DONATIONS AT WORK HIGHLIGHTS 2025/26

Emerging Adult Mental Health

From Innovation to Impact

Thanks to the generosity of our community, a groundbreaking model of mental health care for young people continues to grow. And with that, so does its impact.

Just a few years ago, emerging adults (ages 16–29) often found themselves caught between pediatric and adult mental health systems, with few services designed to meet their unique needs. Together with young people, families, clinicians and researchers, generous donors like you supported the creation of a new approach that recognizes this important stage of life and provides more personalized, developmentally appropriate care.

Today, that vision is becoming reality. The Emerging Adult Service is improving access to care, helping young people experience better mental health outcomes, and generating evidence that is shaping the future of mental health care across Alberta.

The Emerging Adult Program has been a valuable addition to our rural clinic. This program has expanded access to meaningful supports, including groups such as Expressive Arts and Kitchen Kickstart. These programs provide opportunities to build life skills, foster social connection, and complement the mental health services we provide. Having access to these additional resources has strengthened the range of supports available to the emerging adults we serve and helped address gaps in services within our community.
— Rural Emerging Adult Service provider

Better care, sooner

This past year marked an exciting milestone as the Emerging Adult Service expanded from two demonstration clinics to 12 community-based sites across Calgary and surrounding rural communities. When fully operational, these sites will provide specialized care to approximately 3,400 emerging adults every year, bringing developmentally appropriate mental health services closer to home for thousands of young people.

Timely access to care also continues to improve. Before this initiative began, many emerging adults waited more than 15 months to receive outpatient mental health services. Through a redesigned Emerging Adult Service including early orientation, walk-in supports, group programming and personalized treatment pathways, wait times have now been reduced to less than 60 days. More than 1,500 emerging adults accessed care through the service over the past year alone.

The expansion has also strengthened Alberta’s mental health workforce. More than 440 clinicians have now completed specialized training developed with and delivered by emerging adults themselves, helping providers better understand the unique challenges young people face while delivering more compassionate, developmentally responsive care.

As researchers and clinicians listened to young people, they discovered that many were struggling with housing insecurity, financial stress, employment, education and navigating community resources. These challenges often stood in the way of recovery, even when excellent mental health care was available.

This year, the team responded to that need by integrating dedicated social workers into the Emerging Adult Service, providing individualized support that extends beyond traditional therapy. They helped young people secure housing, connect with employment and educational opportunities, access financial supports and navigate community services — addressing the practical realities that have a profound impact on mental health.

Over the past year, social workers built partnerships with organizations such as Momentum, The Alex Community Health Centre, Alberta Supports, Calgary Youth Employment Centre, the Calgary Distress Centre, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, Fair Entry Calgary and many others, connecting emerging adults with resources that promote long-term stability and well-being.

These services complement existing partnerships like Kitchen Kickstart, Expressive Arts and PALS therapy dog visits — programs that continue to provide meaningful opportunities for connection, confidence and belonging alongside clinical care. Together, they recognize that recovery happens beyond a therapist’s office and throughout every aspect of a young person’s life.

Research is embedded into every stage of care within the Emerging Adult Service, creating what is called a Rapid Learning Health System. In this model, information gathered from patients and clinicians is continuously analyzed and used to improve care in real time.

Over the past year, researchers completed the province-wide evaluation of measurement-based care, gathering feedback from clinicians, leaders and emerging adults across Alberta. The findings are already shaping how care is delivered.

Researchers identified practical ways to strengthen clinical workflows, improve clinician training and simplify how progress is measured throughout treatment. They also began co-designing the next generation of digital tools alongside clinicians and emerging adults, ensuring future innovations are informed by the people who use them every day.

Young people participating in the Emerging Adult Service reported meaningful improvements across multiple areas of mental health and well-being.

Researchers observed significant reductions in anxiety, depression, psychological distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, while participants also reported stronger resilience, improved day-to-day functioning and greater ability to manage life’s challenges.

These findings provide important early evidence that this personalized, measurement-informed approach is helping emerging adults build healthier futures. Equally important, researchers are learning which interventions work best, for whom and at what stage of care informing the continued improvement of services for future clients.

Throughout the development of the new model of care, emerging adults have been welcomed as partners in the process.

This year, young people, clinicians and researchers began a new series of
co-design workshops to refine the next generation of measurement-based care. Together they are determining which information is most meaningful, how it should be collected throughout a care journey and how clinicians can use those insights to strengthen conversations, personalize treatment and improve outcomes.

At the same time, the Framework for Research with Emerging Adults (FREA) continues to grow as an important platform for understanding emerging adult mental health. Nearly 200 emerging adults are now participating in the research registry, helping generate new knowledge that will shape future mental health services across Alberta and beyond.

Every participant is helping create a stronger mental health system — not only for themselves, but for the young people who will follow.