City of Powell River councillors were apprised of developments geared toward youth through the establishment of Foundry qathet.
At the February 18 committee of the whole meeting, a delegation representing Youth and Family, also known as Powell River Child, Youth and Family Services Society, outlined plans for Foundry qathet, which has the mission to support young people in living a good life, and to transform access to services for young people ages 12 to 24.
According to project manager Delyth Harper, Foundry qathet is an initiative that will transform access to care for the community’s youth.
Collette Sinkewicz, executive director of Youth and Family, said the society is the host agency for Foundry qathet. She said Youth and Family is a nonprofit and registered charity.
“Youth and Family is the leading service provider for youth in our community and these services will integrate well with Foundry programming,” said Sinkewicz. “Last year, the youth resource centre recorded more than 800 visits, and our councillors provided one-on-one support to 94 youth.
“Now, more than ever, we know youth need support. We all know of, or have had direct experience, with a young person struggling with their mental health or physical health and the lack of free, youth-friendly resources and supports.”
Harper said Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and wellness services for young people aged 12 to 24.
“It’s a proven solution to challenges,” said Harper. “The development of Foundry qathet will involve the coming together of existing youth-focused services within our community, which will provide a full range of services with an integrated approach that suits our community’s needs. Foundry qathet will build capacity by becoming the community hub for integrated health or wellness services.
“Our community is lacking space for many of these services to effectively operate and Foundry qathet can be an answer to these problems.”
Through Foundry, youth can access five core services at one youth-friendly location, said Harper. These services include mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer supports, and social services.
“Foundry aims to reach youth by providing barrier-free services and supports before they hit crisis,” said Harper. “We want to reach young people early so we can help address the small problems before they become bigger problems.
“It’s addressing the needs of youth in our community before these problems begin to negatively impact their lives and the lives of those around them.”
Harper said a feasibility study has been performed and Foundry qathet has signed a lease proposal for 12,495 square foot, centrally located space.
“We have reached out to existing community services to see how they envision utilizing Foundry qathet,” said Harper. “We have started our capital fundraising campaign and set our target on $5 million for the renovation of the space.”
Youth and the community will be involved in the development and design.
“We are designing out a beautiful space for our community’s youth to access and creating an incredible piece of infrastructure in the heart of our town that we can all be proud of,” said Harper.
Youth advisory committee member Katherine Isert said Foundry qathet is essential for youth in the community.
“It is important for anyone, especially youth, to have readily accessible help and social services,” said Isert. “Not only is it a solution, but it’s prevention, addressing small issues before they become bigger ones.”
Rowan Welp, a youth advocate for mental health and addiction, said in the youth vital signs survey conducted in 2022, 59 per cent of respondents indicated it was difficult for them to access essential care. She added that Foundry creates a space where youth can access mental and medical health care, acquire referral for specialized services not provided by Foundry, access youth and family services, learn skills required for life and the workforce, and hang out and have fun.
“Having a space like Foundry, offering so many essential services in a central location, will be convenient for everyone involved,” said Welp.
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