)
![Some things just go together ā like peanut butter and jelly, Buzz and Woody, or MiND-AID and Food4Kids Muskoka.
Recently, @food4kidsmuskoka stocked us up with amazing snacks for the young people we support. From pepperoni sticks to pretzels, milk to Bear Paws, our teens love that they can grab some snacks during our Hub visits!
Food4Kids Muskoka has been a great supporter of ours, ever since we first got the Mobile Hub rolling. We count our lucky stars to have them as a community partner, and appreciate all the work theyāre doing to address child hunger in Muskoka.
[Photo: Kristie from Food4Kids Muskoka alongside Kelly, our Community Outreach Facilitator. These two make sure young people feel seen, welcomed, and fed.]](https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/656711560_1528890119246084_4717419120706442692_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=UepW4AT-FbQQ7kNvwFH-CBn&_nc_oc=AdomWghkqryytMChkUSDCUZ-CKglPjFSKP0kYGIvejK6Snqo1zIPQH4Z4OBOP9qp3Mk&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=04sdWFG_OvwaL4ikUc6JGg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEBq8oVWtqrAMNvyB6CcbhsyAtWByE8Wec6vQVZRaCatZYRerblp-HVhLNZ5O1xBI2kWheqpT78&oh=00_Af4Xla0yqqtYhn7FBBbxpKszWU2JZfNGxxBYDiwmkst88g&oe=6A0419B2)
![Weight for it because we have big news to share! šļø
MiND-AID just got a big boost of financial support thanks to the Sober Gala! Hosted by @fittgym, this event raised $4,300 to help young people access mental health support in our community. This is the second year weāve received a donation from the Sober Gala, and itās this continued support that keeps our services running.
āWe at MiND-AID are so grateful that the Sober Gala again chose to support the work we are doing with young people in Muskoka and also that the Gala itself is so inclusive and sensitive to the needs of our community.ā ā Jody North, Executive Director of MiND-AID Muskoka
[Photo left to right: Mary Ellen McIntyre (Executive Director of @muskokacommfnd), Ashley Moore (Co-owner of Fitt Gym), and Kelly Jones (our Community Outreach Facilitator) at Fitt Gym. The three of them hold a cheque from the Fitt Gym Fund through the Muskoka Community Foundation, while Mary Ellen and Kelly do double duty and lift weights, too!]](https://scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/652971837_1522634383204991_8305250304825880496_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Tng9jQP-yK4Q7kNvwETIu6q&_nc_oc=AdqXq3XQ_tGZzAYTn86qlCM9l_QBGWBCO9ldJ9MLV8EXEL9t4AbkYQJXnIOqu9dzksU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-3.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=04sdWFG_OvwaL4ikUc6JGg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGG1SyKRTO0-8XQp4weLdgGu4x00w5o30BYjENgq2k0cYMJYFcPOofTyZDSoGfh9jsmQa4jU-Zn&oh=00_Af7HU1rl2r63E1B4iO99pzsV0_cPXuUzX8on7At8_1MsAA&oe=6A0411FF)
![We want to tell you a little story about a bear with a big heart for helping others.
In 2021, @cocobearfundraiser reached out to us about a partnership. Created by Shari Dubois to honour her son Conrad, Coco Bear was a local initiative raising funds for youth mental health and addictions support. She was inspired by a piece of art Conrad left on the refrigerator, a colourful bear nicknamed Coco Bear. She began printing Coco Bear on t-shirts and sweatshirts to raise funds.
From our very first meeting with Shari and Coco Bear, we were in. Shariās desire to support mental health came from her own familyās struggle in trying to find help for Conrad ā and not being able to get it. Shari wanted to change this reality for other young people in Muskoka.
Five years later, Coco Bear continues to be one of our biggest supporters. We just received another $5,000 donation from Shari, who has now raised $73,876.78 for MiND-AID! This latest donation will support our Therapy Fund, which help covers specialized therapeutic supports.
Having sustainable support from Coco Bear is why we can continue to support young people with navigating the mental health system and accessing the help they need.
Shari, you and Coco Bear have done so much for young people in our community. We are beyond grateful that you chose to team up with us because you are a huge part of our story and our work. Thank you, thank you, thank you! š
[Photo: Two of the cutest Coco Bear supporters presenting a cheque for $5,000 to MiND-AID.]](https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/643309144_1505229848278778_4075482288618997637_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=AbMgPDPnJpwQ7kNvwGdKejd&_nc_oc=Adr1gdCobic37X_65hAUGdA8Jj5vEhI8BN9tXybeZ3hIYw2dJoYWmBLEAOK-JipfZK0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=04sdWFG_OvwaL4ikUc6JGg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGJN113PZ3hIMmtLnRU7AV1LQ55Be67RhOm76NNhLFm6S5P0UskRui-Revl7mWAhSASgHNMqn1_&oh=00_Af4NLFDWIek8VFuaDhAlbmfqXfN0H4mKnHWPfNWC4yf3qA&oe=6A040A5A)
