The model for Foundry youth centres is based on “coming together, listening and learning.” This is more than just a slogan: It’s what they actually do.

Created to remove barriers to quality care for youth ages 12-24 in British Columbia, Foundry centres bring together integrated health, wellness and social services for young people in one location. At a time when one in four Canadian youth are affected by mental health or substance use challenges, being able to open one door to access a range of support services can make all the difference.

But Foundry centres also feature another unique aspect: opportunities for young people to share their ideas and feedback on how these wellness hubs can better serve their peers and provide preventative support for mental health or substance use—issues that, left unchecked, can result in future visits to already over-crowded emergency departments.

In part two of our compelling exploration of Foundry and the integrated health and wellness services it provides, you’ll met Ruby and Oscean, two articulate post-secondary students who are volunteering to help shape the new youth centre coming to South Surrey/White Rock. Both speak candidly about their own lived experiences with mental health, and the challenges facing their friends and others from their age group.

Also joining the conversation is George Passmore, Executive Director with Sources BC, a non-profit, community-based provider of social wellness programs and services and, with support from the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, the lead organization behind the new Foundry centre.

Links:

Foundry BC foundrybc.ca | Sources BC sourcesbc.ca

For more information or to make a donation, visit Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at pahfoundation.ca

About Power to Heal

Hosted by former Peace Arch News editor Lance Peverley, the Power to Heal podcast takes listeners behind the scenes with the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation as this innovative fund-raising organization develops partnerships with donors, medical staff and community groups to help foster better health and wellness in the community of South Surrey/White Rock BC.

#podcast

Power to Heal Season 5

An integral part of hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide are their hospitals. The engine that drives those institutions are their foundations, without which, the wheels of progress would turn very slowly. This series uncovers the ways the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia connects with the community to stay ahead of health issues, challenge the norm and foster a spirit of innovation.

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Season 5 Episode 1

Show Notes

Young people in their teens or early 20s should be enjoying a special time filled with hopes, dreams and discoveries as they lay the groundwork for adulthood. But today, too many are instead experiencing a precarious world teeming with danger, instability and uncertainty.

The statistics bear this out: 1 in 4 Canadian youths are affected by mental health or substance use challenges, with 80% of substance use issues in this country beginning by age 20 and 75% of all mental health disorders developing by age 24. At the same time, less than 25% of youth are currently receiving the mental health services they need. Help is available but it’s too often delivered in a fragmented manner across multiple facilities scattered around communities.

But one organization in British Columbia has been working hard to reverse this alarming trend by combining vital services for young people all in one location—and more importantly, by also building trust and strong relationships during a precarious time in a young person’s life. And their latest centre will be right across the street from a place they hope to keep their young visitors away from: The Peace Arch Hospital Emergency Department.

In this first installment of a special two-part Power to Heal podcast, we’ll explore how community partners—including the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation—have come together to help establish a new Foundry centre, an urgently-needed hub of health and wellness services for youth at risk in the South Surrey/White Rock area.

Guests:

• Julie Zimmerman, Provincial Director of Primary Care & Virtual Services, Foundry
• George Passmore, Executive Director, Sources BC
• Amy O’Leary, Director of Philanthropy, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation

Links:

Foundry BC foundrybc.ca | Sources BC sourcesbc.ca

For more information or to make a donation, visit Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at pahfoundation.ca

About Power to Heal

Hosted by former Peace Arch News editor Lance Peverley, the Power to Heal podcast takes listeners behind the scenes with the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation as this innovative fund-raising organization develops partnerships with donors, medical staff and community groups to help foster better health and wellness in the community of South Surrey/White Rock BC.

#podcast #health