Jack Windeler was 18-years-old and completing his first year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. He started to miss classes and stopped handing in assignments. He was spending more time in his dorm room with the door closed and started to withdraw from his friends. To Jack’s University friends, these signs didn’t strike them as odd at first  but looking back now, the warning signs were all there.

In March of 2010, Jack Windeler committed suicide.

Unfortunately, many youth find themselves in the same situation as Jack. They’re about to graduate high school or are already away at College or University and they’re dealing with depression, anxiety or many other mental health issues but they don’t know what kind of support is out there for them. Also, sometimes the stigma of mental health prevents them from speaking out.

That’s where The Jack Project at Kids Help Phone comes in. Begun by Jack’s father Eric, The Jack Project was developed to help youth ages 15-20 obtain the information and support needed for their transition from high school to post secondary school.

The Jack Project will create and strengthen resources both online and in schools to promote mental health literacy, challenge stigma, and help to teach help-seeking and help-giving behaviour, among many other tools.

While only some schools are taking part in The Jack Project right now, I can only hope that all of our schools will eventually adapt this project and ultimately change the face of children’s mental health, and mental health in general.

One of our biggest battles in this field is still the stigma that surrounds mental health. Youth ages 15-20 are often the ones most concerned about what other people think and the stigma prevents them even further from seeking the help that they know they need.

Initiatives like  The Jack Project and the Adolescent Mental Health Literacy Program launched by Ontario Shores a couple of months ago, not only educate youth on mental health but will ultimately help them to realize that it isn’t something to be ashamed of and that they are not alone. There are people available to talk to, resources to help you, and other youth who are going through the same things you are.

It’s a giant step in the right direction for mental health agencies such as Kinark, but more so for the children, youth and families that deal with mental health issues daily.

For more information on The Jack Project or the Adolescent Mental Health Literacy Program, please visit their websites.