For the month of May, our Community Initiative of the Month is KIDTHINK!
Kidthink Children’s Mental Health Centre Inc. (KIDTHINK) is a mental health treatment centre and outreach program that focuses on child therapy and well-being for kids aged 12 and under in Manitoba. They help children with anxiety treatment as well as ADHD, depression, behavioural, self esteem issues and learning challenges. If a child is struggling, their mental health professionals can help. KIDTHINK provides child therapist, parenting and family support, child psychologists, and treatment from a multidisciplinary team that includes psychology, psychiatry, social work, and occupational therapy, and play therapy who all work together to give the children and their families the highest standard of care.
The estimated annual unserved demand for mental health services for children aged 5-12 years old in Manitoba is estimated to be between 10,772 to 21,545 children. One of KIDTHINK’s goals is to decrease wait-times for members of this group. In addition, KIDTHINK is strengthening the support system in the lives of children suffering from mental illness and mental health challenges through the KIDTHINK intervention and knowledge transition programs.
As KIDTHINK continues to operate and grow, the important and positive changes in contacted communities will broaden and an increase in the number of children having access to assessment and treatment services at younger ages will become a reality. With a focus on prevention and early intervention and capacity building of community supports, the need for those services will reduce. Eventually, the KIDTHINK model will expand across Canada and will aid, influence and inspire like-ventures to help create a modern, innovative, effective Canada that meets the needs of all youth in need of mental health treatment.
Donations to KIDTHINK from our Community Initiative of the Month will go towards construction of a state of the art observation room that is being completed for September 2021 and their Client Care Subsidy Program.
A portion of sales from all cupcakes at Academy, The Forks, Island Lakes (once open) and over SkipTheDishes will be donated to KIDTHINK throughout the month of May. To learn more about KIDTHINK, click here.
