UNITE

Turning insight into impact—together.

A Whole-of-System Innovation Approach for Youth Mental Health.

UNITE is a research initiative that brings people from across Nova Scotia’s youth mental health and addictions system together to strengthen connections, build shared understanding, reduce barriers, and work toward a more supportive care system for all.

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Our Impact Goal for Nova Scotia

UNITE will advance system-wide innovations for more supportive, effective, and equitable approaches to youth mental health and addictions (YMHA) care in Nova Scotia.

What Does this Mean?

When we say “system-wide,” we mean the ecosystem of people and organizations who are impacted by Nova Scotia’s YMHA care system.

When we talk about “innovation,” we’re interested in how stronger connections, shared understanding, and collaboration can help the whole system work better together—because meaningful change can’t happen in isolation.

When we talk about “supportive, effective, and equitable” care, we mean reducing barriers, strengthening supports, and helping ensure the system works for the people it is meant to serve and those who work with within it.

Why This Work Matters

Mental health and substance use challenges are major threats to the wellbeing and future potential of young people in Canada.

Across the country, youth mental health is in rapid decline. More youth than ever need care. And many are getting left behind.

68%

Mental health related conditions are the most common disability among Canadian Youth aged 15–24.

(Statistics Canada, 2022)

Up Arrow

Nova Scotians experience higher rates of mental health and substance use disorders, suicidality, and report overall poorer mental health than the national average.

(CMHA, 2024)

26%

Approximately one in four Canadian youth reported fair or poor mental health in 2023—more than double the proportion in 2019.

(Statistics Canada, 2023)

Nova Scotia:

Has more mental health service providers per capita than the national average.

Still experiences high wait times and consistent barriers to accessing care—particularly for rural populations.

Barriers are often compounded for people already experiencing socio-economic constraints.

(CMHA, 2024)

1 in 5

Only one out of every five young people who require mental health care in Canada are getting the services they need.

(CMHA, 2021)

70%

Most mental health issues begin before the age of 18.

(CIHI, 2025)

How We Make Change Together

UNITE is using research to better understand what meaningful change looks like in Nova Scotia’s Youth Mental Health and Addictions (YMHA) system. To reach our system-wide impact goals, we know that the Pathway to Impact must be one we shape and walk together.

Our research brings people from across the YMHA system together. From there, we work collaboratively to identify what’s working, what’s getting in the way, what evidence-informed change could look like—and how to make it happen together. This ensures that our research and the solutions that emerge from it are shaped with the people who live and deliver them.

To focus our efforts and drive measurable impact, UNITE has identified three research objectives that define our goals and guide the projects and activities that move our work forward.

How we navigate the work matters.

Our Way of Working informs how we engage with partners and communities and how we ensure our work remains co-created, grounded in lived experience, and responsive over time.

Our objectives define what we are researching and why. Our research projects and activities move that work forward toward solutions. And Our Way of Working guides how we approach the work meaningfully. Together, they form UNITE’s Pathway to Impact.

Learn about our Way of Working

Learn about our Pathway to Impact

Our work evolves in real time as we learn from real people.

Our Research Objectives

UNITE’s research focus areas shaped by what we heard from people across Nova Scotia’s YMHA system before seeking funding. We heard about clear challenges—and opportunities to strengthen the system—in the areas of navigation, data use, and collaboration capacity. These insights informed the three interrelated research objectives that our work is built around.

Navigation

The system is complex.

Although many services and navigational tools exist, it can be difficult for youth, families, and providers to know what is available, where to find it, and how to use it—especially when referral pathways, eligibility criteria, and communication practices differ across sectors. ​

We’re exploring ways to optimize navigation by understanding navigation experiences and finding evidence-informed human-centred solutions.

Youth, families, and service providers have more supportive, compassionate, and efficient experiences navigating the system and finding care.​

Data

Data use is challenging.

Plenty of robust data is collected and currently exists in various places but gaining meaningful insights across sectors remains challenging due to a lack of integration.

We’re exploring how to strengthen cross-sector data use and insights by understanding what data exists, what’s needed, and when and how integration may be possible.

More valuable cross-sector insights that support more effective and equitable system function and improvement.

Collaboration

There are barriers to collaboration.

Tackling system challenges by connecting, collaborating, and working towards solutions together is made more difficult because of barriers and silos that divide  teams, units, and organizations. ​
Efforts are already being made to better connect and collaborate, which is work UNITE can learn from and build on. 

We’re determining how Whole of System practices can be applied to improve problem-solving efforts that span boundaries and how capacity for both collaboration and innovation can be fostered over time in individuals, project teams, organizations, and Nova Scotia’s broader YMHA ecosystem. 
This objective will support and advance the Navigation and Data objectives.

Individuals, teams and organizations that can work together and create solutions for collective challenges more effectively—enhancing the system for all who interact with it.

The UNITE Hub Website

UNITE launched in 2025 and is currently in its foundational year. Right now, we’re building the relationships and infrastructure necessary to reach our impact goals.

This UNITE Hub website is part of that work: a space for convening, learning, and connection across Nova Scotia’s YMHA ecosystem. As the initiative unfolds, this space will evolve with it.

We will continue to share updates, resources, and opportunities for engagement here.

That being said, it’s important that our website feels accessible for all who visit. If you’ve encountered a barrier or issue during your visit, please let us know so we can do our best to address it.

Report a Barrier

Learn More

Jump to our “What is UNITE” page to dive deeper into what we’re doing, why, and how.