Youth in Port Alberni and Nanaimo are among those benefiting as the province establishes 10 new Foundry Centres throughout BC.

“There’s nothing more important than helping kids and their families. That’s why we’re making a significant expansion in child and youth health and wellness supports so more young people can get connected to the services they need,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

“Foundry centres provide a welcoming, stigma-free place where young people can connect to health and wellness supports so they can address mental-health and addiction challenges before they become roadblocks.”

That will give more young people better access to vital health-care services closer to home, such as primary care, counselling, early intervention, prevention, and addictions supports.

Foundry centres are coming to Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Quesnel, Sooke-Westshore, South Surrey, Vancouver, Vanderhoof and the West Kootenays.

They join the 25 others with Foundry centres that are open or in development, bringing the province’s total to 35 centres.

The province says the pandemic, global uncertainty and climate emergencies continue to disproportionately affect young people, resulting in increased rates of depression and anxiety.

Foundry centres are aimed at providing better primary and mental-health supports to youth closer to home by offering young people aged 12-24 and their families access to free and confidential services, such as mental-health and addiction counselling, physical and sexual health care, peer support and social services.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.