"Care, in these cases, is oftentimes best served at the doorstep."

“To our horror, we were then told that the waiting time would be at least 3 months for therapy services,” shares Nicole and Narash, co-founders of Impart’s Mental Health Care arm. The duo were supporting an 11-year-old girl struggling with depression and suicide ideation, and who was initially averse to receiving support. When she finally came around enough to step forward and seek help, the group found that help was, in fact, not immediately available.

This was the impetus for developing and pioneering SYNC, a community model of care that involves (a) imparting mental health care skills through the (b) therapeutic relationships that trained volunteers establish with youths-facing-psychological adversity, through an (c) outreach and engagement model. SYNC focuses on skills because “mental health is more than just conversations on a therapist’s sofa.” SYNC also works in the heart of community, because care, in cases of psychological adversity, is oftentimes best served at the doorstep.

Someone has to care for the carers, and SYNC is committed to doing so for their volunteers. From peer support programs (Community Care Fellows) to complimentary resource offerings (Headspace), to training and retraining cycles, SYNC has piloted countless volunteer management initiatives. Together, they attempt to fulfill a simple yet radical vision of volunteers as partners to be empowered, rather than mere resources to be moved around.

Impart Mental Health Care at St. Hilda's Secondary School.

Thank you Lien Centre for Social Innovation (LCSI) for telling the story of the heart behind SYNC’s work in community. We’re here, and we’re here for the long haul.

Link to article.