A new website to improve the mental health of the province’s young people has been launched.

Foundrybc.ca provides a digital hub to improve access to mental health care and social services.

“The website is really intended for young people aged 12 to 24 and their families so they can access online resources for mental health and well being as well as substance use,” says Dr. Steven Mathias, Foundry Executive Director.

“This is really the first phase of what’s slated to be a four-year developmental process, we know that one of the issues with websites such as these is that they grow stale very quickly and they don’t tend to capture the attention of the intended audience. In this case, very tech-savvy young people, this is an innovation in our province, one that we anticipate will continue to grow as we roll out interventions and hopefully more interactive material for young people.”

He adds they’ve been working on this for a while.

“A resource like this has approximately been in the works for about one year and it took a team of dedicated professionals to get this off the ground.”

The new website is in partnership with the BC Children’s Hospital and features health information, personal stories, and self-assessments, something Mathias believes will help inspire those who are trying to get better.

“I think our stories section is incredible, they focus on young people who have had struggles with mental health but who have managed through their resilience and supports in their lives to get well and they’re stories are really inspirational.”

The only Foundry youth care centre in Northern BC is located in Prince George at 1148 7th Avenue.