In the early 90s, recognizing the urgent health needs of homeless and marginalized youth, a group of agencies passionately created a redefined SHOUT Clinic. Funded by the Ministry of Health and operating under the West Central Community Health Centres of Toronto, this initiative began as a walk-in clinic offering accessible healthcare to diverse youth populations in Toronto.
Starting with a small, dedicated team of one doctor, one counsellor and two nurses operating from a space within the Turning Point Youth Services building, SHOUT Clinic soon moved in 1994 to a dedicated location at 467 Jarvis St. This became a hub of various youth-centred medical, mental health, and support services, catering to the immediate needs of high risk, transitional aged youth from across the GTA.
SHOUT Clinic grew into a fully integrated healthcare service for homeless and street-involved youth, aided by a carefully knit team of professionals including three doctors, two nurse practitioners, two extended class nurses, two mental health counsellors, a parenting worker, two client support workers, an intake worker and a health promoter.
One of SHOUT’s unique features was its partnerships with various organizations, offering additional services like legal, employment and housing support, ID clinics, foot care, and outreach through “satellite clinics.” In 1996, thanks to generous donations, a dental clinic was established, run by a dedicated team of volunteer professionals. The following year, SHOUT Clinic launched a bursary program, helping youngsters with their educational goals.
The tough decision to relocate was made in 2010 due to shifting youth populations and prohibitive maintenance costs for the aging Jarvis Street building. After a thorough consultation, SHOUT Clinic was integrated into the larger Central Toronto Community Health Centres at Queen West and Bathurst in 2011. It continued its unwavering service to the young and vulnerable from these new premises.
In the early 90s, several agencies with the common interest of serving street youth, broadly defined as homeless, identified the need for a walk-in clinic to provide youth with healthcare. In 1992, they founded the SHOUT Clinic, with a mandate from the Ministry of Health to “promote access to healthcare for street-involved youth”. As part of the funding agreement, SHOUT Clinic joined the West Central Community Health Centres of Toronto to protect its long-term viability by attaching it to an existing community health centre.
SHOUT Clinic started with one doctor, counsellor and two nurses, and operated from space within the Turning Point Youth Services building on Wellesley Street in Toronto. The service had a very strong commitment to being accessible to the diverse youth populations in Toronto, including LGBT youth, newcomer youth, pregnant and parenting youth, youth marginalized as a result of mental health concerns and those involved with the criminal justice system.
In 1994, a property was purchased at 467 Jarvis St., and SHOUT Clinic became a fully functioning clinic for marginalized and homeless, transitional-aged (16-25) youth. In this new dedicated space, SHOUT Clinic provided youth-centred medical, mental health and support services in a “one-stop”, drop-in service model that was responsive to the immediate healthcare needs of high-risk, transitional-aged youth from across the GTA. SHOUT grew to include three doctors, two nurse practitioners, two extended class nurses, two mental health counsellors, a parenting worker, two client support workers, an intake worker and a health promoter, all of whom were very knowledgeable about the impact of homelessness and street involvement on the health outcomes of youth.
One unique feature of SHOUT was that it provided various programs and services to meet its clients’ complex and varied needs. In partnership with other organizations, this care provision allowed SHOUT to offer legal, employment and housing support, ID clinics and foot care. In addition, SHOUT Clinic nurses provided outreach via regular “satellite clinics” to youth in agencies where youth had already built trust with staff.
In 1996, a dental clinic was established which had one dental co-ordinator. Almost 40 highly dedicated professional dentists and hygienists volunteered to keep a 3-day-a-week dental program operating. Over 20 companies and individuals donated all equipment and supplies.
In 1997, SHOUT Clinic received funding through charitable donations to provide youth who had earned a place in a college, university or vocational program with bursary awards to assist them in their educational goals and improve their marketable skills.
In 2010, the Board of Directors of Central Toronto Community Health Centres faced a decision about the future of the SHOUT clinic, located in an old Victorian home designated by the city as a historical building. Given the age of the house, maintenance and renovation costs to enable building accessibility became prohibitive, so the Board decided to sell the property and relocate services to a new location. Additionally, 18 years after SHOUT began service in the Wellesley – Jarvis area, the target populations of youths had shifted to other parts of the GTA, and there were now more shelter and housing services for youth in its immediate vicinity. A review of the SHOUT clinic was conducted through consultation with clients, partner agencies and staff, and a decision was made to close the service at the Jarvis Street location.
In 2011, the SHOUT clinic located on Jarvis Street was sold, and its services were merged with those of the larger Central Toronto Community Health Centres at the Queen West and Bathurst location. As a result of this integration, SHOUT clinic staff and services were combined, and youth services are now provided from the Queen West location.
