The agency that helps Niagara young people struggling with mental health problems has launched a major new campaign to pay off the mortgage on its headquarters and free up millions of dollars to treat kids at the grassroots level.

Pathstone Mental Health aims to raise more than $1 million over the next 14 months to retire its mortgage and direct more money to where it can do more good for kids, says Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Ginny Medland Green, who is chairing the Clearing the Path campaign.

With innovative walk-in clinics, plus other vital services across Niagara, and its massive Branscombe Mental Health Centre near the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines, Pathstone is the region’s “go-to place for kids” with mental health issues, says CEO Shaun Baylis.

And more than 5,000 children a year — a total that keeps growing — rely on Pathstone, he told the campaign’s kick-off at a reception in NOTL last week.

The growth in demand is one reason why the agency’s new fundraising drive is so crucial, he said.

Nine months ago, the Branscombe Centre building’s mortgage sat at $3.7 million and Pathstone was staring down another eight or more years of loan payments.

But $2.5 million in donations quietly contributed by three individuals gave the campaign a huge headstart and the outstanding total is down to $1.2 million.

Medland Green and another anonymous donor together pledged a total of $1.5 million, and then last month Tom Kevill of St. Catharines stepped forward with more than $1 million for the cause.

Thanks to contributions like those, looking ahead, “the path is clearing,” Green said.

Without a mortgage, Pathstone could have upward of another $500,000 a year at its disposal for programs to help kids, she noted.

Dr. Richa Agnihotri, a community pediatrician who works extensively with Pathstone, says helping Niagara’s children, youth and teens deal with mental health crises requires money, time and a sound strategy.

“Mental health cannot be viewed in isolation,” she told the audience of about 70 donors and would-be contributors who attended the launch at the Niagara Parkway home of Ann-Louise Branscombe.

“A child’s mental well-being is influenced by many factors, including physical health, sleep, nutrition, family relationships, school experiences, social connections and the environment in which they live,” Agnihotri said.

“When a child struggles, there is rarely a single cause. Because of that, there is rarely a single solution.”

Medication can help some children, but it’s also important to intervene early and help them before problems become too severe, Agnihotri said.

That philosophy led to the creation of Pathstone’s Pediatric Wellness Clinic, which takes “a comprehensive approach to understanding the whole child,” she said.

“Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, we examine the factors influencing well-being and work collaboratively with families to identify practical strategies that promote resilience, healthy development and long-term wellness.”

She embraces this approach because it focuses on prevention.

“By identifying concerns early, we can often change the trajectory of a child’s mental health journey — and lifelong health and well-being,” Agnihotri said.

“When we help a child early, the impact can last a lifetime.”

For more information, go to pathstonementalhealth.ca.