Funded Clients

Funding for mental health support in Canada is a dynamic landscape, shaped by both provincial and federal initiatives. While governments allocate resources for various programs, the availability and scope of funding can fluctuate due to policy changes, social pressures, and shifting priorities.
Sometimes young people attending Venture Academy are funded. Here are some of their comments:

Comments on Child Progress and Program

• Our Christmas visit has gone so well. Our daughter has really matured and learned to communicate and take feedback at VA. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
• It is exciting how well K is doing. His negative behaviours have reduced significantly. Thank you to your team for supporting K. 
• I don’t know what we would have done without you guys and your help with our son. 
• Please say thank you to the staff for their tremendous patience with my daughter. The staff are so kind. 
• I would like to express my appreciation of your experience and help – I have been very frustrated with the Social Workers in being responsive, and timely, and VA has made it easier for our family. 
• It is so positive that already she has stopped storming off and there is a reduction in her mood swings. I am so grateful to VA for all that you are doing for our family. 
• I am impressed by your professionalism and commitment to families. Our family is unique and we are committed to trying to have our niece live with us when she finishes treatment. 
• Our son is sounding more positive each time I talk to him. He is able to focus there. 
• You all know what you are doing there I know that he is in good hands with you and in his host home. 
• We are so happy to get letters, to communicate with him in writing! 
• Admission day was such a relief. We feel confident that our son will be well cared for and we can go home and sleep tonight. 
• As a parent it is hard to hear how much my son struggles but I know he is at the right place to start making changes. 
• You made a lasting impression on our son – he still talks about stories from your place. Thank you for making him feel welcome and helping him adjust to being away from home. 
• She talks to me and she never would share her feelings with me. it makes me feel proud to know she is taking steps to be a positive person. 
• I continue to be so happy with the support that VA is giving the family. You are the most professional group of people I have ever come across. You are the experts I have total trust in VA. (community professional)
• We learned so much from the sessions. You taught us so much about us, about what to expect and about setting clear expectations. We still us those techniques. The cell phone still gets charged outside the bedroom at night & we ensure that we have family time with undivided attention. 
• I have no idea how to thank you. Thank you!! 
• Thanks to all the team for all that you do, young people need you! 
• Our son is doing awesome! Yesterday was his first day back to school and that was a little overwhelming for him but today is a better day!! He really has a different outlook on life, I’m so happy we made the decision to send him to Venture and so happy for the difference you folks have all played in giving him a second look at life. We have our kid back – the last 6-8 months he was not the kid that we were used to. 
• Continue to do the work you do with our teens, it’s such an important job! 
• It is so nice to get kind letters from our son. The have a new tone to them. He isn’t being demanding and aggressive in nature. 
• I am so impressed with how much improvement there is with my son. When I talk to him he is so much more mature. We still have a lot of work to do but there is hope. 
• The staff and host family helped open up our son and allow him to face his issues head on. 
• Our visit this time really showed the improvement in both of us. We are able to communicate so much better now with both of us using the new skills VA has taught us. There has been a great overall improvement with our family. 
• Thank you for taking such good care of our son during this shoulder issue. We can appreciate the care required when his shoulder is messed up. He will need surgery again and thank you for managing until we can arrange that. Please thank his HP’s for the tremendous kindness they have shown our son and our family. Our son has really grown in his time at VA and we hope for his return once the surgery is complete. 
• I learned more from you than anything leading up to VA. 
• The staff are so professional and keep me very informed on my son’s progress. The staff are great at including me in the decisions. 
• I’m grateful that he is now closer to home, thank you for accommodating and organizing his transfer. 
• He sounds like he cares and wants to engage with us. It’s extremely positive to see this is consistent for him.
• Thank you for planning for my son to see a local doctor for medication review or refills. I am impressed that my son could articulate how he was doing with the new dr with VA support. This is new, typically he would just say he didn’t know. It was great to hear that my son was mature and did a great job of advocating for himself. This is a real improvement. 
• Happy to know that the staff are able to see her behaviors that we see at home and are able to guide her and help her 
• I know that there are struggles but I have to say thank you to your team for the work they are doing with my son. 
• My daughter is really enjoying her time at VA. She is starting to feel better and feels she is really benefiting from her time there. We are thrilled. 
• He’s happy again and setting goals which is big progress for him. We are so excited.
• Thanks Maxine. I really appreciate the time you are putting into my child. 
• I am seeing some hope for change in my son. 
• First really good conversation I have had with my son face to face in years. My son was mature and open to my feedback. My son did not express any negativity about the program or his Host Parent home. My son reported he has had some issues with some of the other students, but he recognized for the first time he needs to stop bugging them. He reports really liking where he lives. I am thrilled with the reconnect as a family on this visit. I am so grateful to the team and Host Parents. 
• We trust you and we trust this process, we know that this is what she needs and i am so glad we brought our daughter. 
• It is so hard when you don’t know what your son wants or needs and we want to do what we change to make sure he is healthy. I’m happy to know that the Venture team is on our side. 
• My son and I were able to talk and communicate. Topics that would lead to fights led to mature communication. I was happy to see him using the skills he learned at Venture. 
• Healthy relationship with Host Parent Christina. She has done a wonderful job. On Friday at pick up she gave him a hug. He is also very fond of Ashley; she has done nothing but be a positive influence on him. He has built a positive relationship with her. Whatever they are doing, they are doing something right. He talked a lot about Ashley and the time they spent together.” 
• Thank you so much for being patient and understanding. K really struggles and she is the safest with you.
• It is not an easy time for her, but I know she needs this. I am confident in this process. 
• I am so grateful to the whole team for their tremendous work with our family. The team is so professional and kind at every turn. 
• Venture has allowed me to grow as a parent, no judgement and see things differently. 
• He sounds healthy and finally able to make better choices for himself. 
• Thank you for never giving up on our daughter. The move back to her home province is a good one. It makes it easier for the family to visit with our son living close by. I can tell you all care tremendously for our daughter. 
• Our family feels balanced again and we are excited to have D back at home to continue his growth. 
• The routine at VA is what helps our daughter be successful. It motivates us as parents to implement changes so we can prepare for when she returns home to us. 
• She communicates better and is telling me how she feels – this never happens (at home) and I am happy about this progress. 
• Thank you for the support during this transition 
• She is safe and I wanted this for her. 
• We got to spend quality time together as a family and we can’t remember the last time our daughter was engaged. She was a kid again, the way it should be. 
• Venture helped our daughter to see life in a positive way again. Thank you to all the staff for the work they put in to get her where she is today. Nancy thank you for caring for her and for supporting her in ways that you did not have to. You have gone above and beyond and our family is so thankful for you all. 
• I am so happy she is giving it a try; she has a lot to work on. This is such a positive step for my daughter. 
• My appreciation to the host parent for opening up her home and caring for my daughter. 
• My daughter is sounding more like herself again, I haven’t heard her like this in a while. 
• I am confident that she is in the right place to work on herself. Hard to have her away but I am thankful she can be there.
• We had a wonderful Christmas visit and my son has really changed. He was so much more engaged with me and didn’t get so mad all the time. My son feels like he needs more time at VA and feels valued and respected by VA. 
• It’s like I can hear the “happy” in my girl’s voice again, what a shift in her attitude. Thank you to the staff for being so patient.
• The staff are doing really awesome work with her – the days are not always easy it seems,  but she sounds happy. 
• I am hopeful that she will thrive if she puts her mind to it and I know the staff are doing their  best to work with my daughter It really takes skill and I mean that.  
• The old S would be closed and not want to talk. I have my girl again and she is happy and  feels good about herself. I’m so proud.  
• I find VA to be a blessing. We were doomed without it. I want to grasp VA’s knowledge.  When I am being challenged by the treatment program, I won’t get defensive.  
• There is progress, small steps but important steps.  
• Our visit with her was so great. She has never been so open to communicate the good and  the bad that she was feeling. It refreshing to be able to work through challenges with her. 
• Thank you for going the extra mile for my daughter and providing support for her that we  haven’t found anywhere else.  
• We are happy that she is learning about who she is and how she can face challenges.  
• Thank the staff and host parent for the work they are doing and continue to do. I am grateful  and it is great work that is being done.  
• You’ve changed our lives. 
• You guys are spot on. You are doing what you should be doing. You folks are an intelligent  group of people. You are applying your knowledge. 
• These are excellent, proactive measures for the children’s and family’s safety. 
• I appreciate all the prompt measures you have put in place. 
• We talked about her dad without fighting and that is a big deal that we had a hard  conversation without fighting.  
• She is learning to face her feelings and we are so proud that she is doing this since it is such a big step.  
• Our daughter was open to dialogue. 
• Last week I had one of my best calls with her and it felt like I had my daughter back again.  
• I am happy she is learning tools to regulate her emotions better.
• Sounds like Gary has already been doing a fantastic job of laying the groundwork for this next step. 
• Thank you Venture staff, again, you are all making a significant positive difference in helping my amazing daughter. I cannot thank you all enough. 
• I am a huge fan of Gary (therapist). A huge fan of Khalida (counsellor). 
•  She is turning to me. Awesome, awesome. 
• Right from the get-go everyone has been working so hard for the team. 
• Gary is worth his weight in gold. Very patient. 
• You all know exactly what you are doing – I am trusting the process. 
• The situation we are in, this is the best situation possible (W-R being at VA). So many things I have to be thankful for. 
• She is safe, she is doing productive things. 
• I am confident in the program. 
• He sounds good, he sounds happy and healthy there. It is all that I wanted for him. 
• The staff there are doing tremendous work and I am eternally grateful for the work that has been done to support my daughter. I am extremely happy with the progress that she has made. 
• Skype calls are helpful. Our daughter is about 90% more engaged.

 

Survey Comments Samples Parent 

Venture Academy saved my child’s life. It has given us as parents time to get ourselves together while she is in a safe place and getting help. There are no services available in  our community. She was not safe at home. 

__________ 

VA has helped our whole family. She is open and safe at VA and it is huge. My daughter knew she needed help and wanted to attend treatment she feels at home at VA. My daughter was harming herself prior to VA. My son had a suicide attempt and my daughter was present. She was traumatized and started acting out. School fell apart trying alcohol and drugs. Her behaviour was erratic and unpredictable. She was leaving home without permission and it was all so scary. 

__________ 

My daughter is now stable tending to her trauma and academics. We are so grateful for everything VA has done for our family. My daughter is safe, and she isn’t harming herself. She is healthy and from making healthy food choices to engaging in healthy activities. She has truly matured and grown. As parents, having VA Support and learning new ways to set boundaries and improve my parenting. We have a chance at things being so different going forward. 

__________ 

VA was our lifesaver for our Family. Thus far we have benefitted from the program. To keep our son safe. Our son has come from a significantly traumatic history (in the foster care system). He is developing trust for the process and engaging in the program most of the time. We value Ventures continuous support, structure, and consistency. The environment is nurturing, kind, supportive with clear guidelines. We do not and wish not to think of where our son and out family would be today if we had not placed in Venture, his drug use and pornography use was beyond manageability. 

__________ 

VA has changed my son’s life. He feels confident now and can express himself. Our son is now in a structured and safe environment. This transition is not right. (Indigenous reps trying to move him to another program). Our son isn’t ready yet. He is mid-treatment and now he can’t even get into school. His emotional well-being is so much better he seems more mature and confident. He is much kinder now to me and others. VA taught him a lot and parents the space to create a place of healthy boundaries and love. Our family had a lot of trauma and we were truly honored in the process at VA.

__________ 

 

Feeling supported through the process, parent coaching and updates. Our daughter has shown more emotions and communicating more when she is needing support. She is in a safe environment, more positive engagement as she was really struggling prior to VA. We have our moments, but our relationship and communication has really improved. 

__________ 

Our daughter has had the opportunity to reflect on herself and who she wants to be. She has felt valued while being in program and is supported by the campus staff and caregiver. 

__________ 

I feel like our daughter has improved in many ways although her journey is not over. Our relationship is better, and she is far less aggressive verbally & Physically. She needs to do the next step in the journey and realize her anger and aggression affects her live. 

__________ 

Communication, respect, difference about her. 

__________ 

We have been happy with the care at both campuses (ON Daughter/AB Son). Our son really learned how to control his anger, he is more mature and able to share his thoughts and feelings appropriately. 

__________ 

Our daughter learned a lot while at VA she started to be more respectful in her calls. Venture helped our daughter understand she was loveable. 

__________ 

1st and foremost we have come to our wits end with how to deal with our daughter properly. There was certainly a transition period to develop trust in the system & process. As soon as we established that, we learned how to work as a team. 

__________ 

My son in the end loved VA. This program changed his life. He will forever be grateful as well as his mama. Pre-Venture he was extremely difficult to be around. The relationship between myself and our son was toxic, and he could not hold friendships for long. Family members could only handle our son for short periods of time. And authority he would simply dismiss. Our son post-Venture is so respectful, listens, is calm, wants to do school,  and wants to go to the gym, fits in well with family and friends, can regulate his emotions  and express how he is feeling so that I am able to understand and work through it. Thank  you tremendously for the much-needed support you gave my family. 

__________ 

Our son sounded proud on the phone calls of his work. He missed home but spoke of  the good food and staff helping. Our son stopped sounding angry.  

__________ 

Venture helped our son. 

__________ 

Thank you for helping our daughter get back on track and provided the supports needed  for her to learn positive skills to do well. 

__________ 

Thank you, he is doing much better now.  

__________ 

The staff and host family helped open up our son and allow him to face his issues head-on. 

     __________ 

Staff are professional & caring. They kept me informed. 

__________ 

This is a wonderful thing VA is doing for families, the road map you are giving us not only  helps our niece but our whole family. 

__________ 

Reset for our son and for the family. Parent coach was very helpful. Moving forward we  hope to keep things on track with our son and now we have the tools. Continue to work with the parent coach. 

__________

Survey Comments from Youth 

I have benefited by being able to be open, assertive, and honest with my family. Being able  to communicate with them and be honest and talk to them about anything I need has been  an amazing opportunity and I am so thankful I have learned everything I did and I really  hope I will be able to maintain this in the future which I know I will and I’m just so so so  thankful. 

__________ 

It’s been good. I feel like I am doing better. I didn’t feel like I was ready to do the counseling, but Matt was supportive & nice. 

__________ 

Venture has helped me through a lot, and I think and hope I will have a better life. 

 __________ 

I really liked my Host parents. They treated me like family. The staff have supported me  too. I feel like I can communicate better. I have plans for the future for the first time.  

__________ 

I really enjoyed VA because the program had helped me overcome my struggles and my  behaviour towards people. This program has showed me how to show respect towards  people and to show respect towards myself. And how to be assertive when there is a  conflict going on. And how to improve on my schoolwork. And how to grow. 

__________ 

I’m happy that I was sent to Venture for the relationship between my parents. I’m thankful  that it’s improved a whole lot. 

__________ 

I feel like I did well, but I am ready to be with my family again.  

__________ 

The staff have been helpful/supportive. Group was good and it taught me anger management.  Having staff present when I am talking to my Mom helps because we need to communicate  better.

__________ 

 

Talking with Ashley, playing basketball with venture kids, talking with my parents on visits/phone call, talking with host parents. Venture brought my family together more. I hope to think before my actions and help with others and stay physically healthy. 

__________ 

I have learned a lot of healthy skills. How to be assertive and how to handle my feelings and not to worry what others say or think about me and that it is okay to be angry but don’t hurt others, don’t hurt yourself, and don’t hurt property. I’ve learned new skills in CrossFit and how much stronger I am with my confidence. How to be helpful with the new youth and give positive feedback, when they are feeling overwhelmed. Louise has helped me lots with my emotions and assertiveness, she has been nice and gave me positive feedback when I was upset, even though I didn’t like VA at first. Thank you for helping me! 

__________ 

Being able to share my feelings and truly being me. I am more able to be an open book with my family. I can actually have a conversation with them, without lying or having short answers trying to tell my parents what I thought to hear. I was very sad, and seeing my mom as much as possible so people couldn’t tell me what to-do. This made my situation worse. 

__________ 

I believe I have benefitted so far with my stress and coping skills have helped me so much. There were some really fun times making the puzzle was one of them. And when I learned to wake surf. Some of my hopes moving forward are finishing school, getting a great job and going to the gym. It was a great experience and so much help. Everyone was really great to me. Don’t play games with B. This has helped me restart my life and start over with new friends and not get back into the stuff I was in before. 

__________ 

I received a lot of stuff here. I finished my grade 8 here. I’m sober, healthy, strong.

     __________ 

More family time with my sisters when I go home

 

Youth Reflections from Venture Academy

What was happening before you came to Venture Academy? 

• Conflict, lots of anger
• I was never with my parents. I often  lied, stole things. I coped in unhealthy  ways, such as drugs and alcohol. I  didn’t respect my given curfew. I ran  away. I often snuck out. I didn’t respect  my family. I lied about being missing. I  skipped school. I was having too many  inappropriate relationships.  
• I didn’t have good relationships  with anybody and had really low  self-esteem. I had a lot of trauma  that I did not know how to work  through. 
• I had a bad relationship with my  grandma. Anxiety and trauma. I was  very mean and stubborn. I had ADHD. 
• I was arguing with my parents, doing  drugs and drinking. 
• I was lying, and not even trying or caring. 
• I was in jail, beat up another kid, drugs. 
• I was going through grief and loss.
• I was into stealing and other shit and I was in the hospital for 2 weeks. I found this place and It  helped me find my inner self and helped me restart.
• Use of drugs, fighting, selling drugs,  partying, getting into trouble with  the law and running away. 
• I was self-harming and had really low self-esteem. I was suicidal. I was using drugs and didn’t have a great relationship with my family. 
• Depression, I didn’t listen to anyone. I was getting in physical  fights with my parents. There was  a ton of yelling.

What have you learned or achieved while at Venture?

• I have learned to help my anxiety and stress. I have a better relationship with my grandma and family.
• Respect for me and others. Right from wrong. Healthy way to cope, to understand my parents a lot better. I personally dealt with my anxiety and my fears. I learnt about trust and honesty, how to be open, open with my feelings and being proactive. Staying motivated, to stay positive, to move on from the past. How to consider other people’s emotions and understanding the effects of drugs.
• I learned that there is a lot more in this world than doing drugs and that I am smart.
• Talk to my family more. I want to go to therapy with my family and want to spend more time with them. I also want to go to school.
• To be a strong young man.
• How to make a healthy relationship, and how to control my anger. I learned how to not react to things or fake them too serious.
• I learned to take care of myself and feel good about myself. I also learned to cope with my stress and feelings of depression. I worked on my trauma.
• I learned to cope with my suicidal thoughts and learned ways to increase my self-esteem to feel better about myself. I learned how to communicate better with my mom.
• I learned lots of good coping skills and ways to deal with stress. I have learnt how to deal with other people better and make new friends and make better decisions.
• I have been clean and not smoking. I have wanted to punch other boys but haven’t. I have controlled my anger.
• My time has been cut short due to my shoulder injury, but I feel so far, I have been able to get off drugs and smoking. I feel more calm and not in a fog.
• I have learned to communicate better with my family (Dad & Stepmom). I have learned to take their feedback and not just see it as some kind of attack. I understand now we can disagree without fighting.
• I have learnt how to try. I have learnt who I am and how to care about myself.

What will you do differently when you return home?

• I will do chores and help out and go to school and talk to my grandma when I have problems.
• Use skills that I learned here at home.
• Respect my given curfew, and respect and understand my family’s boundaries. Don’t avoid school. Stay alcohol and drug free.
• Stay honest and open, have self-respect for myself. Use my healthy and beneficial coping methods.
• Spend more time with family. Drop all unhealthy people. Spend less time online. Consider my families emotions.
• Listen, go to school, don’t drink and smoke drugs. I’m going to work out.
• Schooling, family time, friendships, and working/active.
• Have a better relationship with my family. Not do drugs and communicate when I need support.
• Sit down and talk things through. Dad and I have the ability now. I value my relationship now with my dad. It’s a work in progress still with my mom. She doesn’t forgive me.
• I learned to cope with my suicidal thoughts and learned ways to increase my self-esteem to feel better about myself. I learned how to communicate better with my mom. New friends, stop stealing, stop drugs, stop smoking, stop lying, help out more and spend more time with family and make better decisions.
• Listen more.
• Well, first I have to wait for the surgery to happen. Then during recovery I will be stuck in bed. I hope I can appreciate all that my mom will be doing for me.
• Everything, I will stop lying, and start caring more and being proactive.

How has certain staff impacted you while you were here?

• Josh impacted me just by showing me that there is more in the world. He helped me through a lot and would like to keep him as a bud.
• Staff impacted me here by supporting my rough/emotional times, they were 100% easy to talk to. Staff also supported me academically by providing me with schoolwork. Therapy was helpful, recommending tools that were helpful. Nancy with her extreme kindness towards me.
• Ashley has helped me out a lot through this. She has been supportive and nice and there when I needed her.
• Staff impacted me while I was here by setting revised responsibilities, chores and helped me stick to my goals of going home.
• How to make a healthy relationship, and how to control my anger. I learned how to not react to things or take them too serious.
• Maxine: she helped me improve my self-esteem. Ashley: laughing at my jokes and helping me during my really hard days.
• I felt I could really talk to Maxine, she helped me to understand my family issues and ways to repair the damage with my mom and sister. I got back on track with school, thanks to all the teachers I worked with. Ashley helped me stay in the right mind set and helped me to understand some stuff by relating from her own experiences.
• Ashley: She was easy to talk to and supported me every day. Maxine: helping me in therapy.
• Kelly and Jodi really helped me out with court. Jodi said things to try to help me go in the program vs jail again.
• Kirk my HP was awesome. He was fun and serious too. Kirk really got me thinking about how I treat people. Kelly was so kind. He sat with me for
• hours at the hospital. The schoolhouse staff were great! I made good relationships with all the teachers and therapists. I care about them a lot.
• Jordan for being funny and kind. Jodi for being kind.

Stand out moments

• My visit time with Ashley, therapy and lots of support from the girls in Venture and the people here. Finding out I was going home.
• Me and Ashley talking about the past.
• Having visits with my family, and playing sports with Lenin and his family.
• Fishing with Kelly, Peak Performance workouts. Being able to share my thoughts and be me. I can really say that Venture worked for me. One bad part was when another youth threatened me, but other than that my stay at Venture was very good.
• Activities we did at the house with Josh. Being able to go on visits while I was here.
• When Josh got into the wrong van. Everyday was a standout moment.
• I don’t want to go home.
• Talking to my family for the first time.
• My visit.
• Finishing a whole 8 units.
• Improving my relationship with mom and dad.
• Receiving my positive letters.

On Admissions Day

Just wanted to send a note to say thanks for your support and to give you an update on  our son. This has been an emotional month, June 2018 I spent most of the month in  the hospital here in Fort McMurray with our son not knowing what the future held for  us. His mental state of mind was a concern and I had no idea where to turn for help.  Emotions were overwhelming! 

Our son was crying for help, wanted to end his life. I questioned where I went wrong  as a parent, what could I do different, what did we do wrong as a family and confused about how to get this situation back on track. 

I spent hours in the hospital room researching where to turn for help. I made several  phone calls to find most treatment centers were for drug addictions (which wasn’t our  concern) and not mental health support. I made the decision to reach out to Venture  and see how you could help.  

June 28th was an extremely difficult day for me, the day that I would drop off my 16  year old to a strange place. This was the hardest day of my life, I felt like a complete  failure as a parent. I had to turn over my kid to someone else to get back on track.  Deep inside I knew it was the only hope and that it was best for both of us and best for  our family. This did not make it easier.  

Our son stayed at Venture for 60 days – I drove back (to get him) on August 24th – what  an awesome day. 

One Year Later

We can’t thank your team enough. Our son is doing extremely well – just as Terri taught us there has been ups and downs in the first few months and we managed to get right back on track. Our son is writing his last diploma exam on Thursday and will graduate on June 28th (exactly one year from Venture admission). This date will forever be engraved in my memory.

He is working a part time job while finishing school and has secured full time employment after graduation. We are so thankful that 60 days at Venture really helped reset a few things in his life. We never know what tomorrow has in store for us, but we are so thankful for where we are today.