What’s happening?

The mindyourmind team is always looking for cool opportunities to spread the word about the tools we’ve co-created with youth and connect with new audiences. Part of that process sometimes involves submitting applications, called “abstracts”, to open up opportunities to present to new audiences that may not have heard of us before. Valentina put together an abstract that shared about the Be Safe App, and we submitted it to the IAYMH – the International Association of Youth Mental Health – to present at this year’s 7th Conference in Vancouver, BC. These conferences happen every 2 years in different parts of the world, and we had the honour of attending the 6th Annual Conference in Denmark. Out of 900 worldwide applications, our presentation was selected, and we were invited to come and share about Be Safe with 944 delegates from 48 countries!

What Makes this Conference so Special?

I have always wanted to work in youth mental health primarily because I think youth are amazing and I think they should receive a ton of support and care in this time of their life or figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Being at IAYMH meant that I was in a room full of people (over 900 to be exact!) who believe the same thing. It was amazing to speak with people (in so many different accents!) who are passionate about supporting youth so much that they have become experts in them. From people who work directly with youth every day to people who research how to best support them and youth themselves who are passionate about creating change in their communities, I was so inspired to hear just how far we have come AND how far we have left to go.

Be Safe at the IAYMH 2025 Conference

On Day 1 of the conference, we had the honour of leading a tabletop presentation about the Be Safe App. I was paired up with two other presenters who shared about their digital initiatives, and we had delegates rotating through stations to hear our presentations. Our presentation focused on the creation of the Be Safe App, the nationwide growth of the app, key features and the importance of establishing meaningful engagement and collaborative spaces with young people to bridge the gap between the youth and the services and tools designed to support them. I received a ton of positive feedback and questions from delegates and was thrilled to talk about how they can help us most with the app – spreading the word!

Global Insights & Takeaways

It’s hard to sum up three jam-packed days of lectures, poster presentations, table talks and meeting people. However, reflecting on what I learned and the major topics currently being discussed in this field, I’d want to share some of the highlights!

Integrated Youth Services Model

Right now, a term that’s getting a lot of attention in youth mental health is “Integrated Youth Services” or “IYS.” At the IAYMH conference, I heard it come up all the time because Canada and many other countries are starting to embrace these IYS models to better support young people.

So, what exactly is IYS? It’s the idea that young people should be able to get all the help they need in one spot. There should be places that are easy to get to, free, and comfortable for youth to access support, making it easier for them to get help without having to go out of their way.

In Canada, some organizations have been working on IYS services for a while, and they are really starting to catch on now. These services are often called “Youth Hubs,” which are cool spaces in cities where young people can find free counseling, get medical care, and learn about physical, mental, and sexual health. They also help with referrals to community support, job searches, or finding schools. Plus, these hubs usually have fun activities, like art nights, community projects, and volunteer opportunities, and provide a great space for youth to hang out, stay active, and meet new friends.

It was great to hear about all the positives with IYS and how it’s benefiting so many youth across the world! If you’re looking to try out IYS Canada for yourself, you can check out the following organizations:

These services are pending or coming soon to New Brunswick, PEI, and Nunavut.

Co-Creation

mindyourmind has been working alongside youth through our co-creation and co-design processes for 20 years now! We have long believed that if we’re creating services, systems or tools for youth, their voices HAVE to be at the centre. We cannot effectively create supportive systems or tools for youth unless they are involved in every step of the process. It was really cool to attend the IAYMH conference and hear a lot of other agencies now also talking about the importance of co-creating alongside youth and listening to youth feedback when creating systems for them. It feels like what the youth have been advocating for the past 20 years is finally being heard!

Importance of Information 

There’s a big change happening in the world today. With so much information available, it can be tough to figure out what really matters and who to trust. This was a big topic at the conference and came up in different ways. One session focused on misinformation and disinformation. Some info is just wrong, while other content is intentionally misleading. For example, a study found that 33% of videos about mental health and 50% of videos about ADHD on social media have false information. This can be really harmful and hard to spot, especially when we try to apply what we see to our lives. One example shared at the conference showed how tobacco companies funded “stop smoking” campaigns targeted to youth that ended up benefiting them by actually increasing the number of youth smoking, acting as a measure of prevention for them against legislation and giving them a chance to control the narrative. 

There’s also a major shift in how funding is being directed for mental health initiatives. Right now, there’s a big focus on “evidence-based” approaches that require research and data to prove their effectiveness. This means smaller projects or youth initiatives that don’t have the resources to conduct research might miss out on support. It could also lead to projects being shaped mainly by what kinds of funding are available. The data we collect is super important, too. One talk by Dr. Nancy Young highlighted the idea of “two-eyed seeing,” which combines Indigenous perspectives with Western science for data collection. Another discussion encouraged us to rethink what we consider important information, like acknowledging lived experiences as valuable insights. There were also many conversations about how public opinions—like stigmas, biases, misinformation, and racism—affect policy changes and how those policies impact the mental health care systems we have now.

Cultural Perspectives

Throughout the conference, there was a lot of talk about how different cultural backgrounds impact youth access to mental health services. For example, Seren Friskie pointed out the challenges Indigenous youth face in accessing resources that weren’t designed with them in mind. Myrna Lashley discussed the experience of “living in a sea of whiteness” and how racism affects Black youth. The IAYMH stressed that to really support young people with their mental health, we need to see them as individuals with unique identities rather than just a single group. It’s essential to understand how the current system impacts them and how we can change our approach.

Hearing about how youth mental health is handled in various countries was also super interesting. I think it’s crucial for us to learn from each other, figuring out what works and what doesn’t as we try to improve our strategies.

Key Quotes I’m Still Thinking About:

“[Indigenous youth] are forced to navigate a systems that were never meant for them”
“Justice isn’t about treating the symptoms of the system, but instead dismantling it and rebuilding a holistic approach”
– Seren Friskie, Rooted in Resilience

“We have a role in challenging the ideas of what information is of value and making room for what we credit as expertise” – Marco Zenone and May van Schalkwyk, Disinformation and Misinformation

“Driving people into a broken system is harmful” – Bobby Duffy, Generational Impacts

“The youth have been trying to tell us. We’re dealing with the symptoms, we’re not dealing with the cause” – Myrna Lashley, Culture & Equity in Youth Mental Health

“It’s not hard to reach, but they’re hardly reached” – Gurkirat Singh Nijar, Culture & Equity in Youth Mental Health

Conclusion

I was thrilled not only to go to Vancouver, BC and explore all that it has to offer (peep my travel pics with our Be Safe Guy!), but I was honoured to be able to share about the Be Safe Project on the global stage. Being in that space and chatting with so many amazing people really gave me hope for the future of youth mental health, and it made me even more pumped about what we’re doing. The next IAYMH Conference is in two years, and I can’t wait to see how far we’ve come by then!