Young people in Powell River and surrounding areas will have access to much-needed integrated health and wellness services, including mental-health and addiction supports at a new Foundry centre.

Foundry Powell River, serving the qathet region, will offer young people 12-24 and their families safe, welcoming, and youth-designed health and wellness services, including mental-health and addiction support, drop-in counselling, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer support and social services.

“Every young person in British Columbia deserves health-care services that meets their unique needs, including access to primary care, mental-health support, regardless of their location,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “A new Foundry Centre in Powell River will be a beacon for young people providing a safe and judgment-free space to find mental health, wellness and addiction supports close to home.”

Children and youth have faced unprecedented challenges over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, toxic-drug crisis and climate-related emergencies. That’s why the Province is investing $74.9 million through Budget 2023 to open 12 more Foundry centres in B.C., for a total of 35 Foundry centres across the province. Vernon and Powell River are the first two communities that have been selected for a new centre. The process to select the remaining communities will launch in September 2023 and applications will be due by November 2023.

“It brings me enormous joy to see the strides Foundry is continuing to make in realizing its vision of making safe and accessible wellness spaces a living reality for young people in every part of the province, including rural and remote communities,” said Toni Carlton, Foundry’s provincial director for Community, Culture and Connection. “The opening of a Foundry centre in Powell River is a momentous occasion worthy of celebration for the community of Powell River and is a step in the right direction towards prioritizing the health and wellness needs of some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”

Foundry Powell River will be operated by the Powell River Child, Youth and Family Services Society. There are 16 Foundry centres open throughout the province, in Vancouver-Granville, North Shore (North Vancouver), Campbell River, Ridge Meadows, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Prince George, Victoria, Penticton, Terrace, Comox Valley, Langley, Richmond, Cariboo-Chilcotin (Williams Lake), Sea to Sky (Squamish) and Port Hardy.

An additional seven Foundry centres are in development in Burns Lake, East Kootenay (Cranbrook), Surrey, Fort St. John, Tri-Cities, Kamloops and Sunshine Coast. In addition, Foundry’s virtual services can be accessed from anywhere in the province through the Foundry BC app, by phone or https://foundrybc.ca/virtual/

“It’s necessary for young people to access mental-health and wellness services where and when they need them,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “With this new Foundry centre coming to Powell River, youth and families will now have a one-stop service nearby that they can count on, enabling them to meet their goals because of these essential supports.”

The Province will be providing annual funding for operations and services at Foundry Powel River, as well as one-time funding of $1.5 million to establish the centre.

Enhancing supports for youth living with mental-health and addiction challenges is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s road map for building the comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care that British Columbians deserve.

Quotes:

Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast –

“Young people, like so many British Columbians, have faced such uncertainty over the past few years with the COVID-19 pandemic, toxic-drug crisis and extreme weather emergencies. As a result, more young people are reaching out for help, and they need to be met with care and support. I look forward to celebrating the opening of Foundry Powell River, where more young people will have access to the mental health and addiction supports they need.”

Collette Sinkewicz, youth programs supervisor, Powell River Child, Youth and Family Services Society (PRCYFSS) –

“PRCYFSS is thrilled our community has been selected as a new Foundry location. We are grateful to our community partners for being with us on this journey and we’re excited to get the work underway This community has terrific teams committed to supporting youth and their families and together we will make Foundry a reality for youth in Powell River and qathet region.”

Jeremiah Sweet, youth –

“So many young people in the community have so many hardships to deal with and too little help. Foundry will be an important resource to help youth who need it, a place where they know they can find a helping hand and feel safe. Life is hard enough at any age and especially as a young person, access to the right information and resources is an absolute necessity.”

Learn More:  

Learn about A Pathway to Hope, our government’s vision for mental-health and addictions care in B.C.: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021MMHA0049-001787

Foundry: https://foundrybc.ca/