Youth Mental Health & Well-Being

We believe in an evidence-based approach to health care that will lead to more efficient use of resources and greater impact for our communities.

The McCall MacBain Foundation is committed to evidence-based approaches to health and well-being. Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain is an academic scholar and teacher in this field.

During our first decade, we focused primarily on maternal health in geographies with the lowest maternal and newborn health outcomes. We supported both on-the-ground initiatives, and research, including the development of potentially lifesaving technologies that could be implemented in low resource contexts. For example, we supported the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Inhaled Oxytocin Project in the development of a novel aerosol delivery system for oxytocin, used to manage complications from excessive bleeding during and after childbirth.

The focus for our second decade is on youth well-being. Students enter post-secondary institutions with varying needs, and experience health supports and services differently. Our work aims to understand those diverse needs and experiences.  We fund initiatives that are aimed at better serving these populations.

Knowing that early intervention is an impactful strategy for addressing issues related to mental health, we fund initiatives that promote mental health literacy among high school-aged students, particularly for youth with greater needs or lesser access to mental health resources. Finally, we are particularly interested in the transition from high school to post-secondary education and how to provide students with better support during this transition.

Learn about some of our current grantees supporting youth mental health and well-being:

Spotlight on Our Grantees

Take a Hike Foundation

Take a Hike Foundation supports high school students with mental health or behavioural issues across British Columbia. Working within public schools, Take a Hike layers additional supports on top of existing school resources in order to provide students with a full-time...

New Leaf Foundation

New Leaf Foundation supports the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of marginalized youth. Working within anti-oppression, trauma-informed and strengths-based frameworks, New Leaf provides mindfulness, meditation, and yoga programs in schools and in the community to...

The Y Mind Program at the YMCA of Greater Vancouver

Y Mind was first developed in the Vancouver area in response to high levels of anxiety among youth and limited access to culturally safe and accessible supports in the community. The program is an evidence-based early intervention designed to equip participants with skills that...