More children, youth and families on the Island will be seeing stronger mental-health and substance-use services as the province expands Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) teams to seven additional school districts.

The new multidisciplinary teams are being added throughout the province, including Port Alberni-area and Powell River school districts.

The new teams will connect children, young people and families to counselling, peer and cultural supports, meeting young people where they feel most comfortable: in schools, homes or community settings.

Team members may include clinical counsellors connected to schools, youth substance-use clinicians, child and youth mental-health clinicians, Indigenous Elders or workers supporting Indigenous children and youth, as well as family and youth peer supports.

Members of these multi-disciplinary teams work together to provide a range of supports, including assessment and screening, consultation and therapeutic services to children up to 19 years old.

Programs are already in place in the Comox Valley.

The Province has committed funding to implement teams in 20 school districts by 2024 to be fully operational by 2025.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.