Foundry is Expanding!

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:

There are currently nine open Foundry centres across the province in Campbell River, Victoria, Kelowna, the North Shore (North and West Vancouver), Prince George, downtown Vancouver, Abbotsford, Penticton and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows. There are also two more expected to open in 2020 in Richmond and Terrace.

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.

Foundry Map

 

Welcome from Foundry’s Eight New Communities:

 

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge, with much gratitude, that our work takes place on land steeped in rich Indigenous history and home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people today. We recognize and respect Indigenous People as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

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.

What services will these new centres provide?

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Foundry centres focus on bringing together primary care, mental health services, substance use supports, youth and family peer support and other social services to provide care in an integrated and individualized approach for young people aged 12-24. The Foundry team works together with each young person to form a plan shaped around their unique needs.

How is Foundry helping young people during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

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Foundry also has virtual drop-in counselling, peer support, and family support, and will soon be offering primary care, for youth and their families via voice, video and chat. Learn more at foundrybc.ca/virtual. Foundry centres also continue to provide services to young people during this period, virtually and, where safe and necessary, in person. Find the centre closest to you at foundrybc.ca/find-a-centre.

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

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The goal of Foundry is to remove barriers for young people to access care. Everyone aged 12-24, and their families, is welcome at Foundry – no appointment is necessary and young people can self-refer to a centre or to virtual care.

How were these locations selected?

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These eight locations were chosen after an extensive two-step selection process, which included several independent panels made up of over 60 members of Foundry’s network of centres, subject matter experts, and youth and family advisors. The process began in October 2019. The call for expressions of interest went out in October 2019 and the final eight communities were selected in early March. We created a video that outlines our expansion process.

What funding is available for Foundry?

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Budget 2019 provided $74 million over three years for A Pathway to Hope. Foundry expansion costs will be further supported with funding from the Canada-British Columbia Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Funding Agreement.

Who will be operating the eight Foundry centres?

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

  • Burns Lake: Carrier Sekani Family Services
  • Comox Valley: John Howard Society of North Island
  • Cranbrook: Ktunaxa-Kinbasket Child and Family Service Society
  • Langley: Encompass Support Services Society
  • Port Hardy: North Island Crisis and Counselling Centre Society
  • Squamish: Sea to Sky Community Services Society
  • Surrey: Pacific Community Resources Society
  • Williams Lake: Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association

What specific funding is being provided to each new Foundry location being announced?

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The cost of each centre in the various communities has yet to be finalized. Each centre will receive up to $800,000 to help address start-up costs (exact amount for each centre is yet to be determined). In addition, the centres will be supported with approximately $700,000 in annual operating funding (exact amount for each centre is yet to be determined). Lead agencies also run local fundraising campaigns to complete the establishment costs of centres, add innovative programming, or meet other needs.

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

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On average, it takes one to two years to open a Foundry centre. 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.

Are there other supports for youth across the province in communities that don’t have Foundry centres?

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Yes, Foundry recently launched its province-wide virtual services, including drop-in counselling and youth and family peer support via voice, video and chat. Foundry’s virtual services will soon include primary care as well. For more information, visit foundrybc.ca/virtual.

Press

  • CTV News| June 14
    8 New Foundry Centres Coming to BC
    The province is providing new help for youth in BC looking to access mental health services. Eight new Foundry centres are opening, which support thousands of young people between 12 and 24 with health care, peer support and substance use services.
  • Daily Hive | June 15
    BC announces expansion of mental health network for youth
    BC youth and their families will have faster, easier access to mental health and substance use supports with eight new Foundry centres to be developed throughout the province.
  • CTV News | June 15
    B.C. opening 2 new youth support centres on Vancouver Island
    The B.C. government is opening eight new youth centres across the province, including two on Vancouver Island.
  • The Squamish Chief | June 15
    Province gives $800,000 for Squamish’s upcoming new Youth Hub
    As Squamish faces a pandemic and an opioid crisis, the province is providing some help for youth mental health supports. B.C.’s Foundry program for mental health and addictions support is kicking about $800,000 to Squamish’s Sea to Sky Community Services, or SCSS.