In 2019, over 9,700 young people accessed services at Foundry centres around British Columbia. Announced today, eight more Foundry centres will be developed across B.C. to support care for youth mental health and substance use.
The new Foundry centres will be in Burns Lake, Comox Valley, Cranbrook, Langley, Squamish, Surrey, Port Hardy and Williams Lake.
The new locations, as with all Foundry centres, will offer increased access to integrated health and wellness services for young people aged 12 to 24 in both rural and urban communities. Each centre will offer primary care, youth and family peer supports, walk-in counselling, mental health and substance use services, and social services all under one roof, making it easier for youth to get help when they need it.
“We were inspired by the communities that participated in the expansion process to identify the next eight lead agencies,” said Steve Mathias, executive director, Foundry. “Communities from all over B.C., urban, rural and remote, felt that this was something that their youth and families needed and wanted. We look forward to our network growing to 19 centres and eventually seeing the great impact these Foundry centres will have on youth, families, care providers and communities.”
The new locations were chosen after a two-step evaluation process. The process began in October 2019 with a call for expressions of interest. It included several independent panels, a two-day in-person convening session, a second written submission and phone and in-person interviews with representatives from interested community organizations.
For youth and families not living near a Foundry centre, Foundry recently launched a new province-wide virtual service. It is accessible by voice, video and chat, designed for young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers. Foundry’s virtual services include drop-in counselling, peer support and family support, and will soon include primary care.
The Foundry model is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap for making mental health and addictions care better for people in British Columbia. Implementing A Pathway to Hope is a shared priority with the BC Green Party caucus and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.
Hosted by Providence Health Care, Foundry is supported by the Government of British Columbia, the Graham Boeckh Foundation, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and donors to St. Paul’s Foundation. foundrybc.ca is powered by BC Children’s Hospital.
Click here to read the full news release.