1621-Counselling and Youth Peer Support Services

In June 2019, the BC Government through the Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions (in partnership with the Ministry of Education & Child Care, the Ministry of Health, and The Ministry of Children & Family Development) laid out “A Pathway to Hope”, a 10-year vision for mental health and substance use care in B.C. A Pathway to Hope includes serves as a roadmap for making mental health and addictions care better for people in British Columbia. A priority action therein was the establishment of Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) teams to be rolled out to different regions and School Districts in a strategic manner. Integrated Child and Youth teams (ICY Teams) serve children and youth 0-19 years of age (or up to age 21 based on the unique need such as developmental and/or other considerations) who have identified mild, moderate, or severe mental health and/or substance use needs as defined by impairment or disruption in key areas of human development, and for whom existing community- or school-based supports are not adequate. ICY Teams function in a collaborative interdisciplinary manner, comprised of existing Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD) child & youth mental health clinicians, Island Health youth substance use clinicians, as well as community-based service providers. Teams are developed based on the context of the community and needs and may also include clinical counsellors employed by school districts, peer support workers, Indigenous-specific positions, administrative support, and other service providers depending on the unique strengths, needs and preferences of each child, youth and family. Through this request, Island Health is seeking proposals from a qualified agency that can provide community-based substance use counselling services within the ICY Team framework for children and youth residing in Port Alberni and catchment area who are dealing with substance use challenges directly or are impacted by another substance use who may or may not have concurrent mental challenges as well.