Pictured left to right: Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation, Margaret Champion, Director, Integrated Youth Services, IWK Health, Krista Jangaard, President and CEO IWK Health,MP Shannon Miedema, Parliamentary Secretary Maggie Chi, Julie Bibby-MacNabb, IYS Caregiver Advisory Committee member, Minister Brian Comer, Office of Addictions & Mental Health. Photo by Ryan Wilson IWK.
Today, Maggie Chi, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Marjorie Michel, announced close to $10 million to expand Integrated Youth Services (IYS) across Nova Scotia, helping more young people and their families access coordinated, community-based mental health and related services.
“Every young person deserves to know that when they reach out for help, it will be there,” says Maggie Chi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health. “This investment will expand Anchor Youth Space across Nova Scotia, bringing mental health care, primary care, peer support, and other services closer to where young people live. By making care easier to access and better connected, we're helping more youth and their families get the support they need, when they need it.”
Delivered by IWK Health, the Connected Futures: Anchoring Services and Care in Community for Youth in Nova Scotia project will help strengthen services at existing IYS hubs in Nova Scotia, and improve access to care services for Indigenous youth, those living in rural areas, and other underserved populations. It will also support enhancements to existing IYS hubs to integrate primary care services, including investments in up to 12 additional clinical support staff across up to eight hubs.
“Early access to mental health and wellness supports can make a meaningful difference in a young person’s life,” says The Honourable Brian Comer Nova Scotia Minister of Addictions and Mental Health.
“This investment will strengthen Nova Scotia’s Integrated Youth Services network, helping more youth and families connect with walk-in supports and services, closer to home. Together with IWK Health, government and partner investments, and community organizations, we are expanding access, reducing barriers and making it easier for young people to get help in places they feel comfortable, connected, and understood.”
These improvements will help young people access a broader range of overall health services in one location, reducing barriers to care and ensuring more timely, consistent, and connected support. The project involves partnerships with multiple local and provincial organizations such as the YMCA and YWCA, the Eskasoni Health Centre, the New Dawn Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the BGC. Youth and caregivers will play an active role in shaping programs and communications through advisory and co-design opportunities.
“Anchor Youth Space demonstrates what's possible when governments, healthcare, community organizations, donors, youth and families come together around a shared vision,” says Dr. Krista Jangaard, President and CEO IWK Health. “This investment will strengthen our network of Integrated Youth Services sites, helping more young people access the care and supports they need, when and where they need them.”
Supported through the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF), this project is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to improve mental health outcomes for youth by enhancing access to, and navigation of, mental health services with a focus on underserved, rural and Indigenous youth.
“Community organizations like IWK Health are key partners in connecting youth to mental health supports,” says The Honourable Marjorie Michel Minister of Health. “They understand the unique needs of young people in their communities and the challenges that they face in accessing care. By investing in young Canadians today, we are building a stronger, healthier Canada for generations to come.”