All the health advice and services a young person may need, all under one roof and accessible in your community.
That’s the Foundry model gaining traction across Vancouver Island and Britih Columbia.
Foundry is a low-barrier integrated health model that sets out to serve youth aged 12 to 24 with access to all health professionals in one place.
“(Foundry) is a drop-in model so it is intended to provide services to youth and families within a timely manner. All services are free and confidential,” said Foundry Comox Valley manager Angie Prescott. It’s an integrated care model, so it really seeks to bring services to young people from across the mental health and wellness spectrum.”
This year, Foundry marks 10 years of operating within B.C. Each Foundry location offers the same integrated model that combines all health services into one building, making access to health care obtainable by those who may not know how else to get the help they need.
“We’ve got primary care, mental health, substance use, peer support, works and education, sexual health, along with other social services, all being offered under one roof,” explained Prescott.
The Comox Valley Foundry opened in June of 2022 and has seen many youth since opening, showing just how important the model is to a community like the Valley.
“In the last year we had about 3,250 visits. The year before it was just a little bit less than 3,200 and so far this year, our fiscal year starts April 1, so in the first six months of this year we have already seen over 1,750 youth,” added Prescott.
Foundry offers referrals to in-house doctors for those who may need more than primary care. While the centre is a drop-in model, once a youth is in the door, the options open up for them.
“You can’t walk off the street and see the psychiatrist but the pathway to see the psychiatrist is to just drop in. You would come in, see one of our doctors or counselors and you talk with them about why you’re feeling like you might need that higher intensity of service or intervention and support and we take care of the pathway and referral,” explained Prescott.
“We have drop in four days a week and when we open the door, typically when you drive down the street you will see the line up, waiting for the door to unlock,” shared Prescott.
Foundry model gets high praise from government officials, such as Josie Osborne, Minister of Health.
“For a decade, Foundry has been a place where young people can find understanding, hope, and connection,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These centres unite communities to support youth in every aspect of their well-being. As we celebrate Foundry’s 10-year anniversary, we honour the courage of young people who reach out for help, and the dedicated teams who meet them with care and compassion every day.”
There is no cost to youth to access the help at Foundry. The goal is to get youth the support they need without them having to jump through hoops to find the care.
“It’s us creating the circle around the young person and ensuring the services they need are available to them, instead of the young person running around the outside of the circle, trying to figure out which door they’re supposed to be at,” explained Prescott.
Foundry has locations operating or pending in more than 30 B.C. locations. For more on the organization, and the location nearest you, visit their website.