The impact of the Foundry Kelowna wellness centre is being felt by local agencies that offer mental health care services for youth.

Since the Foundry害羞草研究所檚 initial soft launch in August through October, some 200 young people have walked through the doors of the centre on Kirschner Road seeking access to mental health services.

Mike Gawliuk, director of service delivery for the Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna branch and leading advocate behind the Foundry initiative, says there isn害羞草研究所檛 necessarily a higher prevalence of issues teenagers but more are reaching out now.

害羞草研究所淭he key word is access. When young people or their parents don害羞草研究所檛 know where to turn, the Foundry offers a place to start. It may not end there, but it害羞草研究所檚 a place to go and tell your story and start to get your situation sorted out rather than be pin-balled between different organizations dealing with different mandates, workloads and funding issues,害羞草研究所� said Gawliuk.

The Foundry was created with three-year seed money from the provincial government along with fundraising support from the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation. It is a service hub that started in Vancouver and in Kelowna brings together 25 agencies under one roof to provide diagnosis, support and intervention services coupled with a walk-in clinic.

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April Butler, president of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society branch in Kelowna, said they have seen a dramatic upsurge in clients seeking support for mental health issues in recent months.

害羞草研究所淲here we might have 10 folks come to us in a month seeking help, now it is 30 to 40,害羞草研究所� Butler said.

Gawliuk said the Foundry may contribute to that, but in a way beyond just agency referrals.

害羞草研究所淚 think the profile of the Foundry and the participation of the KGH Foundation alone has given more of a public face to mental health issues,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲ith greater public awareness about mental health comes the opportunity for it to move into the mainstream of health care and be treated in the same way other health care issues.害羞草研究所�

The Foundry concept, he added, is about bringing different support agencies together to collaborate.

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害羞草研究所淲hen multiple agencies work more closely together, it creates efficiencies and allows a response to people害羞草研究所檚 needs in a more timely manner.害羞草研究所�

That increase in service demand, he says, will hopefully translate into more badly needed funding for mental health care services.

害羞草研究所淚f the demand is there for more services and the stigma reduction is there, those are steps in the right direction to help influence change in the flow of funding,害羞草研究所� Gawliuk said.

To that end, the NDP government also created a new ministry of mental health and addictions, which Gawliuk and others in the mental health care field hope will place greater attention and funding on treatment.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really cool to see what is happening there now,害羞草研究所� Gawliuk said of the Foundry. 害羞草研究所淚 was there for a meeting the other day and looking around, in one room was a substance abuse workshop, in another was a yoga class, in another room was a cognitive behaviour therapy group and in another was a parent support group. And a doctor was in at the walk-in clinic.

害羞草研究所淭hat is the result of partnerships and different organizations coming together.害羞草研究所�

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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