New Foundry Centre Locations Announced

We’re very happy to see twelve new Foundry centres included as part of the 2023/2024 Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions (MMHA) budget announcement. All young people and their caregivers across BC should have equitable access to integrated health and social services, and this expansion brings us closer to that goal.  

Staying true to our culture of collaboration, we’ll be partnering with communities in BC to implement these new Foundry centres, creating seamless pathways of care for young people and their caregivers.  

We’re so grateful to the Government of BC, our partners and supporters, and we look forward to further collaboration to bring this expansion to fruition. 

The next 12 new centre locations have yet to be identified. Our team is working closely with our Foundry network, youth and families and key partners to identify a process for this phase of expansion. Continue to check this page for more updates regarding our expansion process. 

Questions? Email expansion@foundrybc.ca or read the news release to learn more.

 

Land Acknowledgement

At Foundry BC, our provincial work extends across lands that are built on a complex history of colonization. These lands are home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples today. Indigenous people’s histories, knowledges and ways of being are diverse and unique to every community Foundry has a presence in. 

We recognize and respect Coast Salish Peoples as traditional stewards of the stolen, occupied, and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Stz’uminus Nations and the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group that our central office is located on. 

Don't have a Foundry centre in your community?
You can still access Foundry services virtually through the free Foundry BC app or by phone!

Foundry BC Virtual

Frequently Asked Questions

How will the next Foundry centre communities be selected?

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We currently don’t know where the 12 new centres will be located, however we are working closely with our Foundry network, youth and families and key partners to identify a process for this phase of expansion. For the latest updates on the expansion process, visit foundrybc.ca/expansion. 

How do I get a Foundry centre in my community?

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We appreciate your interest in learning how the Foundry expansion process will unfold. We currently don’t know where the 12 new centres will be located however we are working closely with our Foundry network, youth and families and key partners to identify a process for this phase of expansion. For the latest updates on the expansion process, visit foundrybc.ca/expansion.

What services will these new centres provide?

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Foundry centres bring together mental health services, substance use supports, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer support and other social services to provide care in an integrated and individualized approach for BC young people aged 12-24 and their caregivers.

How can young people in communities without a Foundry centre access Foundry services?

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Foundry’s provincial virtual services are available for BC youth between the ages of 12-24 and their caregivers.  

Youth can utilize the Foundry BC app to access drop-in counselling, scheduling a virtual counselling appointment, find peer support, access physical & sexual healthcare, get support with employment or join a youth or caregiver group. 

For those with limited access to the Internet, the above services are also available by phone. 

With all Foundry services, Foundry Virtual BC services are free of charge. To learn more, visit foundrybc.ca/virtual. 

Do youth and young adults need a referral to access services?

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At Foundry, we aim to remove barriers for young people to access care. All services at Foundry are free of charge and confidential 

BC youth aged 12-24, and their families, are welcome at Foundry – no appointment is necessary and young people can self-refer to a Foundry centre or Foundry’s provincial virtual service.

What funding is available for Foundry?

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Budget 2023 provides $74.9 million over three years for the enhancement of Foundry services, including new Foundry centres, increased operating support to deliver services at existing centres, and enhancements to the Foundry BC App. Specifics of how this funding will be allocated for Foundry services over the next three years are still being determined. We’ll have more to say about this in the coming months.

Previous Expansions

2022 Expansion

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    • Fort St. John – Fort St. John Friendship Society 
    • Tri-Cities – Share Family and Community Services Society (Share) 
    • Kamloops – Interior Community Services 
    • Sunshine Coast – Sunshine Coast Community Services 

This phase of Foundry’s growth was built upon its thorough 2019-2020 EOI and Convening process, which started with an open call to all communities across BC. Forty communities responded to our EOI, of which 19 were shortlisted and eight selected.

There were many strong applications that did not move forward at that time. Knowing this, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on communities and front-line employees, we are reviewing the evaluations from our 2019-2020 process to help identify the next four communities.

More information about the 2019-2020 EOI and Convening progress can be found in the “2020 Expansion” expander below. 

 

When will these four new Foundry centres be open and operational?

On average, it takes up to two years to open a Foundry centre, though this can vary especially in recent years, with supply chain challenges. This time is spent engaging with youth, families and partners in planning, as well as finding and establishing the physical space. The greatest variable impacting how long it takes to open a Foundry centre is securing the location, which proves challenging in some communities. 

How were these communities selected?

The fourth phase of Foundry’s growth was built upon its thorough 2019-2020 EOI and Convening process, which started with an open call to all communities across BC. Forty communities responded to our EOI, of which 19 were shortlisted and eight selected. At that time, there were many strong applications that did not move forward. Knowing this, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on communities and front-line employees, evaluations from our 2019-2020 process helped to identify the four communities in this phase of expansion.   

What funding will be provided to each new Foundry location?

These Phase 4 communties will receive a $1,000,000 in one-time grant for centre establishment, and annual operations funding. Lead agencies will also run local fundraising campaigns to complete the one-time establishment costs of centres, add innovative programming, or meet other needs.   

The annual funding provided by Foundry is not enough to operate a centre. The Foundry service model relies upon the contribution of existing resources provided by the lead agency and its partners. These existing services and resources are integrated into the full service Foundry model. These contributions are significant – in urban settings, the value of these contributions ranges from $1M-2.5M. 

Who will be operating the additional four Foundry centres?

The new Foundry centres will be opened and operated by local, community-based lead agencies: 

  • Fort St. John – Fort St. John Friendship Society 
  • Tri-Cities – Share Family and Community Services Society (Share) 
  • Kamloops – Interior Community Services 
  • Sunshine Coast – Sunshine Coast Community Services 

2020 Expansion

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On June 15, 2020, the Province of BC announced eight new Foundry centre locations joining the Foundry network, which will significantly improve access to health and wellness resources, services and supports for young people ages 12 to 24 and their families across British Columbia.

We will be working with the following eight communities and lead agencies to bring integrated mental health, substance use, primary care, youth and family peer supports, and social services to their communities:

View a recording of the expansion announcement and read the press release, which both detail the expansion of Foundry’s network to a total of 19 centres province-wide by 2023.

Welcome from Foundry’s Eight New Communities:

The Expansion Process

Our expansion is part of the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions’ “A Pathway to Hope,” strategy, which is the BC government’s 10-year vision for mental health and addictions care that was launched in 2019 to provide British Columbians with the services they need to tackle problems early on and support their wellbeing.

In October 2019, we issued a call for expressions of interest (EOI) from communities across BC. Non-profit organizations and health and social system agencies serving youth were eligible to submit. In total, we received 40 EOI submissions– a moving demonstration of not only the need, but also the resiliency and strengths that exist in BC.

Two independent panels consisting of youth and caregiver advisors and subject matter experts reviewed those submissions to determine a short list of 19 communities who would move forward to a second phase (convening) of our selection process . The convening phase focused on the lead agency’s readiness to successfully open and operate a Foundry centre, and enabled communities to network with each other and Foundry central office and network staff, as well as Foundry’s youth and caregiver advisors.

Below, you’ll find a video which outlines our expansion process!

Services for youth across BC 

Our centres will continue to be the place where young people and their caregivers can find the help they need, when they need it, to improve their health and wellbeing – even during this challenging and unprecedented time. 

For those unable to access Foundry centres due to physical distancing, location, and/or stigma, Foundry now offers virtual drop-in counselling and peer support sessions using voice, video and chat, and will soon also offer virtual primary care services. Please visit foundrybc.ca/virtual to learn more.