Students in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District will have a clearer, easier-to-understand path to mental health and substance use services.

A "one care plan" approach is a new service delivery model being introduced in their school district.

Integrated teams will work closely with school and team-based primary care and specialized services providers to offer wraparound care to children, youth and their families. This means individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges and their families will no longer need to retell their stories to different care providers or search on their own for the supports they need. 

“For too many years, a fragmented and unco-ordinated system of care has left many families struggling to find the right mental health and addiction supports for their children before things reach a crisis point,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Integrated child and youth teams are one way we are making it easier to connect children and youth to the right care, where and when they need it at school and in the community.” 

The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District was selected to launch the first integrated child and youth team because of the proactive measures already in place to support the mental health of its students. These measures include developing a district-wide social and emotional learning framework, teaching mental health literacy at the high school level, establishing a program with a wellness and therapeutic skills focus, and working closely with community partners on all initiatives that support vulnerable youth.

Additional integrated child and youth teams, which were recently introduced as part of the ministry’s roadmap for better mental health and addictions care, will be established in four more school districts over the next two years. These teams are part of a larger plan to make it easier for students throughout B.C. to get the mental health and substance use services they need, where and when they need them.

The integrated service delivery model will be implemented in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District by December 2019. New positions will be determined based on service delivery gaps identified in the area.

The Province will provide teachers and school counsellors with more resources to help them identify students who need supports earlier, before small problems become big.

The integrated service delivery model is an evidence-based approach that has resulted in:

• positive growth and development of children and youth;
• reduced wait times for services for children, youth and families; and
• increased school engagement and academic success

Quotes:

Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows –

“When young people in our community are experiencing mental health and addictions challenges, there has to be a clear path to accessing the care they need. MLA D’Eith and I have a lot of conversations with Minister Darcy about the challenges people in our community have been struggling with for a long time, and I’m so proud that as a result, students and families are finally going to get the wraparound care they need, in their homes, schools and community. The old system didn’t get people the care they need. This new way of doing things is going to be transformative for our students.” 

Bob D’Eith, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission –

“For many years, people in our community have struggled to access mental health and addictions care. These challenges touch people from all walks of life in Maple Ridge, and I’m so proud to be part of a government that knows that helping people starts with supporting our kids before small problems become big ones. MLA Beare and I have spoken to Minister Darcy about the need for more mental health and addiction supports in our city, and I want to thank the minister for picking Maple Ridge as the first community in B.C. to receive these leading-edge wraparound supports to connect our students to the care that’s right for them.”

Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development –

“Children who are struggling early on need care that is easy to access in their schools. This integration of our child and youth mental health teams with other professionals, educators and parents means that kids will get the supports they need to succeed in school and life.”

Rob Fleming, Minister of Education –

“Mental health and substance use issues can prevent students from having their best possible chance to succeed in school, and it’s our job to support wellness and mental health so students can focus on reaching their full potential. The first integrated child and youth care team in B.C. will help students and their families in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District by providing ongoing wraparound services for those who need it. As teams are put in place in more school districts throughout B.C., students and families will see the results of having accessible, integrated mental health support in their schools and communities.”

Korleen Carreras, chairperson, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Board of Education – 

“The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Board of Education deeply appreciates this important investment in the mental wellness of our youth. Our school district has worked hard with its community partners to put critical systems and structures in place to support students struggling with mental wellness or addictions challenges, and we are ready to implement this new integrated approach for the benefit of all our students.”

Learn More:

To read A Pathway to Hope, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCMentalHealthRoadmap_2019.pdf

For information on School District #42: Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, visit:
http://www.sd42.ca/

A backgrounder, with facts on child and youth mental health, follows.