By Jim Pattison Children's Hospital

Wayne and Debra Grund Make $1 Million Gift in Support ofProvincial Child & Youth Mental Health Initiatives

Jun 22, 2023 | 2:52 PM

A Saskatoon couple is generously contributing $1 million to Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF) in support of provincial child and youth mental health initiatives.

Wayne and Debra Grund have personal connections to pediatric mental health care and were inspired to give $1 million toward child and youth mental health programs to provide added resources for Saskatchewan’s pediatric patients.

“I want to thank Wayne and Debra Grund and their family for their generous donation; it is appreciated and inspiring,” said Mental Health and Addictions Minister, Everett Hindley. “We all want our kids to be healthy and happy. This gift will build upon our efforts to ensure that programs are available to support the well-being of children and youth, and their families, when and where they need it, particularly in rural Saskatchewan.”

“During COVID-19 we saw first hand how the children and youth of Saskatchewan were struggling,” said Wayne and Debra Grund.

“Mental health issues among children and youth have always been there, the pandemic just brought attention to the desperate need for someone to do something…that is when we decided that someone was us! We are fortunate and thankful to have the opportunity to support pediatric mental health initiatives in Saskatchewan through Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

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Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is proud to work in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan to support provincial and rural/remote child and youth mental health care programs and initiatives.

“Every child in Saskatchewan deserves access to evidence-based care as close to home and their family as possible,” said Dr. AG Ahmed, Professor and Provincial Department Head Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan.

“Thank you to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation and the generous donors, The Grund Family, for providing such a significant gift for the children and youth of our province.”

Programs such as Strongest Families Institute (SFI) will be supported by this contribution. SFI provides evidence-based programs to improve mental health and well-being for children and youth by leveraging the advantages of skilled coaches. SFI’s programs have life-changing impacts on anxiety, depression, improved academic progress, family and peer relations, and overall quality of life by building resilience and confidence through our skill-based programs.

“The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is profoundly grateful to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation and their generous donors for supporting such an important initiative,” said Derek Miller, Chief Operating Officer, SHA.

“This Children and Youth Mental Health Fund will allow the Strongest Families Institute and the Department of Psychiatry to work in partnership to further support mental health parent coaching and psycho-educational services to rural and remote patients across Saskatchewan. The SHA remains committed to continuing to build responsive mental health and addictions services as part of a broader health system.”

“Pediatric health care includes treating the whole child. The mental health and well-being of Saskatchewan children and youth is an integral part of the overall health care system, of which Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation fully supports,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, President & CEO of Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“We are proud to enter into strong provincial partnerships with those who will help advance mental health resources which will directly impact Saskatchewan kids. We are very grateful for the incredible generosity of our donors who have made the decision to enter into an arena of health care that is specific to children and youth mental health needs. The Grund Family’s support will make a vital difference in the lives of our children.”

About Saskatchewan Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation

Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for the enhancement of maternal and children’s health care in Saskatchewan. Our Foundation’s mission is to inspire philanthropy for Saskatchewan to drive transformative maternal and children’s health, research, and innovation through Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and programs throughout the province. For more information, please visit pattisonchildrens.ca.

About Department of Psychiatry, U of S

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan includes a dedicated group of psychiatrists who are committed to providing high quality academics and creating well-trained clinicians, educators and researchers, to provide the people of Saskatchewan with compassionate care.

About Strongest Families Institute

Strongest Families Institute (SFI) is an award-winning charity that provides free proven skill-based programs to improve mental health and well-being by leveraging the advantages of highly skilled telephone support coaches. SFI was designed to remove barriers to care so that families gain quick access to valuable coping skills when and where they need help – in the comfort and privacy of home.

Yearly, SFI helps about 13,000 people/families by equipping them with valuable life skills to overcome issues such as challenging behaviour and night-time bedwetting in children, as well as anxiety, depression and stress management for children, youth, and adults.

With SFI’s family-centred approach, coaching telephone calls are booked at convenient times, day, or night. This means there is no need to travel, no missed time from work or school, stigma is virtually eliminated. People of all ages who complete SFI programs report having strong bonds with their coach, rate strong improvements in mental health, well-being and quality of life and are highly satisfied with SFI services.

Together, we are building good mental health routines that will lead to happier, healthier futures. To learn more about our programs, visit our website (www.strongestfamilies.com) or call 1-866-470-7111