Transforming Lives in Toronto

Transforming Lives in Toronto

For more than 80 years, Scott Mission has been Toronto’s compassionate neighbour— meeting the basic needs of the community while creating new programs to meet emerging crises.

Scott Mission is one of Toronto’s longest-serving social service agencies, grounded in Christian values and providing an array of services—including nutritious food, quality clothing, groceries, emergency men’s shelter, family services and more.

Poverty and mental illness are among the leading contributors to homelessness, addiction, and broken lives across the city.

Consequently, Scott Mission has identified mental and spiritual wellness as a fundamental human need like food, clothing, and shelter.

Recent studies show that 50 per cent of Canadians will experience some type of mental illness by age 40, and Ontario Public Health reports that the burden of mental illness and addictions is “more than 1.5 times that of all cancers.”

The prevalence of mental illness became increasingly apparent during and after the pandemic. This caused a demand for mental health support—highlighting the lack of accessibility and affordability as the greatest barriers to entry for clients.

Thankfully, Scott Mission’s pilot project, launched in 2021, has become a permanent program that integrates evidence-based clinical counselling, interpersonal relationships, and pastoral care. The counselling program allows clients, ages 16 and up, to meet with two counsellors, Calvin Lau and Hannah Huerto, for 12 one-hour psychotherapy sessions. The program can be extended to 12 additional sessions as needed.

“Each person brings layers of issues,” remarked Hannah. “We help clients to make meaningful connections between their past and their current situations as part of their therapy goals.”

The program addresses mental health and challenging life circumstances in a safe, trauma-informed environment. It’s also become a valuable added resource to Toronto’s mental health services—while fulfilling Scott Mission’s goal to put poverty into full retreat.

“We help our clients achieve mental wholeness by integrating faith-based principles and evidence-based clinical counselling modalities. Our clients are achieving greater self-reliance, appropriate acceptance and healthy coping mechanisms,” Calvin said. “The result has been a reduction in psychiatric symptoms and hospital admissions.”

Thanks to the generosity of Scott Mission donors, 44 current residents in the emergency men’s shelter also benefit from the counselling program. “The program caught on in the shelter, and it’s partly due to the effective integration of our case management program, where we act as client advocates who support, guide, and coordinate care and services—both physical and mental, for healthcare, counselling, obtaining an ID, finding housing, and many other practical services,” Calvin continued.

The Mission would like to add a child and adolescent counselling stream. “We’ve found that many of the parents who receive counselling services have children who would benefit from counselling,” said Hannah. “It’s difficult because now we can only refer children and youth to external resources with long waitlists.”

Because of partners like YOU, Scott Mission is supporting their most vulnerable neighbours through direct interventions— giving them the help and hope they deserve on their journey to transformation.

YOUR gift during this holiday season makes it possible for Scott Mission to continue its vital work to meet basic needs for physical, spiritual and mental wellness. Make an impact today by giving a gift to scottmission.com/neighbour or by calling 416-923-2400.