Foundry, the British Columbia Integrated Youth Services Initiative: Sharing Lessons From a Decade of Innovation.

Abstract

Youth in Canada are experiencing mental health and substance use challenges at alarming rates. One response to address these concerns that has received considerable provincial/territorial, federal and philanthropic support is Integrated Youth Services (IYS). The British Columbia (BC) IYS initiative, called Foundry, is quickly approaching its 10-year anniversary, with the original proof-of-concept centre having opened in 2015. With 47,000 unique youth attending over 320,000 visits from April 2018 to March 2024 and with 17 operating physical centres (additional 18 in development) and a provincial virtual service, Foundry is filling a gap for youth mental health and substance use services in BC. In this article, we look back at the development of Foundry, share lessons for jurisdictions pursuing their own IYS initiatives, outline the vital role of policy makers in progressing IYS in Canada and look ahead to the next phase of IYS.