A counsellor has advanced training in a variety of areas related to mental health conditions and human development. Through the use of strategies and by creating a relationship with you, they can facilitate insight, emotional acceptance, change, and growth.

A counsellor can support you in developing abilities to manage difficult times and help you recognize personal skills that have worked to overcome challenges in the past. They can be a source of support and hope in times of difficulty. They can help you figure out what you want and need, and the steps to achieve your goals.

Counselling is also available for caregivers of youth who are between the ages of 12-24 who are struggling with mental health & substance use challenges.

When are services available?

A reminder that this service is connected to our Foundry Virtual BC provincial virtual services, which are separate from Foundry centres.

If you are interested in receiving in-person supports, visit one of our Foundry centres.

Peer Support Workers are youth and caregivers who identify as having lived/living experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges, and/or supporting a youth with their mental health and/or substance use challenges.

They utilize their experience as their expertise, along with peer support training, and help other young people and caregivers discover that they are their own expert as well. 

A peer supporter recognizes you as an expert in your own life and will work collaboratively with you on your goals. 

Family peer supporters help other caregivers find local/community resources, manage their own wellness, and support their youth.

The goal of peer support is to provide emotional support, acceptance, validation, and empathy regardless of circumstances. The focus is to ensure the person feels support in their recovery and healing. More importantly, peer supporters and family peer supporters ensure youth & their caregivers are receiving proper support, and are not left isolated.

While peer supporters have lived experience in a variety of areas, they are unable to make formal diagnoses for youth and caregivers. If you are looking for a mental health assessment or diagnosis, please book an appointment with a counsellor or nurse practitioner. 

What Peer Support Services are offered?

• One-On-One Services
  You can connect one on one with a youth peer supporter or family peer supporter to chat about what’s going on for you or to learn more about Foundry’s virtual services. Youth peer support workers are young people with lived experience trained to walk alongside you in your wellness journey. Family peer support workers are individuals with lived experience supporting their youth with various mental health/substance use challenges. You do not need to see a counsellor to book a peer support or family peer support session.
• Peer Led Groups
  Foundry virtual also offers a number of youth groups and workshops and caregiver groups and workshops (some hosted by peer support workers!)

What can I expect when working with a Peer Support Worker? 

• They will hold space and for you to talk about whatever is going on for you. 
• They will provide encouragement around your goals and ambitions.  
• With similar lived experience, youth peer support workers and family peer support workers will walk alongside you in your journey towards wellness. 
• Youth peer support workers and family peer support workers empower you to find and strengthen your voice to advocate for yourself and the life you want to lead.  
• The flexibility of peer support workers can also complement other treatments and support services. For example, if you’re seeing a counsellor, it may also be helpful to see a peer supporter worker at the same time.  
• Navigating the healthcare system and learning about the many services available can be difficult. Peer support workers  can help young people understand services and treatment available to them as well as help them advocate for themselves, their friends and their family. 
• Family Peer Support Workers will listen, empathize, and guide you to local resources to support your youth.
• They will support you & remind you the importance of taking care of yourself, as a caregiver!

Foundry Work & Education Program is a new free supported employment and education program for youth who are interested in working, going to school, or completing a training program. Foundry Works helps youth to build the skills and experiences they need to achieve their goals.  

As with all our Foundry services, the program’s employment specialists are integrated within our team. This means that young people are supported in their job or education journey from a holistic lens, where we understand that mental and physical health struggles may add diverse challenges to an individual’s vocational path.  

Who Can Access These Services?

BC youth without access to a Foundry centre, between the ages of 15-24 who: 

• Are experiencing multiple barriers to work, school, or training;
• Are interested in working, going to school, or starting a training program;  
• Is legally entitled to work in BC.
  • To access Foundry Work & Education services at a centre near you, click here
  • To learn more about Foundry’s Work & Education Program, click here

When Are Services Available

Employment services are offered through the Foundry BC app by schedule an appointment with an employment specialist. Download the Foundry BC app, register for a youth account, and select “Employment Services.”

If you have a Foundry centre in your community, please connect with your local centre to learn about the services available to you in person!

The Foundry Virtual BC team offers physical and sexual healthcare services for young people ages 12-24 across the province who do not have access to a local Foundry centre or doctor in their community. We encourage young people to stay connected to their existing family doctor or nurse practitioner if they have one. 
 
Physical and sexual health services at Foundry Virtual BC are provided by a multidisciplinary team including Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses and Social Workers. Other team members, including Counsellors, Peer Support Workers, or Employment/Education Counsellors may also be involved, by meeting with young people or co-facilitating health and wellness educational conversations.

Services Available

Foundry Virtual BC Physical and Sexual Healthcare Services (also known as Primary Care Services) can help with the following:  

• Assess, diagnose and treat mental & physical health conditions and common illnesses 
• Order and interpret medical tests 
• Support with substance use challenges 
• Support with disordered eating and eating disorders 
• Prescribe medications 
• Refer youth to other medical specialists/programs  
• Support with gender affirming care  
• Support with sexual health questions/testing

What services are not offered through Foundry Virtual BC’s Physical and Sexual Healthcare services?

Some Physical and Sexual Healthcare services are unable to be provided through Foundry Virtual BC. These services include: 

• ADHD assessments  
• Crisis care management  
• Ongoing long-term healthcare

 If you feel that you are in crisis, please call 911, visit your local emergency room, or connect with Kids Help Phone

Who can access Foundry Virtual BC’s Physical and Sexual Healthcare Services?

• Young people aged 12-24 years living in British Columbia.  
• Youth without a primary care provider (e.g. family doctor/physician or nurse practitioner) in their community * (except when accessing gender affirming care.)  
• Young people with a Foundry centre in their community are encouraged to access primary care from their local centre if possible 

Service Availability

Physical and Sexual Healthcare appointments are offered through video and audio sessions and can be accessed through the Foundry BC app. Please note, we do not offer chat sessions for physical and sexual healthcare appointments.

If you have any challenges with trying to book an appointment, please email online@foundrybc.ca or call 1.833.308.6379.

If you are in a medical emergency or crisis, please call 911 or go to your local emergency department.   

How to book

To access services with one of our team members, you will need to book an appointment with our Primary Care Social Worker through the “Physical and Sexual Healthcare Appointment” option on the Foundry BC app.

Your first appointment will focus on reviewing your concerns and health history, so we can best support you with the most appropriate next steps!

If you are experiencing technical issues, please open a ticket here.

Foundry Virtual BC’s services are free. But if you call 1-833-308-6379 from a mobile phone, your normal call charges apply. If you access your app through your phone’s Data plan, those charges apply too. We recommend connecting to Wi-Fi for your appointment or choosing the dial-in option if you are worried about Data overages. 

We gather information so our counsellors know enough about you to support you the best that they can. You can choose to not share any information you don’t want to share, but this means you might have to tell your story more than once. 

Your privacy will be respected. Foundry will not release any information unless you allow us to, or we are required to do so by law. The only time we are required to share what we talk about today is if we learn something that makes us believe that you or someone else is in serious danger, or if we are ordered to do so by law. These are very unusual situations, and we try our best to be straightforward and clear about this so it’s no surprise if it were to happen.

It is important for you to know that if you have used services at a Foundry centre in the past, we will let your Foundry centre know that you have also used Foundry Virtual BC. This will allow us to make sure your care is consistent.

All of the information you share with us will be stored securely within Canada. If you require access to your medical records, please email datamanager@foundrybc.ca. 

Thanks to BC’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions’ expansion of virtual mental health programs and services, Foundry is now offering free virtual services to young people aged 12-24 and their caregivers anywhere across BC! 

Great question! We appreciate you wanting to play a role in supporting and enabling youth across BC to live a good life. If you are interested in donating to Foundry Virtual BC, please email info@foundrybc.ca and specify “FOUNDRY VIRTUAL BC” as the recipient of your donation.