I had an opportunity to meet Jack’s father last week.  Jack Windeler, after what appears to have been a serious struggle with depression, took his own life.   He was 18.  In honour of his son, Eric Windeler has founded the Jack Windeler Memorial fund that will help educate emerging adults as they transition from high school to postsecondary education.  We know that this period…even under the best of circumstances, can be especially difficult for youth and young adults.

Check out the video…as a parent, its heartbreaking to watch.  As a service provider I am reminded about the loneliness and despair that exists for so many.

At mindyourmind we’ve been talking to youth and young adults about the challenges that change brings and in response have created a tool that colleges and universities are now beginning to bring to their students.  As with all things at mym, we’re open to hearing feedback about our resources.  Check out www.icopeu.com , a student mental health portal that is available to colleges and universities.  Your initial feedback helped shape this resource.   Many of the tools featured were created by youth who have worked with us to co-develop resources, ensuring relevancy.  For those of you who are looking at www.icopeu.com  for the first time, am really interested in hearing your feedback and ideas around how we can improve resources for youth and young adults transitioning into life after highschool.

Posted by ML