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Care Pathways Study

Overview

The Care Pathways Study is a longitudinal qualitative and ethnographic study that follows young people’s lives and care trajectories across time. Through repeat interviews and in-depth fieldwork, we learn from youth, families, caregivers and service providers as young people navigate substance use, mental health, foster care, justice, pediatric and frontline service systems.

 

The study also explores how young people and their families and caregivers define and pursue recovery and healing. Recognizing that recovery is rarely a straight path, we examine how experiences, relationships, priorities and possibilities change over time—within formal services and in everyday life.

 

Our goal is to help create more responsive, equitable and youth-centred substance use services across Metro Vancouver and beyond.

 

What we’re exploring

  • How young people’s lives, identities, relationships and environments shape their experiences of care
  • How pathways through substance use services and other systems evolve over time
  • What recovery and healing mean to youth and their families and caregivers
  • Where service gaps exist and how supports can better reflect young people’s priorities and aspirations

 

This study is led by Dr. Danya Fast (Foundry Research Scientist and Associate Professor at University of British Columbia) in collaboration with the Youth Health Advisory, Teen and Families Councils and Youth and Family Researchers.

Funders

This project is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), a grant from the Vancouver Foundation and a grant from the SickKids Foundation.

Resources