Trauma has had a devastating effect on Kelton’s mental health. 

Growing up in what he calls 'a very abusive household,' Kelton says he was physically, emotionally, and verbally abused by his father and sexually abused by a babysitter.  

Kelton struggled throughout his young life to get help, he was in and out of the hospital and made multiple attempts on his own life.  

While Kelton’s story is his own, its circumstances are not unique. 

That’s why Upstream has been embracing mental health as central to wellbeing for 40 years.

The statistics almost guarantee that you or someone you care about will experience a mental health or substance use problem in their lifetime. 

One in four Ottawa residents rated their mental and emotional well-being as only ‘fair’ or ‘poor.’ That’s a 433% increase since 2016 when 6% felt their mental health was poor or fair.

In any given year, one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness. Approximately the same number have experienced problematic substance use in their lifetime. As a society, we’re all affected.  

Your support of our organization allows us to provide tailored, client-centred, and wraparound mental health and substance-use care to over 200 youth, adults, and families across the city of Ottawa. Together, we are changing the lives of individuals, instilling hope in our community, and creating a society that is more just, connected, and well.