The YMCA/YWCA has traditionally been about the physical health of young people but they’re now expanding to an area that may have been overlooked in the past.

The importance of young people’s mental health is being recognized more and more as Colin Reid, the CEO of the Kamloops Y, explained on the NL Morning News.

“We’re doing programs not just in Kamloops but right around the Thompson Nicolla region and this is very important work and there’s opportunities for young children right up to young adults and it’s a program that’s supported by all the YMCA’s in British Columbia and the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Reid said success of these kind of programs take a while but once the ball starts rolling….

“Once young people see their peers benefiting from the success it does have a tendency to grow but it’s not the easiest thing to introduce because of the stigma associated with it but we break down those things.”