In the Spring of 2016, five communities across British Columbia—Abbotsford, North Vancouver, Kelowna, Campbell River and Prince George—were selected to develop a one-stop shop for youth to access primary care, mental health care, addictions support and social services.  All sites are now in development and on track to open in the Spring of 2017.  
 
One of the innovations of this project is the creation of a positive brand for the integrated services hubs that will be highly visible in the community and will clarify where youth and families can receive rapid access to care. The hope is that the brand will encourage early help-seeking by creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.  
 
The five community sites participated in a process to develop the brand, a process which included a broad range of stakeholders including service providers, funders, family representatives and especially youth. The process was informed by clearly identifying the values and philosophy of the service:
 
“youth and family-centred, collaborative and empowering; services that are timely, accessible, developmentally appropriate, socially inclusive and equitable, and culturally sensitive, congruent, and safe.”
 
The outcome is a name and a brand story, as well as a design for the service that will inform the architecture of the sites.
 


"With Foundry, young people and their families can find help, hope, and support. It is where young people can forge new connections, abilities, and pathways. Foundry is a foundation for health and wellness.”

The project has generated a great deal of interest from the philanthropic community in BC  where GBF is continuing to expand its partnerships.  These now include the North Foundation, Conconi Foundation, St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, Innerchange Foundation and the Royal Bank of Canada, among others.
 

At the December announcement for Foundry Kelowna, BC Premier Kristy Clark said, “Asking for help is hard, but getting it shouldn’t be. By launching this centre we’re making it as easy as possible for youth and families to take charge of their health by providing a variety of services through an integrated and personal approach.” Read more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/integrated-service-youth-centre-kelowna-mental-health-1.3893031
 

 

Premier Kristy Clark announces Foundry Kelowna.

 
More details about the Foundry brand story can be found here http://foundrybc.ca/app/themes/foundry/assets/docs/BCIYSI-Brand-Story.pdf or visit www.foundrybc.ca to sign up for e-updates, follow on social media, or make a donation.

At GBF, a core element of our strategy is to develop IYS across the country, acting as a catalyst and partnering with governments and foundations.  For more information on how GBF is supporting the development of integrated youth services in Canada, read more at http://grahamboeckhfoundation.org/projects/youth-mental-health/

New Brunswick Wins Award for Integrated Child and Youth Services

Another major transformation in youth mental health is taking place on the other side of the country, in New Brunswick. We are delighted that the province has recently been recognized for their transformational efforts, as the recipient of the national 2016 IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award. Their work has focused on the creation of a Network of Excellence (a province-wide approach to child and youth mental health) and the implementation of an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model. At its core, ISD brings together services from Education and Early Childhood Development, Social Development, Public Health, and Justice and Public Safety in an effort to provide integrated mental health, addiction, social and emotional support, and other services to children and youth. Through the use of multi-disciplinary, early intervention teams (often based in schools), and stepped care models, the province is striving to ensure that the right care is provided at the right time and in the right way across the mental health continuum of care. The approach has been so successful that the province plans to scale ISD across the province by the end of 2017. 
 
ISD is also working with ACCESS OPEN Minds NB, one the twelve sites in the ACCESS Open Minds pan-Canadian research project funded by GBF and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). ACCESS NB is helping to integrate not-for-profit, community-based services into the province-wide strategy, with three community sites opening in the next few months in St. John, Elsipogtog and Caraquet.  
 

 


The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is holding its second annual national conference at the Toronto Hilton, September 18-20, 2017.
 
The theme of the conference is Mental Health for All - It takes a nation. GBF attended last year's conference and organized a panel presentation on integrated youth services. The event is an opportunity for those involved in mental health from across the country to forge new relationships and discuss important issues. It was a tremendous success and the organizers are working to make this year's conference even better!

The deadline for the submission of abstracts for the conference is February 24^th. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit their website.