Western’s Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic (MJW-CYDC) has opened the doors to a new home with increased capacity to safeguard youth mental health.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 8 for the newly relocated MJW-CYDC. The new home places the clinic inside a 10,000-square-foot addition to the Faculty of Education, the same faculty under which the clinic operates.
The new home of the MJW-CYDC is three times the size of its former location and will give staff and students the space they need to double their capacity.
The MJW-CYDC offers a full continuum of mental health care and services for children and youth in the London, Ont., community, while at the same time serving as a world-leading training site for the next generation of mental health professionals. It is named after Mary J. Wright, a psychologist and visionary educator who was a lifelong advocate for children.
“As we continue to write the next chapter of our story at the clinic, I reflect on how grateful we are to have had the support of the London and Western community to make this happen,” said Colin King, clinic director and education professor.
“Whether this support has been from our Western leaders, our donors and supporters, our community collaborators or the families we have supported, everyone has been instrumental in making this vision a reality.”
Supporting local families, training new leaders
Since it opened in 2017, the clinic has supported more than 1,400 families through a range of psychological services, including psychological assessments, individual and group counselling and psychological consultations. The clinic extends its reach even further with a multitude of community partnerships as well as a variety of mental health-related workshops for parents and caregivers.
Services are delivered by graduate students in Western’s School and Applied Child Psychology program, who work under the close supervision of psychologists. The MJW-CYDC has trained over 90 graduate students since its inception, many of whom went on to pursue key leadership and clinical roles within mental health agencies, school boards, hospitals, clinics and private practices.
The new home of the Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic in the Faculty of Education Building. (Andrew Graham/Western Education)
Families can self-refer and the MJW-CYDC provides lower-cost, not-for-profit services. This is especially important as, like all community-based mental health care, clinic services are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
During Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting, education dean Donna Kotsopoulos said this focus on accessibility and affordability is what makes the clinic a source of pride.
“An important focus for Western is giving back to the London and surrounding community. We are immensely proud being able to offer services sooner and in a more affordable way for families most in need. Roughly half of all clients benefit from discounted services,” Kotsopoulos said.
“These fees have been heavily supported through the generous support of our donors, many of whom are here today.”
Kotsopoulos also thanked the late Claire Crooks, a groundbreaking clinical psychologist, researcher and former education professor. Crooks died in June 2024.
She was the founding director of Western’s Centre for School Mental Health, and co-founder of the Fourth R, a relationship-based program to reduce dating violence and delinquency among youth. Her work had widespread impact and garnered numerous accolades, including earning her an appointment to the Order of Ontario.
“I want to acknowledge the immense contributions of our colleague and friend Dr. Claire Crooks, whose vision, ideas and generosity provided so much to our clinic and the families we serve,” Kotsopoulos said.
“She touched the lives of the faculty, staff and students who turned the dream for this clinic into a reality.”
Opening the doors to a bright future
The clinic has a long-term goal of recruiting two additional clinical supervisors, who would oversee six additional graduate trainees, allowing services to be expanded outward to schools and community sites across the region.
The additional staff would translate to support for an additional 100 to 150 children and youth each year, King said.
Clinic staff and students were quick to settle into the new home and have been serving families there since January.
King, a school and clinical child psychologist, said his team is ready to take advantage of the expanded space and explore the range of possibilities before them.
“I am excited about what our future holds and the impact we can continue to make in the lives of children and families.”
Families interested in accessing services can learn more by visiting the MJW-CYDC’s website.
