Y Mind at the YMCA
​Where:   Robert Lee YMCA
              955 Burrard Street, Vancouver
When:    Check back here for when the next information series and sessions will be happening, or email the contact listed at the bottom.

Time:      5:00-7:30pm
     **All participants must attend information session**
Cost:       Free
 
The session series itself runs every Tuesday for 7 weeks at 5:00 -7:30 PM.
 
Ages 18 to 30

This group is for youth ages 18-30 with mild-moderate anxiety. Many past participants have shown a decrease in anxiety and an increase in overall well being.

Everyone experiences worries and anxiety. The key is to learn how to make sure these don’t get in the way of doing things you care about!

The Youth Mindfulness Group offers a free 7-week psychoeducational and support group for young adults ages 18-30 who experience anxiety. Participants learn healthy coping skills, connect with other youth in the community, and get support all in a safe and friendly environment. The program is overseen by Masters in Counselling Graduates and it is part of the Y Mind initiative. 

The group provides a safe, supportive environment where youth can meet others who have had similar experiences and includes:
  • Educational workshops about anxiety and other mental health related topics
  • Practicing evidence-based mindfulness techniques during workshops, a proven tool to help manage anxiety
  • An introduction to Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidenced based therapy that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies
  • Take-home resources to help manage anxiety in between weekly meetings
  • A seven-week YMCA gym membership to encourage youth to manage their anxiety through physical activity

If anxiety is impacting your life and preventing you from doing what you want or need to do, this group can help support you. Join us to learn mindfulness techniques, get helpful tools and resources, and meet other like-minded youth.

Attending an information session is mandatory prior to participating in the program. Register for an upcoming information session by emailing us (please include your contact information and birth date).
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Any questions? Ready to register? Contact 604.673.6175 or email contact info & birth date to youthmindfulness@gv.ymca.ca.

Employment

CAVE Program 
CAVE Career and Vocational Exploration is for youth 15-29 looking to find their fit in the workplace. Participants get real tools and training to find and keep a steady job.CAVE is a great training option for youth to build their workplace skills and confidence, identify job goals, and create a plan to get there.
*You do not need to be a student to receive this service*
Gastown Vocational Services 
The Youth and Young Adult Program (YYAP) assists youth and young adults to obtain work experience, employment and/or to access educational and skill training programs. One-to-one job coaching and supported employment services are delivered to each 16-29 year old referred to the program.
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GVS Youth Job Developers have specialized training and experience in relating to and accommodating for this unique population.  A smaller caseload of youth clients allows the Youth Job Developer to offer individualized, highly supported, flexible employment/educational planning.

Wellness Resources 

Mind Your Mind
Mindyourmind exists in the space where mental health, wellness, engagement and technology meet. We work with young people aged 14-29 to co-create interactive tools and innovative resources to build capacity and resilience.

We do this through our Design Studio model, in which young people work directly with facilitators, content experts, and designers to brainstorm, design, and develop our projects. Our goals are to promote wellness, reduce the stigma around mental health, and increase access to community supports, both professional and peer-based.

At mindyourmind, young people are valued as experts in their own experience and choose to engage in whichever way makes sense for them. Youth are involved in everything that we do, every step of the way. We explore, co-create and prototype using iterative cycles that involve youth and adult partners to discuss and design what matters to them in mental health. Our smoothie video is a great a look at our engagement approach.

Everything we do originates through interaction with youth and the professionals who serve them. Working alongside young people, every actor in the system has the potential to make meaningful change in how we conceptualize and ensure the mental wellbeing of Canadian youth. 

mindyourmind impacts systems change by increasing the capacity of young people to reach out, get help and give help through the use of technology, engagement and research-informed innovation.

Youth Voices on Mindfulness

Mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way:  "on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment” (Jon Kabat-Zinn). Much of our stress and pain comes from being pulled away from the present moment. 

This video features youth discussing their experiences practicing mindfulness, and how mindfulness has benefited different aspects of their lives. 

There are also some great mindfulness audio resources.

Social

Meetup.com  

Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 9,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

Meetup also has groups that are young adult related. 
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