About Us
Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services is a not-for-profit organization and the Lead Agency for children’s mental health in Grey and Bruce Counties.
We provide a wide range of mental health supports for children and youth aged 0–17 and their families. Our services include counselling, prevention and wellness programs, crisis stabilization, short-term live-in treatment, youth justice supports, special needs programming, and coordinated access planning.
With a strong focus on youth and family engagement, our care is compassionate, responsive, and tailored to each person’s needs. Our team uses a multidisciplinary approach to support children, youth, and families through life’s challenges.
Everything we do is grounded in listening, partnership, and creativity. We believe in building better futures together with children, youth, families, and our community.
Our Vision:
Inspired people. Resilient families. Empowered young people. Healthier together.
50 Years of Building Futures Together
Keystone is a non-profit organization that has been offering free mental health services to children, youth, and families in Grey and Bruce Counties since 1974. We believe in working together with families and community partners to help build stronger, healthier futures.
Keystone became an official children’s mental health agency in 1982. In 1989, we opened our Crisis Assessment and Stabilization Residential Program in downtown Owen Sound to support children and youth during mental health emergencies.
In 1994, we started our prevention work with the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC). This grew in 1997 to include Healthy Beginnings and prenatal nutrition programs, helping families early in a child’s life. Over the years, we’ve continued to grow by working closely with other community services to offer strong, connected care for families.
In 2001, Keystone was chosen to lead Access Planning for children’s services in Grey and Bruce. In 2014, we became the Lead Agency for child and youth mental health under Ontario’s Moving on Mental Health plan. In 2016, we were also named the Coordinating Agency for the province’s Special Needs Strategy for Children.
In 2025, we expanded our Live-In Treatment (LIT) program, a 13-bed service for youth ages 12 to 17 with serious mental and behavioural health challenges. This program offers 24-hour support in a safe and caring place. It focuses on stabilization, assessment, skill-building, and recovery. The Step-Up/Step-Down options help make sure each youth gets the right care at the right time.
Our Mission:
Ensuring excellence in health and mental wellness services with integrity and care for children, young people, and their families.
Supporting the Roadmap to Wellness
At Keystone, we align our work with Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness, the province’s plan to strengthen mental health and addictions care.
This means we focus on making services easier to access, more connected, and better for everyone. We support early help for children and youth, provide care that fits each person’s needs, and work closely with community partners to build a strong, consistent system. Our goal is to help every child, youth, and family get the right support at the right time.
Our Values
At Keystone we have long demonstrated our CARING and commitment to the communities of Grey and Bruce counties
Compassion
Accountability
Responsiveness
Inclusivity
Navigation
Growth Mindset
Board of Directors
Deborah Hogan-Thompson
Board Chair
Deborah Hogan Thompson is honoured to serve as Chair of the Board for Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services. A long-time resident of Meaford for more than 35 years, Deborah brings deep roots in the community and a lifelong commitment to service, creativity, and connection.
Her professional background spans human resources, retail management, and business ownership, including the successful operation of an art gallery. This diverse experience has strengthened her ability to lead with both strategic insight and empathy, fostering collaboration and innovation across sectors.
Deborah is actively engaged in both provincial and federal government initiatives, contributing her perspective to efforts that strengthen communities and promote equitable access to services. A dedicated volunteer, she also gives her time to local organizations and currently volunteers weekly with the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Wiarton.
Outside of her community and governance work, Deborah enjoys traveling, attending theatre performances, and spending time exploring the natural beauty of the Georgian Trail.
Sarah Cowley
Board Vice Chair
Sarah is pleased to be able to support Keystone Child, Youth and Family Services as a Board Member, having lived in rural Grey County with her family for over 10 years, and serving her local community as the Chief Executive Officer for the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce.
With almost 20 years of operational and strategic leadership experience in health and social services, over her career Sarah has been passionate about – and responsible for – nursing care and leadership within local, regional, provincial and nationally-renowned programs, including a broad range of mental health and addictions services for children, youth and adults.
Sarah is an experienced and enthusiastic community leader who is known in the Grey Bruce community as someone who is passionate about building strategic and collaborative relationships that drive efficient, effective service delivery and positive outcomes for clients, staff and the communities at large. Sarah holds a Master in Nursing degree (University of Toronto) and is a Certified Health Executive (Canadian College of Health Leaders).
Kristy Kransford
Board Treasurer
Kristy Kransford, CPA, CA serves as Treasurer on the Keystone Board, bringing financial expertise, dedication, and a commitment to responsible stewardship.
Kristy lives in Bruce County with her husband and their son. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys
Alanna Kade
Board Secretary
Our Leadership Team
David Willis
President & CEO
Stephen Hendriks
Director of Programs
Mark Wright
Director of Finance
Tara Saab
Director of Quality, Evaluation &Project Management
Maha Zaki
Director of Human Resources
Together for Mental Health -
Our Funders
At Keystone, partnerships are at the heart of everything we do and how we do everything. We are grateful to our funders, as well as to the local organizations and businesses whose support and donations help make our work possible.
Supporting Child and Youth Mental Health
Your support can make a real difference. Together, we can ensure children, youth and families receive the resources they need.
Get involved today: volunteer, donate, or partner with us to empower young lives.