Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS)’ Youth Support Centre is a 24/7, single-point-of-access to immediate and low-barrier physical, mental, cultural, and emotional health supports and a safe place to stay for youth aged 15-21 who are experiencing crisis in the Edmonton Metro Area. The Youth Support Centre also hosts Monday to Friday Resource and Health Hubs with physical and mental health clinics and youth-supporting resources to ensure youth 15-24 get the help they need, when they need it, and where they need it—in their community.
Our focus is on building strong collaborations with our Youth Agency Collaboration partners to leverage what each of us does best, to create more effective processes, outcomes, and opportunities for youth.
Mission
Mission
Collaboratively build a network of care to ensure youth get the expert help they need, when they need it, and where they need it.
Vision
A more connected, holistic, and lower-barrier system for youth in crisis.
Values
Courage to be honest, vulnerable, and curious.
Connection with all stakeholders, both internal and external, to establish trust, empathy, and understanding.
Commitment to lead with intention, to make a meaningful difference, and be accountable in all we do.
2024-2029 Strategic Plan
Our History
We are so proud to be part of the Edmonton community for over 40 years! On September 1, 1981, YESS was officially incorporated after years of work from the community in Bonnie Doon.
Over the years we have moved from the crisis focus of emergency shelter to a prevention focus that provides everything from shelter to resources to trauma support. We even changed our name to Youth Empowerment and Support Services in 2012.
What has stayed constant is the importance of community in our mission to walk beside youth on their journeys towards healing.
Thank you to our partner agencies, board members, donors, volunteers, and wider community for collaborating with us over the years! And thank you to the youth who are courageously seizing their goals and their futures in our programs.
2024-2025 Annual Report
It’s been a year of forward movement defined by growth through change. Despite economic uncertainty, internal adjustments, and the ongoing work of supporting youth facing trauma, we remained focused on its strategic plan centered around youth care, support, and connection. Our 24/7 Youth Support Centre saw an increase of 21% of youth served in the past year and this speaks to the growing need of our support.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes towards our dedicated team and the unwavering support of our Board of Directors, donors, funders, and partners for being a part of the important progress we have made. New staff additions have strengthened capacity and laid the groundwork for a sustainable future at YESS. Throughout this past year, we began community engagement initiatives to build community connection and we will continue to create spaces for the community to be involved in our work.
We thank you for standing by and empowering the young people we serve and look forward to continuing the impactful work!
Learn more
Awards
Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction
The Circle’s True Awards are presented to those demonstrating commitment, passion, and ingenuity in reducing stigma and improving lives of those affected by mental illness and addiction.
YESS was awarded the Circle’s True Imagination Award 2022 for our Cohort Transitional Residence Pilot Project.
True imagination and innovation in mental health and addiction services are the cornerstone of this category. The YESS Cohort Independent Residence Pilot Project was created both as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a known lack of transitional residence in Edmonton’s current youth housing system. This pilot program was funded by Homeward Trust for one year to provide “family cohort” style living for 73 youth and allowed them to be unmasked and not socially distanced in their cohorts. The program was also designed by youth to help them identify what skills they need to work on as they transition into more independence. This program was highly successful in helping more than 40 youth transition to more independent housing and helping the other 33 youth understand what further support they need in building resilience. This unique, youth-designed model proved to be a key element needed in the support system for youth experiencing crisis and housing instability.
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
YESS is so honoured to see our President & CEO, Margo Long, nominated for the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal for her dedication and service to Alberta. To have this nomination come from Rachel Notley, MLA for our neighbourhood in Edmonton-Strathcona, is particularly meaningful and reflects the impact Margo’s leadership has had in our community.
Margo has served as the President & CEO of YESS for five years and in that time has grown our organization to become truly visionary in our scope for the ways we support youth who access our programs. Bringing our focus to the healing of trauma and integration back into community has allowed us to address the root causes of crisis and homelessness that youth face. In the past years of the pandemic, Margo empowered the leaders at YESS to become even more innovative, to try new programs and structures to meet youth where they were at in this truly unprecedented time. As we start to feel safer in looking ahead to the future, we are truly excited to have Margo’s enormous sense of vision, empathy, and bravery at the heart of this journey.