Innovative BC child and youth mental health project wins National Award

The Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Collaborative, funded in partnership by Doctors of BC and BC government, has won a national award in recognition of its innovation and collaborative team-work. The Collaborative was presented with the award by the Canadian College of Family Physicians and the Canadian Psychiatric Association at their national conference in Calgary this past weekend. 

One of the founders who received the award on behalf of the Collaborative, family physician Dr Shirley Sze, states “Young people and their families are now benefiting from new protocols and practices as a result of the work of the hundreds of people involved in this Collaborative. It is really gratifying to know that our work is being recognized in the rest of Canada.”

For the past 18 months a growing group of BC mental health stakeholders, now totaling over 800 people — including youth and families, family doctors, clinicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, school counsellors, social workers, RCMP, community agencies, First Nations, government experts and more — have focused on identifying and addressing barriers preventing youth and families receiving support and services for mental health and substance use issues. BC government participation involves commitment from three ministries — The Ministry of Health, Children and Family Development, and Education. 

Local Action Teams in 26 communities across the province are building relationships to integrate care across systems and within the community. These teams are tackling issues such as linking youth and families to local resources and addressing local waiting lists for services. Gaps in care identified by Local Action Teams at a systemic level are passed on to province-wide working groups. 

Now ten in total, these working groups are creating provincial system-wide solutions to remove barriers to care. These include; a standardized approach to care in the ER, including support plans and guaranteed follow up; access to a list of doctors who will ensure care and referrals for youth without a GP; and the use of innovative technology to provide access to specialists in rural and remote areas … and much more. 

An estimated 13 per cent of youth in BC each year experience a mental health issue —that’s 83,700 children and youth under the age of 19 suffering with symptoms they may not know how to deal with or how to get help. Receiving help early can prevent a lifetime struggle with mental illness and substance use. 

For more information about the Collaborative, details of Local Action Team and Working Group activities please visit the CYMHSU Collaborative page.