It’s been a sea of green T-shirts inside Atlantic Wellness this week. The fashionable choice is part of a campaign to bring issues surrounding youth mental health into the spotlight. The registered charity, which offers free mental health services for youth aged 12-21, is participating in Youth Mental Health Awareness Week by encouraging people to wear green T-shirts and “take a step back.” “I do enjoy the particular slogan this year: talk less, listen more because I think that’s something that our youth need,” said licensed counsellor and therapist Jason Jones. “They’re so often lectured to or told what to do or given advice or given opinions and a lot of times they just say, ‘I’m not being heard. I’m not being understood.’” “I think that more than ever it’s so important for our youth to be able to be heard and understood.” Youth Mental Health Awareness Week officially runs from May 5 to 11 but organizers say they hope it’s the start of a conversation that takes place year-round. “I think more and more there’s a lot more openness,” said Jones. “Youth are even talking amongst their friends and saying, ‘I’m going to talk to my therapist about this or talk about this in therapy,’ although there’s still certain populations, depending on the families they were raised in or maybe the populations they grew up in or you know, maybe certain athletic populations where there’s still some stigma around getting some help that way.” Jones said the real goal is to encourage people to maintain their mental health with check-ups and exercises – the same way they would care for their physical health or injuries. Atlantic Wellness executive director Andrew LeBlanc says mental health demands are increasing in the community, which is why initiatives like the green T-shirt challenge are so important. “In 2024, Atlantic Wellness provided more than 5,300 clinical services free of charge to young people in our community,” LeBlanc said. “That’s the highest number that we’ve ever provided to young people in the Greater Moncton and Southeastern New Brunswick region.” LeBlanc says the organization always aims to create more awareness around youth mental health and break the stigmas that still exist. Development and communications director Jessica Dunphy says the green shirt adds a fun connection to a heavy topic. “I think for youth, it’s like, ‘Hey people see and hear me,’ and they can feel really not seen and heard in our world,’” Dunphy said. “In a society where sometimes we can be very pulled apart and individualized, coming together, seeing someone in that green shirt, it’s a feeling that we’re in it together.” The green T-shirt challenge isn’t new this year but it is the first year that the organization has expanded to include both English and French options. All of the money raised helps Atlantic Wellness continue to provide completely free mental health services to youth in need. “You may not think that buying a T-shirt goes a long way, but it really does,” said LeBlanc. Atlantic Wellness is encouraging people to post a selfie on social media with the hashtag #60secondsofsupport and tag them in it in hopes the campaign reaches a broader audience. “There’s lots of different triggers that are out there in the community. There’s lot of reasons why mental health is more and more of a concern and as a community organization, we’re just trying to do our part to make sure that when a young person is ready to ask for help, that someone is there to support them,” said LeBlanc. Atlantic Wellness is also currently doing a spring appeal, where they share real-life stories to raise community donations and make sure that their services stay accessible to youth in the community. Dunphy said the drive is important for people who can’t afford therapy. “The great thing is that we’re seeing more insurance policies cover it and the amount is getting bigger, which is fabulous. However, not everybody has benefits, they max out. It doesn’t take just a few sessions and your benefits are gone, so we don’t want families to have to decide between putting food on the table or getting their child the mental health they need to develop into a successful, strong adult.” Youth Mental Health Awareness Week wraps up on Sunday. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
