Young people on the Sunshine Coast will soon have access to much-needed mental-health and substance-use supports through a new Foundry centre.
Once open, Foundry Sunshine Coast will offer young people 12-24 and their families welcoming and appropriate services to fit their unique needs, such as drop-in counselling, medical care, youth and family peer support, and social services.
“A new Foundry centre on the Sunshine Coast will give young people a safe and judgment-free space to find mental-health, wellness and substance-use supports right in their own community,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, in a statement. “B.C. is happy to fund and partner with Sunshine Coast Community Services to help local young people get the help they need.”
Foundry’s roots at St. Paul’s Hospital
Foundry began in St. Paul’s Hospital in 2015 and has grown into a network of care for young people across the province.
There are 13 Foundry centres throughout the province in Vancouver-Granville, North Shore (North Vancouver), Campbell River, Ridge Meadows, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Prince George, Victoria, Penticton, Richmond, Terrace, Comox Valley and Langley.
“We are heartened by the commitment of the Foundry Sunshine Coast team to ensure that young people have access to health and wellness services,” said Steve Mathias, executive director, Foundry. “We are excited to welcome Sunshine Coast to our growing network of Foundry centres and to work alongside our partners and the young people here to create a centre that will be welcoming, inclusive and will meet young people wherever they are.”
Nine new Foundry centres in development
The Province will be providing annual funding for operations and services at Foundry Sunshine Coast, as well as one-time funding of $1 million to establish the centre.
An additional nine new Foundry centres are in development in Burns Lake, East Kootenay (Cranbrook), Port Hardy, Sea to Sky (Squamish), Surrey, Cariboo-Chilcotin (Williams Lake), Fort St. John, Tri-Cities and Kamloops. In addition, Foundry services can be accessed from anywhere in the province through Foundry Virtual BC, which can be accessed by app, phone or at foundrybc.ca/virtual.
Enhancing supports for young people living with mental-health and substance-use needs is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap for building a comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care for British Columbians.
Read the full news release about Foundry Sunshine Coast here.
