Christian Filice, a Vancouver Campus Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) student, works with youth to help them navigate mental health challenges and social barriers.

“Mental illness often starts to present itself in adolescence when there is a lot of identity development happening,” Filice said. “Adolescence is an important time to work with youth, as this support can have a huge positive affect on them and their families.”

Filice is the Program Director for Face of Today, a nonprofit social justice centre for youth in Vancouver. He began as a volunteer and now manages their programs to help support vulnerable youth.

Filice also serves as a community presenter for the Stigma Free Society in Vancouver. He visits schools to share his experience with mental health. His goal is “to reduce stigma and encourage youth to support each other, talk up, and to ask for help when they need it.”

“During the pandemic, there have obviously been a lot of changes,” Filice said. “We have had to shift our Face of Today programming to an online format. And with the stigma-free society, I have been helping them develop a resource toolkit for students, teachers, and parents on how to manage mental health during this difficult time.”

Meet Danielle Kokochak, an Online Campus student who is developing a website to help people experiencing domestic violence while staying at home.