Professionals Delivering Programs for Youth

Founded in 1960, the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) is one of the largest and most comprehensive non‑profit agencies serving youth in this community. More than 350 caring professionals work from 20 locations across the city to deliver a vast range of programs and services that support at‑risk youth and their families.

YSB is a registered charity (#10822 8545 RR0001). We receive funding from the Province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa, the United Way, and generous private donors. In 2010, our annual operating budget was over $24 million. Extremely efficient, we spend just 9.5% of our budget on administration, leaving the remaining 90.5% for program delivery.

Our Strategic Priorities

The purpose of the YSB Strategic Plan is to provide a 3-year roadmap to strengthen our capacity as an exceptional leader and partner in responding to the needs of youth and families in our community. Click here to read the full document.

RESOURCES AND CAREERS

Media Kit

With more than 60 years of supporting youth in the Ottawa area, YSB is valued for its expertise in the areas of homelessness, housing, mental health, youth justice, employment, health, diversity, and youth engagement.

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Library

Get access to resources developed specifically for the YSB community.

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Careers

At YSB we offer you the opportunity to play a meaningful role in creating lasting, positive change in young people’s lives, as well in the lives of their families and communities.

FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions by our community.

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Our Vision: IMPACT TOMORROW TODAY

Our mission

We are committed to providing a safe, non-judgmental and accessible environment where individuals 12 years and older can pursue their life goals and be encouraged in making informed decisions.

Our mandate

YSB is a multi-service agency that provides services in French and English in employment, health and housing, mental health, youth engagement and youth justice. We work in partnership to develop, deliver and advocate for better conditions, services and opportunities for youth and families.

Through our services we:

Value our clients’ strengths
Believe in empowering youth and families
Value diversity
Value accountability for our clients & ourselves
Believe in meaningful youth engagement as core to our practice
Value the continuous review of the quality of our work
Believe in collaboration

Our Blog

May 4, 2023

YSB announces new CEO

The Board of Directors of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Larissa Silver as CEO. Effective Thursday, June 1, 2023, Ms. Silver will take over from YSB’s retiring Executive Director, Joanne Lowe. Ms. Silver has been Associate Executive Director of YSB since January of 2020, and before […]

Board of Directors

YSB’s Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization. Its role is to articulate our mission, set our strategic direction, define our goals, and measure and report on our performance.

Robert C. Rhéaume
Michel Guilbeault
Duane McNair Vice President, Finance and Administration
Donna MacNeil-Charbot Secretary
Meena Roberts 2nd Vice Chair

Keith Egli
Melissa Forgie
Tanya Gracie 1st Vice Chair
Mark Taylor Treasurer
Susan G. Tataryn Past Chair

Anne Huot
Mike D’Amico Board Chair
James Malizia
Robbin Tourangeau

YSB Senior Management

Joanne Lowe Executive Director
(She/Her)
Larissa Silver Associate Executive Director
(She/Her)
Mike Wade Assistant Director, Community Services
(He/Him)
Darren Graham Director of Community Services
(He/Him)
Josh Torres Assistant Director of Programs and Services, Youth Justice
(He/Him)

Ryan McKay DIRECTOR, YOUTH JUSTICE
(He/Him)
Kathryn Owens Clinical Director
(She/Her)
Monica Armstrong Director of Mental Health Services
(She/Her)
Amber Costello Director of Employment Services
(She/Her)
Bill Fenn Assistant director, Youth Justice
(He/Him)

Bonnie Graham Assistant Director, Mental Health Services
(She/Her)
Patti Murphy Executive Director, YSB Charitable Foundation
(She/Her)
Stacey Lauridsen Assistant Director of Community Services
(He/Him)
Kim Fenn Director of Quality Assurance
(She/Her)
Heidi Nichilo Clinical Assistant Director, Mental Health Services
(She/Her)

Rui Medeiros Assistant Director, Employment Services
(He/Him)
Joëlle Cupidon Director of Human Resources
(She/Her)
Bob White Director of IT
(He/Him)
Wes Richardson Director of Finance
(He/Him)
Suzanne Fraser Director of Communications
(She/Her)

About YSB