Kids Help Phone is holding their national strategic board retreat in Dauphin this week.
Board members and National executive for the youth mental health program are meeeting for several days in our city, with a particular focus on their truth and reconciliation journey.
When asked why these meeting are being held here, Kids Help Phone CEO Kathy Hay says they are on a quest throughout the organization of making sure they are on a continuous learning journey.
"We are making sure that no one is left alone. So we are in communities that we serve. We serve lots of young people across Canada, and we serve lots of young people in Dauphin."
Local board member Carole Shankaruk says part of the visit includes an event at Northgate, that they have invited local stakeholders, indigenous youth and elders, and school administration to participate in.
"We are servicing 16 schools in very diverse, different communities. And so building those relationships is a big piece. Face-to-face, we know that is the best way to interact and communicate. So we are inviting those principals, the youth, the elders, and knowledge keepers to make those commections, and let Kids Help Phone speak to them, connect with them on a human-to-human level, and find out right from them what can we do and what kind of services can we provide."
In September alone, 12 per cent of all calls taken by Kids Help Phone came from Indigenous youth, marking the highest user activity volume from indigenous youth in the program's history.
