TORONTO, March 25, 2025 /CNW/ - With nearly 60% of young people in need not receiving care, Canada is facing a youth mental health crisis. Youth aged 16–24 experience mental health and substance use challenges at higher rates than older Canadians, with existing solutions often falling short in addressing their diverse needs. Recognizing this urgent need, GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, is launching a new signature social impact initiative to transform support for youth mental health across Canada.

This initiative builds on GreenShield's track record of addressing Canada's most pressing health challenges through data-driven initiatives that advance its mission of Better Health for All. From a free Women's Mental Health program to expanding access to Essential Medicines, GreenShield's signature initiatives have led the way in delivering equitable, sustainable products and services to support equity-seeking and underserved Canadians.

The need for youth is equally critical. Youth mental health services in Canada are fragmented, forcing young people to navigate a complex and disconnected system with no single, comprehensive solution—only a patchwork of difficult-to-access services. Too many youth are left without the care they need. GreenShield is addressing this gap head-on to ensure young people can access the right care at the right time.

"We believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege," said Zahid Salman, President & CEO, GreenShield. "Our mission of Better Health for All drives us to create meaningful, lasting change to ensure every Canadian can access the care they need, wherever they need it. Our focus on improving mental health outcomes for youth is fueled by data, strengthened by strategic community partnerships, and powered by best-in-class technology to drive real, measurable impact."

As a non-profit, GreenShield doesn't have shareholders. To advance its mission, GreenShield reinvests at least 15% of its earnings each year in social impact, compared to the 1% benchmark required to be an Imagine Canada Caring Company. This reinvestment is done through GreenShield Cares, and is primarily focused on signature social impact initiatives in mental health, essential medicines, oral health and chronic disease management to support the health and well-being of equity-seeking and underserved communities. Guided by research and data, GreenShield continually refines its signature initiatives, ensuring they drive meaningful impact while aligning with GreenShield's business strategy and mission of Better Health for All. This process begins with a thorough assessment of Canada's most pressing health challenges, quantifying the disease burden and evaluating its impact across five priority populations: women, low-wage workers, youth (aged 15–29), racialized persons—including Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour—and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. GreenShield prioritizes initiatives where it has the financial capacity and service expertise to drive real, measurable change. This ensures a long-term, sustainable impact.

Building an Ecosystem for Youth Mental Health

GreenShield's new Youth Mental Health initiative builds on its commitment to advance health equity by expanding access, integrating innovative care solutions, and ensuring Canadians between the ages of 15 and 29 receive timely, culturally appropriate support.

In collaboration with leading youth mental health organizations, GreenShield will be launching a comprehensive youth mental health solution to reach young people facing barriers to care, ensuring that no youth is left behind. Delivered through GreenShield+, GreenShield's industry-leading integrated health and benefits platform, this initiative is designed to address key barriers youth face to youth mental health support: care navigation, equitable access, and affordability.

"We embed purpose into every part of our business, and we are committed to scaling our impact to drive meaningful change in youth mental health," said Mandy Mail, Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Cares. "Through collaboration with community organizations, healthcare providers, and corporate partners, we are building sustainable solutions that remove barriers to care—empowering youth to access the support they need, when and where they need it."

By uniting like-minded partners, GreenShield is spearheading a collaborative effort to transform the mental health landscape. GreenShield's key youth mental health partnerships are crafted to reach communities facing distinct barriers to care, ensuring that no youth is left behind, and include:

• Business in the Streets – Providing mental health resources for low-income youth. 
• Integrated Youth Services - providing comprehensive mental health services from coast-to-coast with Foundry, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) and four other provincial IYS networks. 
• Jack.org - Ensuring young people are equipped with the tools, education, and support they need to navigate challenges before they reach a crisis point. 
• Kids Help Phone – Providing best-in-class confidential counselling and crisis support for all youth. 
• Noojimo Health, The National Association of Friendship Centres and Strongest Families Institute – Expanding culturally relevant care for Indigenous communities. 
• Rainbow Railroad – Improving access to mental health services for LGBTQ2S+ youth. 
• Station SME and Cares Pathway – Supporting French-speaking youth.
• The Black Women's Institute for Health and Black Health Alliance – Addressing the specific needs of Black youth.

A History of Signature Initiatives Driving Impact

GreenShield has launched a series of impactful initiatives to address critical health gaps across Canada.

• Women's Mental Health:  Since 2021, GreenShield Cares' Women's Mental Health program has provided free, culturally appropriate care and resources to over 120,000 women. To expand its reach, the company has integrated specialized services for women into GreenShield+, offering tailored mental health support to meet their distinct and diverse needs.
• Essential Medicines:  Since 2022, GreenShield has positively impacted over 90,000 Canadians through essential medicines. GreenShield Cares' rapidly expanding Essential Medicines program supports low-income Canadians with free medication, providing a blueprint for a sustainable, national program.
• Oral Health:  Since 2016, GreenShield has invested $23 million to improve the oral health of over 60,000 underserved Canadians. With the advent of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, GreenShield Cares is shifting its social impact focus from oral health to chronic disease management and mental health, expanding support for its priority populations.

As a proudly Canadian company, we want an equitable future where all Canadians, regardless of background or circumstance can live their healthiest lives.

About GreenShield 

As Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We're dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential.  

We are revolutionizing the health and benefits experience with coverage and care in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider ("payvider") model, offering insurance, administering benefits and paying claims as a 'payer' while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a 'provider'.  

As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we prioritize and reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we've committed $75 million to improve the health of over one million Canadians by the end of 2025, focusing on mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management. Our scalable initiatives deliver meaningful change in pursuit of Better Health for All. 

GreenShield is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and named on the Fortune's Change the World list. 

SOURCE GreenShield