OPG partners with Jack.org to bring award winning mental health resource to Ontarians
Toronto – Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is teaming up with Jack.org to distribute Be There, a digital mental health resource, to thousands more young Ontarians during COVID-19 and beyond. Be There teaches young people how to support one another through mental health struggles.
“To break down stigma associated with mental health, we need to be able to talk about mental illness with compassion, care and confidence. Jack.org’s ground-breaking platform provides real-world tools for starting conversations about mental health,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO. “Recognizing the need for mental health education and support within and beyond the workplace, OPG is proud to amplify Jack.org’s efforts to make practical, accessible resources available to youth, who in turn can share them with their networks of families and friends.”
Be There is an engaging digital mental health resource that teaches young people the skills they need to be there for someone through any mental health struggle. Since launching in May 2019, Be There has been used by over 290,000 people across Canada, and received two Webby Awards as Top Health Website in the world. This new partnership will help to ensure that more young people in Ontario have access to Be There so they are better equipped to take care of themselves and others, particularly during these unprecedented times. The program will be distributed via a targeted, multi-platform campaign launching this summer.
“Recognizing the need for mental health education and support within and beyond the workplace, OPG is proud to amplify Jack.org’s efforts to make practical, accessible resources available to youth, who in turn can share them with their networks of families and friends.”Ken Hartwick, OPG’s President and CEO
“When COVID-19 hit, we saw a dramatic increase in the need for Be There and other mental health resources and services. Young people are facing isolation, disruption to regular mental health supports, and increased levels of anxiety,” said Jesse Hayman, Vice President of Jack.org. “It’s vitally important that Ontario’s young people, and all young people across Canada, have access to resources that help them support one another and themselves through this pandemic. We are honoured to be working with OPG to help Jack.org look out for the mental health of young people, and I’m inspired by the efforts that OPG continues to make to support communities in need during COVID-19 and beyond.”
This partnership is the latest initiative by OPG to help fellow Ontarians during the COVID-19 crisis. To date, the company has donated more than 1.1 million articles of personal protective equipment to help frontline health-care workers and more than $1 million to individual communities and groups supporting food vulnerable residents across the province. OPG has also signed on to support WellCan, a free collection of digital mental health resources to help Canadians. Learn more about OPG’s COVID-19 efforts.
About Jack.org: Jack.org is the only Canadian charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionize mental health. Through Jack Talks, Jack Chapters, Jack Summits and Be There, young leaders identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Jack.org is working towards a Canada where all young people understand how to take care of their own mental health and look out for each other. A Canada without shame, where all those who need support have access to the help they deserve. For more information, visit www.jack.org and BeThere.org
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