About project step
project step is a community-wide response to address the need for support, treatment, education and prevention of problematic substance and technology use among young people.
United Way East Ontario, together with Ottawa Public Health, the provincial health authority, the Ottawa Network for Education, all four Ottawa school boards, and community agencies have forged a partnership to prevent and respond to this challenge.
OUR VISION
A community where all youth and their families have access to timely, culturally-appropriate and evidence-based support, treatment, education, and prevention of harms related to addictions, substance and technology use.
OUR PURPOSE
To provide leadership, direction, resource development, programs, and initiatives related to the support, education, treatment, and prevention of youth substance and technology use, misuse, and addictions in Ottawa.
History
In 2007, United Way East Ontario (UWEO), together with the provincial health authority, Ottawa Network for Education, Ottawa Public Health, four Ottawa school boards and six community agencies launched project step to address the need for support, treatment, education, and prevention of substance use issues among youth in Ottawa.
Before project step, young people in need of substance use treatment had nowhere to go. They were often forced to leave home, incur costs, and they did not have access to follow-up support. With the leadership of project step, Ottawa now has two live-in substance use treatment programs for youth – one in each official language. These sites are now supported by ongoing funding from the provincial health authority.
Today, project step partners deliver addictions counselling, prevention education, and family support in every publicly funded high school in Ottawa and in five community-based schools at Operation Come Home, Youville Centre, Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services, Le Cap, and Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre. The partnership also provides residential treatment at two centers through Le Cap and the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre – one in each official language.
The school-based support, education, and prevention functions are funded by the provincial health authority, Ottawa Public Health, the four Ottawa school boards, and United Way East Ontario.
Read our latest program reports:
project step is made possible through the partnership and collaboration of these organizations:
Strategic Partners
Service Delivery Partners
Support project step and change the trajectory of a young person’s life – for the better.