Youth Mental Health at Breaking Point: GreenShield Launches New Solution to Tackle Access, Equity, and Affordability

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Every year, more than 1 million youth in Canada need mental health support. Yet nearly 60% are not getting the care they need – barriers range from complex system navigation, long wait times, and cost. For youth from equity-seeking communities, these challenges are even greater.  

GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, is responding with a new pilot Youth Mental Health Ecosystem, a centralized digital platform where youth can access timely, culturally relevant mental health supports.

"With Canada's youth mental health crisis growing, bold, collaborative action is necessary to address this challenge head-on," said Zahid Salman, President & CEO, GreenShield. "Our new data-driven solution connects Canadian youth to care faster, smarter, and more equitably - meeting them where they are and delivering real impact."

The ecosystem provides a single, easy-to-navigate platform, connecting youth directly to trusted organizations and resources, and is designed to address the top barriers youth face while accessing care:

• Navigation: Service gaps and fragmented systems make it difficult for young people to know where to go for help. Only 19% of youth accessed mental health services last year.
  
  
• Equitable access: Among young Canadians who've tried to access mental health care, 45% identify long wait times as a barrier and 41% have difficulty finding the right support for them. 
  
  
• Affordability: With economic pressures intensified, the cost of mental health services is an added stressor. Over 50% of youth identify cost as a barrier.  

The Youth Mental Health Ecosystem was built over the past year by consulting with community organizations, conducting roundtables with youth nationwide, and analyzing anonymized usage data from GreenShield's post-secondary plan members. In collaboration with youth mental health organizations, the ecosystem reaches young people where they are, delivering support and resources tailored to their values, identities, and lived experiences.

Pilot partners include:

• Jack.org: Ensuring youth are equipped with the tools, education, and support they need to navigate challenges before they reach a crisis point. 
  • "Jack.org is proud to partner with GreenShield to ensure young people are equipped with the tools, education, and support they need to navigate challenges before they reach a crisis point," said Michael Braithwaite, President and CEO, Jack.org. "Together, we're building a future where youth mental health is prioritized and accessible for all."
    
    
• Tel-jeunes: Guiding Quebec's youth through everyday discoveries, first experiences, questions, and difficulties.
  • "Today's youth face complex realities. By joining forces with GreenShield, Tel-jeunes is committed to ensuring that every young person can access support that truly reflects who they are and responds to their unique experiences." – Annie Papageorgiou, Executive Director, Tel-jeunes
    
    
• Integrated Youth Services (IYS) Networks: Providing comprehensive mental health services from coast-to-coast with Foundry, Kickstand, Choices for Youth.
  • "Through Kickstand's collaboration with GreenShield, we're advancing a shared commitment to meet young people where they are at – offering integrated, youth-centered services that honour their values, identities, and lived experiences. GreenShield's Youth Mental Health initiative strengthens this mission by expanding equitable access to care and breaking down barriers, ensuring every young person feels seen, supported, and empowered in their wellbeing journey." – Katherine Hay, Executive Director, Kickstand
    
    
• Trans Wellness Ontario: Enhancing and sustaining the health and wellbeing of 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and families.
  • "In a time when gender diverse youth are faced with divided social narratives on how to live their lives, Trans Wellness Ontario is grateful for this partnership with GreenShield to provide support and resources that promote a future where we all belong, regardless of who we are." – Juliana Simons, Director of Community Services, Trans Wellness Ontario

As the ecosystem evolves, additional youth mental health organizations – including Kids Help Phone, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, and station SME – will be integrated to expand the range of solutions and supports available, ensuring the platform continues to reflect and respond to the diverse needs of youth communities.

"By uniting like-minded partners – from community organizations to health care providers – we're scaling culturally appropriate solutions and integrating them into our digital ecosystem to meet youth where they are," said Mandy Mail, Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Cares. "Together, we're removing barriers to care and empowering young people to access the support they need, when and where they need it. We invite business leaders, policymakers, and community champions to join us in this movement to transform youth mental health across Canada."

In addition to piloting this ecosystem, GreenShield is offering free mental health support, including personalized counselling plus a free one-year iCBT subscription to all youth aged 15 – 29 across Canada who belong to equity-seeking populations.

GreenShield's Youth Mental Health initiative builds on its track record of bold action in mental health – one of the most pressing health challenges facing Canadians today.

Visit GreenShield's new pilot ecosystem here: http://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/cares/youth-mental-health

About GreenShield

As Canada's only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We're dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential.   

We are revolutionizing the health care and insurance experience by bringing coverage and care together in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider ("payvider") model, we offer insurance, administer benefits and pay claims as a 'payer' while offering health care services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a 'provider'.   

As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we've positively impacted the health and well-being of over one million Canadians since 2020.  

What's driving us now is the commitment to measurably impact an additional three million Canadians by 2030 – across mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management – through scalable initiatives that deliver meaningful change in pursuit of our mission of Better Health for All.  

GreenShield is proud to be recognized multiple times as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, certified annually as a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and honoured with repeat placement on Fortune's prestigious Change the World list – a testament to our sustained commitment to purpose-driven innovation and impact.  

SOURCE GreenShield

For media inquiries, please contact: Madeline Salerno, Communications Manager, [email protected]