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Media Contacts

Ministry of Education

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-5963

Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 208-8438

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-1553

Backgrounders

Facts about mental health services and supports
  • The federal government has provided $262 million to the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions over five years.
  • To ensure young people have quick access to the services and supports they need, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has expanded the network of Foundry Youth Centres to seven communities around B.C., offering young people aged 12 to 24 years health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through integrated service centres.
  • With four additional Foundry centres on the way, youth and their families will continue to have access to the quality resources and services they need to support them along their healing journey.
    • The seven active centres are in Victoria, Campbell River, Abbotsford, Kelowna, North Shore, Prince George and Vancouver (Granville).
    • The four new centres will be in Ridge Meadows (Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows), Penticton, Richmond and Terrace.
  • The No. 1 determinant of student mental health is school connectedness, higher than family connection.
  • Mental well-being is a key area of the new provincial Physical and Health Education curriculum.
  • Approximately 84,000 school-aged children (one in eight students) experience one or more mental-health disorders at any given time. Only one-third receives the specialized treatment they need.
  • More than 140 more teacher psychologists and counsellors were hired throughout the province since March 2017.
  • The completion rate for students with mental illness/behaviour designations in 2016-17 was 55.7%, which was 28.3% below the provincial rate.
  • 40% of students with mental health issues also struggle with substance use.