About Us

Wanasah is dedicated to supporting Black youth and their families living in Regent Park and surrounding areas with mental health and problematic substance use needs through Black-centric, inclusive, holistic, and culturally safe care.

Our Mission

To improve access to effective and holistic mental health services for Black youth and their families in the GTA. ​

Our Vision

Safe and inclusive communities where Black youth with mental health concerns live with dignity and a sense of purpose.

Wanasah Values You

​​Respect

We value our client despite how they present or what they are going through. They are held in high regard, their concerns are taken seriously, and they are always seen as important.

​​Spirituality

Regardless of our client’s relationship with spirituality, we make space for spirituality in its many forms whether that’s belief beyond one’s self or connection to others.

​​Compassion

We understand the emotional states of our clients and work hard to reduce fear, boost confidence and open inner strength.

​​Connection

Our team fosters support along with a sense of belonging and renewed purpose by meeting clients where they are and working to bring them to where they need to be.

​​Collaboration

We adopt a collaborative approach with openness to various models of practice to ensure the development of an optimal circle of care and positive health outcomes

Humility

Although our team features trained healthcare professionals, we recognize that we are all human and open to learning, and growth.

Why Wanasah

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Wanasah understands that many Black youth in Regent Park and Toronto at large are directly and indirectly affected by anti-Black racism, inter-generational trauma, poverty and the rise in gun violence in their communities. .

These issues can lead to an increase in mental health and addiction needs that are for a large part, unmet. A range of factors are behind this service gap for Black youth. The overall shortageof free mental health services, coupled with systemic and provider level discrimination and a lack of culturally safe care, as well as individual and community barriers such as stigma all contribute to a lack of access to effective, culturally safe care.

Wanasah was created to help bridge this gap through offering Black-centric mental health and addictions support to Black youth in the Regent Park community and surrounding areas.

Our Story

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In a community where over 75% of the population identifies as a visible minority and 30% are under the age of 24, Regent Park is home to the first Wanasah project.

Wanasah was birthed over a decade ago out of a community-based peer mentorship program, which served over 1000 youth over an 8-year span. Through the community connections that were formed, the mentorship program evolved into a support network that served four families, 25 children and a mother’s group. It was out of these grassroots efforts, run entirely by volunteers, that that Wanasah was born.

Wanasah is a non-profit community-based organization that prioritizes dignity-affirming, Black-centric mental health and addictions services for Black youth and their families. Co-founded by a Regent Park resident, we work in close partnership with other local organizations to support the mental health needs of Black youth and their families facing mental health and addictions challenges in Regent Park and the surrounding area.