Foundry is working to make sure all young people in British Columbia can get the care and support they need, when they need it.

Who can Access Foundry’s Virtual Services?

BC’s young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers can access Foundry’s virtual services.

  • No referral required
  • No assessment required
  • Services are free and confidential

How to Access this Service

  • Call 1-833-FØUNDRY (that’s FØUNDRY with a zero! or 1-833-308-6379) to book an appointment or learn more about services available. If you’re in Vancouver and need a local number, you can call 604-283-2234.

Services Available

We are now offering virtual drop-in counselling sessions, peer support check-ins and group offerings to young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers! Foundry’s virtual service offerings will expand over the weeks and months ahead to include primary care.

Drop-In Counselling

To book an appointment, call 1-833-FØUNDRY (that’s FØUNDRY with a zero! or 1-833-308-6379).

Learn More

Peer Support

We are now offering peer support check-ins!

Learn More

Groups & Workshops for Young People

A variety of groups and workshops now available

Learn More

Groups & Workshops for Caregivers

A variety of groups and workshops now available

Learn More

If you are looking for a support that is not listed above:

  • Visit a foundry centre – Please contact the centre before your visit for the most up to date information about what services are available. Some services have been impacted by COVID-19.
  • Reach out to Kid’s Help Phone by texting CONNECT to 686868 (text STOP, if you would like to stop the conversation)
  • Try Pathfinder, Foundry’s 4-step tool to help you find personalized support options
  • Find other support on our Get Support page

If you or a person in your care is in need of urgent support:

  • Call emergency services – 911
  • Call the crisis line at 1-800-784-2433

How do I prepare for my visit?

– Before calling, please review PHC Patient Notice – Virtual Health, to learn a little more about virtual service

– Try the technology out before your appointment to be sure that it will work on your device. If you need help setting up Microsoft Teams, please see the how-to documents below:

– Before your appointment, choose a private place, where you won’t be interrupted. Make sure you have the things you need and that you are comfortable before the appointment begins (for example, grab a glass of water, use the washroom, etc).
– Check that you have enough battery on your device, so it does not die in the middle of your counselling session
– Remember to join the meeting as a GUEST. Please do NOT sign up for a Microsoft Teams account.  (If you try to sign up for a free account, it will take you to Skype)
– Use Chrome as your browser. Microsoft Teams works best on Google Chrome, and does not work on Safari.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who will I be speaking to at Foundry's Virtual Services?

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You will be speaking to a Foundry clinician. These are experienced health professionals, counsellors, social workers and nurses. If you want to know more about these professions and what they do, just ask a Foundry clinician.

How much does it cost to access Foundry's virtual services?

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Foundry’s virtual services are free. But if you call 1-833-308-6379 from a mobile phone, your normal call charges apply.

What kind of counselling is offered?

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Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Our counselling appointments are meant to be a complete therapy or a stand alone session.  We focus on a brief and specific goal using the solution-focused brief therapy approach (SFBT)* . This method of counselling  offers any youth access to a free 15-50 minute session without the need for an assessment or history. With this type of therapy, you can start a new session or work on the goals and concerns you discussed in an earlier session.

At Foundry, we aim to make therapy convenient and easy to find. We involve the youth in the entire process, and make them aware of their rights and responsibilities. We recognize that it takes a community to support our young people. For this reason, parents/caregivers of a young person may also use our virtual counselling to support their youth. And they may take part in the youth’s session if their youth agrees.

Why does Foundry need information about me?

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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.

Can I be anonymous?

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We are a confidential but not anonymous service. All your data is secure, stored in Canada and safe. To serve you best and keep you safe, we collect information that can help in a crisis.

Are Foundry's Virtual Services secure and confidential?

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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 straight forward 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. This will allow us to make sure your care is consistent.

Do you record my chat/phone call/video chat/email?

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No, we do not record audio or videos calls. All chats are stored securely for three months and then deleted.

Where will my information be stored?

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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.

How can Foundry help families & caregivers?

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Family members are welcome to call into our appointment line and book an appointment for themselves.

How is Foundry Virtual funded?

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Thanks to BC’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions’ expansion of virtual mental health programs and services, Foundry is now offering virtual drop-in counselling sessions to young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers!

How can I provide feedback on Foundry's Virtual Services?

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Please email online@foundrybc.ca to communicate your feedback to us. This account is not monitored or staffed by counsellors, so if you need support please call our intake line during business hours or 1-800-SUICIDE or Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 outside of those times.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CHAT

The Foundry clinician will let you know how much time you will have to chat with each other.

Follow these tipskeyboard_arrow_right
  • Use a strong internet connection to avoid connection problems
  • Stay focused on the chat and respond quickly
  • Don’t try to do other things during the chat
  • If you need to step away from the chat, let us know. Or end the chat and come back when you have more time.
  • Sit in the most private place you can that’s also near your wifi router.
  • If your wifi connection is weak, choose an audio or messaging based conversation
  • Download the Microsoft Teams app ahead of time
  • When booking your appointment, have your personal health number ready. It’s on the back of your BC services card.

It’s normal to feel nervous when you use a service for the first time. The more information that you can give us, the more we will be able to help you.

Some helpful information to sharekeyboard_arrow_right
  • if you’re not sure what you want to work on
  • if you’re in crisis or worried about your safety
  • if you have connections to a family doctor or other health professionals
  • if you have concerns about getting help online
  • if you don’t understand something the Foundry clinician is saying
  • if the place or setting you are in might affect your session