Youth Wellness Hub on Dennis Street expected to open in May

A youth wellness hub project announced by Algoma Family Services in the summer will open next month, if all goes according to plan.

The original hope was for the Youth Wellness Hub to open before the end of 2022, said Ali Juma, CEO of Algoma Family Service, the lead agency for the project.

SooToday spoke to Juma about the youth wellness hub on Thursday, during an announcement for the new Live-In Treatment Program.

"I was really hoping to open it [youth hub] up last November in some way, shape or form but there are some things you can’t control," said Juma. “Part of the challenge there is just getting the work done — delay after delay."

So far, repairs to the exterior and to the roof of the former Independent Order of Odd Fellows hall on Dennis Street have been completed.

“It’s all of the interior work that needs to be done. Issues with supplies and so forth are creating some delays," said Juma.`

Once opened, the youth wellness hub will not only offer youth a safe space to hang out, but also access to numerous services that will be provided by Algoma Family Services and its partners within the facility.

"That is what our community was missing, a safe place for youth to not just hang out, but also to get the help they need without having to go here, there and everywhere," said Juma. “For so many of our children and youth, the accessibility of the services is not easy. So the youth hub will be a one-stop shop."

The building was purchased by the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation in July from the Odd Fellows for $180,000, with Algoma Family Services acting as the lead agency for the youth wellness hub.

Located across the street from the city's bus terminal, the youth wellness hub will be accessible to youth from across the Sault to eventually access job training,  mental health and addictions services, health care services, child protection services, anti-human trafficking info for at-risk kids, as well as cultural programming.

A virtual youth wellness hub will also be available for youth to access those same services from outside Sault Ste. Marie in the Algoma Region.

The Live-In Treatment Program will host youths between the ages of 12 and 16 who have complex mental health and/or substance use challenges.

Juma said when they both open, the two facilities will be tied together in a number of ways.

”It will be good if the youth here can find a safe space at the youth hub and know even after they leave here that there is still that available to them,” he said.