Foundry Is Expanding!

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.

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.

Our vision is to eventually have 50 or more Foundry centres across the province, so every community that wants one has one, and so all youth in BC have equitable access to integrated health and social services. If your community is interested in having a Foundry centre, we encourage you to speak with your local partners and elected officials.

These Phase 4 centre communities 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 range from $1M-2.5M.

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

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.  

Due to the challenges and additional stresses of COVID-19, we know that young people need that support now more than ever. 

That is why, early in the pandemic, we supported the launch of Foundry virtual services that can be accessed from anywhere in the province.  

Youth can use the Foundry BC app to access drop-in counselling, scheduling a virtual counselling appointment, find peer support, 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. 

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

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

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.

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.

Our vision is to eventually have 50 or more Foundry centres across the province, so every community that wants one has one, and so all youth in BC have equitable access to integrated health and social services.

If your community is interested in having a Foundry centre, we encourage you to begin exploring the concept with their community partners, including young people and their families, and to make their interest known to regional and provincial decision-makers. 

We encourage any community interested in Foundry to begin exploring the concept with their community partners, including young people and their families, and to make their interest known to regional and provincial decision-makers.

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:

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

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:

• 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.