Why being part of CFHD’s participation work is so important

With Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day approaching, we wanted to catch up with some of our young advisors to understand why being part of CFHD’s participation group is so important to them.

Hear from Zero about how offering fresh new perspectives is met with sincere appreciation…

“The reason I feel that the use of young participation workers is so incredibly valued is due to one simple thing, perspective. Working with professionals I’ve noticed that the most prominent difference between us is just that, perspective! The professionals working with CFHD may have a more clinical  approach to interviewing, while as a young advisor I think for many of us we go in from the basis of our lived experiences. Of coarse we don’t just go off the basis of how personable the candidate is (although that is still a huge factor that I personally consider) we learn as we go, and we sometimes find ourselves reassuring professionals on their ideas or even challenging their opinions in a positive and constructive way! Throughout my time as a young advisor I have heard the phrase,

“We appreciate your help so much”

Now this could seem like a very basic sentence, but each time I have been able to tell they were completely sincere. Offering fresh new perspectives is such a powerful tool in to creating a much more effective and productive mental health care system. This leads me to my next point, being a young advisor has helped me apply so many qualities to my life, such as confidence, being able to offer my opinions and ideas to professionals in a field that I strive to work in when I’m older and receiving such amazing feedback is so wonderfully refreshing and rewarding. Advocating for mental health is such a key passion of mine, and working along side CFHD completely allows me to do so, I’m not just hoping for change now, I am actively able to help make a difference. 

I’ve personally struggled with my mental health throughout a large portion of my life, and now that I am in recovery and to a point where I can proudly say in a stable headspace, I now find myself as a young advisor able to advocate for young people struggling just like I once was. My past experiences, and experience in the mental health care system has given me a vast amount of knowledge that I am able to apply in to CFHD, something I am so grateful to be able to contribute to. In CFHD participation work, I have helped professionals to interview many candidates, as I briefly spoke on earlier; I’ve met a diverse amount of professionals and young advisors and am able to learn more each and every day while enjoying my time working there thanks to the supportive and eager environment they provide. “

Zero