MLAs, VCH, community members celebrate launch of Foundry North Shore
North Vancouver-area MLAs joined with members of the community, VCH-Coastal Interim Operations Director Tanis Evans and VCH staff today to celebrate the launch of Foundry North Shore, a new integrated youth service centre that will be operated by VCH.
The event, hosted at the unfinished site at 211 West 1st location Thursday morning, was well attended by Foundry North Shore core partners as well as youth spokesperson Zohrah Kahlili and parent representative Deb Maguire, who shared her personal story of the loss of her son to mental health-related suicide.
“I am very proud of all the hard work that has taken place thus far in the planning process of Foundry,” said Tanis at the event. “Special mention to Terry Bulych, Clinical Planner of Foundry North Shore, who has worked tirelessly rallying the troops and creating an inclusive environment where all stakeholders’ voices are heard.”
“Also, a thank you to Kerrie Watt who has provided significant support to Terry in moving this project forward.”
When it opens in late spring, Foundry will bring existing services under one roof so families and young people age 12 to 24 can access a one-stop shop for primary care, mental health, substance use, and social services.
Foundry North Shore is one of the five centres announced in June 2016, as part of a provincial network of easily accessible youth service centres hosted by local organizations.
The other Foundry centres will be located in Prince George, Kelowna, Campbell River and Abbotsford. These new sites build on the success of St. Paul’s Granville Youth Health Centre in Vancouver. This model focuses on earlier therapeutic interventions, when mental health problems are just emerging. Intervening early can help to prevent challenges with mental health and substance use from becoming more serious.
Services at Foundry will be offered by interdisciplinary teams, which may include physicians, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, mental health and substance use clinicians, youth and family peer support and navigation workers, youth and guardianship workers, income assistance and supported employment service workers, outreach workers, LGBTQ+ support and navigation, Aboriginal child service social workers and other Aboriginal service providers.
The Ministry of Health provided $3 million to the InnerChange Foundation in March 2015 to develop the centres, and the North Shore centre is supported by partner funding from Vancouver Coastal Health, which is contributing $2.5 million annually to its operation.
Further investments to the centres include a $1.5-million investment from the Graham Boeckh Foundation, and commitments from InnerChange Foundation and St. Paul’s Foundation to each fundraise $1.5 million. The Ministry of Children and Family Development is providing significant support to the initiative through resources in each of the centres. The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research will be providing $800,000 toward the evaluation and research component of the initiative.
Foundry executive director Dr. Steve Matthias, VCH Coastal COO Karin Olson, Interim Ops Director Tanis Evans and MLA Jane Thornthwaite at the official launch of Foundry North Shore.
For more information on Foundry: www.foundrybc.ca
To learn about the Granville Youth Health Centre, visit: www.innercityyouth.ca
Foundry North Shore will centralize VCH North Shore primary care and youth mental health and addiction services into one location at 211 West 1st St. in North Vancouver.