Qualicum School District is one of seven districts to receive an Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) team as the B.C. government expands an initiative designed to connect children, youth and families to mental-health and addiction services.
The teams bring together systems and people dedicated to supporting youth into one group, according to Jennifer Whiteside, minister of mental health and addictions.
“It’s the school district, our child and youth mental health system, our healthcare system all working together to provide services,” Whiteside said. “And connect kids to the care that they may need.”
The teams will address youth from the “upper middle school range” right up to 19, she added, helping them and their families get access to services such as clinical counsellors, healthcare staff and school district staff.
“If a teacher identifies, for example, that a youth is struggling, or a peer worker identifies a youth, they can connect that youth and their family to the team, and then it’s a single point of entry for that youth and their family,” Whiteside said. “What’s really important about the way these teams function is that they also have peer workers associated with them.”
By having a single point of entry, children and youth will not have to retell their story and potentially become re-traumatized, depending on the issue they need support with, she added.
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The new teams will also serve communities in and around the Central Coast, Cowichan Valley, Delta, Gold Trail, Peace River South and Surrey, according to an April 26 news release by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. The seven new communities will join 13 others in the province with ICY teams in operation or in planning stages.
The province said an estimated 75 per cent of serious mental health issues emerge before the age of 25. Drug toxicity is currently the leading cause of death for people between ages 15 years old and 18 years old in B.C., with suicide as the second leading cause, according to the provincial news release.
“There’s no question that we understand that youth are experiencing elevated concerns these days. The amount of anxiety and stress is elevated for youth and we hear concerns from mental health practitioners who work with youth, particularly about the impact of anxiety,” said Whiteside. “It’s so important that we work to go upstream as much as we can on preventative services.”
Young people up to age 19 and their caregivers can use the teams to connect to peer and cultural supports, and counselling services, according to the province.
“The teams’ co-ordinated approach ensures all team members are aware of the care plan and can seamlessly connect the child, youth and family to other services that understand their needs,” the release stated. “ICY teams serve to meet young people where they feel most comfortable, whether in schools or other community settings, and provide them with seamless connection to vital services.”
The province has committed $101 million over three years to implement ICY teams in 20 school districts to be operational by 2025.
Communities with ICY teams in operations are supporting at least 1,420 young people per month. As many as 5,700 children and youth could be served monthly once the ICY teams are fully operating across all 20 communities, according to the province.