Are you passionate about mental health? Want to have an impact in how mental health care is delivered to children and youth across Ontario? FIREFLY and Capitalize for Kids (C4K) are looking for young people aged 12 to 22 with experience with mental health services to join a Youth Advisory Group to help shape how Measurement-Based Care (MBC) is delivered in care.

What’s this about?
Measurement-Based Care (MBC) is an approach that uses regular check-ins, such as quick surveys or rating scales, to track how youth are doing in treatment. This feedback helps clinicians and clients work together to better understand what’s working and adjust care as needed.

To make sure these tools and approaches truly reflect the needs and voices of young people, we’re forming a Youth Advisory Group and we’d love for youth from Northwestern Ontario to have representation at the table.

Why Join?

As a Youth Advisor, you will:

• Collaborate with researchers, clinicians and other youth
• Share your ideas and perspective on how MBC should be used in youth mental health services, ensuring tools and processes are youth-centered, inclusive, and effective
• Get compensated $30/hour (approx. 1-2 hours/month) for your time and contributions
• Build leadership and advisory experience as part of a large provincial project

What will I be doing?

Youth Advisors will be invited to attend monthly virtual meetings starting in August/September 2025 where you will participate in activities and discussions to share ideas and help make sure youth voices are reflected in how MBC will be used in mental health care. Orientation and support will be

provided. The meetings will run for six months. After this time, Youth Advisors may choose to continue for another six-month term. Check out the FAQs below for more details.

Who can apply?

We’re looking for youth ages 12-22 with current or past experience receiving mental health services at one of the participating agencies (see FAQ for list of agencies). We welcome diverse voices, including those from equity deserving communities such as those identifying as First Nations, Inuit, Métis, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, living with disabilities, and/or who have lived experience with mental health challenges. No formal experience needed—just a willingness to share and collaborate!

Ready to get involved?

Apply today! Click here to complete the Intake Form.

If you have any questions or need help completing the form, reach out to Julia at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the purpose of the MBC Youth Advisory Group?

Right now, different mental health organizations and clinicians use different tools to track how clients are doing, while others are not collecting this type of data at all. This makes it hard to know what’s working and where changes are needed to make sure clients are receiving the support they need. The MBC Accelerator Project (MAP) is a new collaborative initiative that aims to improve child and youth mental health care and outcomes by supporting agencies to create and adopt a shared approach to using MBC. The project is led by participating community child and youth mental health agencies in Ontario, Capitalize for Kids (C4K) and sector partners.

Who is Capitalize for Kids?

Capitalize for Kids (C4K) is a charitable organization dedicated to improving Canada’s community mental health system so all children, youth, and families can thrive. C4K partners with mental health agencies to create a more efficient and accessible community child and youth mental health system. For the MBC Accelerator Project, C4K will be be providing project support to participating agencies and facilitating the Youth Advisory Group.

Who are the participating child and youth mental health agencies?

The following community child and youth mental health agencies in Ontario are participating in the project: Child Development Institute, VOL D'INCENDIE, Open Doors Mental Health for Children, Youth and Families, Pathstone Mental Health, Starling Community Services, York Hills Centre for Children, Youth and Families, Yorktown Family Services and YouthLink. Additional agencies will be joining the project in 2026.

How will youth be selected to join the Youth Advisory Group?

We will prioritize selecting a representation of youth voices from across the province and participating agencies. If you are not selected to participate in the first term (August/September 2025-January 2026), there may be an opportunity to join a future term based on interest and project needs.

What if I can’t attend every meeting?

We will try to pick meeting times that work best for everyone. It’s important to join live if you can, but if you have to miss a meeting, just let us know. Meetings will be recorded and meeting minutes and action items will be sent to Youth Advisors after each meeting. If you are unable to attend a meeting, you will be expected to review the minutes and provide feedback on action items by email.

Do I need parent/caregiver consent to participate?

If you are under the age of 18, parent/caregiver consent is required to participate if you are selected to participate. A copy of the consent form is linked here for review.

Will I be paid for my participation?

Yes! We believe in compensating youth for their time and effort. You will be compensated $30/hour (approx. 1-2 hours/month) for your time and contributions.