CSFS and Foundry a Perfect Match

June 15, 2020

By Jordan Cryderman

Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) is proud to announce that a Foundry Youth Centre is coming to Burns Lake. 

The B.C. government announced the expansion of its Foundry youth mental health and addictions centres with new centers in the Burns Lake community as well as Williams Lake, Surrey, Squamish, Port Hardy, Langley, Cranbrook and Comox/Courtenay.

The centres provide support to young people aged 12 to 24 with walk-in counselling and referrals. CSFS Executive Director Travis Holyk says a centre will allow for “safe and non-judgemental services for young people to access mental health care, substance use services, primary care, social services and youth and family peer supports all in one place.”

Judy Darcy, BC Minister of Mental Health and Addictions says the new centres will offer “quick access to the mental health and substance use services youth need and deserve.” Darcy adds the announcement is timely given the current issues facing youth today.  “With COVID-19 impacting the mental health of young people in a big way, and with the overdose crisis continuing, it’s more important than ever that they have quick access to the excellent supports that Foundry provides.”

Dr. Holyk says a Foundry Centre in Burns Lake is the perfect fit, as CSFS and the Foundry share many of the same approaches to “individualized, integrated health and social services.” 

“The Center will provide services to all youth in Burns Lake in a manner that respects the diversity of the community and builds on Burns Lake’s strengths. Having a Foundry center in Burns Lake will build on our holistic strategy for meeting the needs of a large Indigenous population, a transient population with high acuity of disease, as well as limited employment opportunities, mental health concerns and back-log of primary care management.”

Dr. Holyk adds that a Foundry Centre will help fill the gaps when it comes to supports for youth. “Youth noted growing rates of mental health and substance misuse among the youth in Burns Lake and reflected on the lack of services available.  Foundry will provide a safe and easily accessible environment for Burns Lake youth who are struggling with the challenges that come with being young.” 

Darcy announced CSFS will receive $700k in one-time funding to help establish the Burns Lake centre. The centre will also receive $500k per year in annual operations funding once it is open and running. Where it will be located in Burns Lake is still to be determined.

There are currently nine open Foundry centres across the province, including one in Prince George. There are also two more expected to open in later 2020 in Richmond and Terrace, for a total of 19 centres province-wide once this phase of expansion is complete.

Stay tuned to learn how you can help make the Foundry dream in Burns Lake a reality.

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