A mental health crisis care box
teenagers will actually use & like.

BrainBox
In Hospitals

We know that a many suicidal teens leave emergency departments on lengthy waitlists for publicly funded counselling. That's why we've partnered with Grand River Hospital's CAIP unit to provide a BrainBox for free to every teenager being discharged after a mental health stay.

HELP US BRING BRAINBOX TO LIFE!

The first BrainBox deliveries were made to Grand River Hospital in August 2023! This program has been supported for the coming year with funding from The Waterloo Rotary, River Dali Foundation, and Troop Impact Fund.

We would love to expand the availability of BrainBox to other hospitals and caregivers. If you or your business are a in a position to make a significant donation towards this goal, we would love to hear from you!

BrainBox In
Your Community

Across Canada, there are many organizations and individuals standing in the gap to help teenagers that are at risk of suicide. If you are a caregiver to a youth that's in crisis and needing some extra mental health resources while they wait for counselling, we are here to help!

Contact Us

LET'S MAKE WAITING
SUCK LESS

In the Waterloo-Wellington region, there are over 3500 people waiting for care for mental health or addictions. Many of those are young people.​ For those who don't have access to family health benefits, they can often spend six to fifteen months waiting to visit a counsellor, psychiatrist, or psychologist. There just isn't enough publicly-funded help available, which can leave suicidal teenagers at a much higher risk of re-attempting without any ongoing support.​

That's where BrainBox comes in. It's not a replacement for therapy, but a tool to help youth endure the wait for professional support. We've packed BrainBox with simple tools and encouraging words to let young people know their tomorrows are worth waiting for!

WHAT'S IN IT?

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Excitement,
not
Anxiety

Small moments of joy in the middle of struggle

You know that jolt of excitement you get when a package is delivered to your door, even if you didn't buy it? We want to capture that feeling and provide it to a young person in crisis. Behind every BrainBox is the goal of providing a resource that would not only be helpful, but be exciting to receive. A lot of work and thought goes into BrainBox to make it safe, useful, and enjoyable.

Cool,
not
Clinical

Nobody wants a stress ball with a financial services logo

We know it can be hard to find mental health supports that don't feel childish or sterile. That's why BrainBox is curated to provide tools and resources that won't likely be tossed into the garbage or carelessly squished into the bottom of a backpack. Most of its contents were designed and created by us with the approachable style you've come to expect from Hashtag Hope. 

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Focused,
not
Filler

More than the pop-psychology you'll find on social media

Everyone has ideas for how to be healthier and happier. Some of those work better than others. We want to provide the best encouragement we can and always improve. That's why many of our resources take inspiration from common DBT recommended practices. All BrainBox contents are also approved by the experts at Grand River Hospital to help us make sure that BrainBox will actually be welcomed, safe, and helpful to teens in crisis.

PARTNER WITH US

Make a difference in the life of a teenager in crisis. Help us continue to provide BrainBox for free to local hospitals and offer it affordably to other caregivers. We can't do this without you!

All gifts are tax-deductible in Canada and go directly to the BrainBox program.

Want to make a larger donation or partner with us in another way? Please contact us at brainbox@hashtaghope.ca

DONATE TODAY!

SPECIAL THANKS

BrainBox would not be possible without the generous support of our community and business partners: