Foundry – transforming access through integrated youth services in British Columbia, Canada
Poster C117, Wednesday, October 10, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Essex Ballroom
Karen Tee1, Oluseyi Oyedele1, Amy Salmon2, Warren Helfrich1, Jenyo Banjo1, Mai Berger2, Skye Barbic3,2, Steve Mathias1,3; 1Foundry, 2Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, 3University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus
Foundry increases access to early intervention through a province-wide network of branded wellness centres for young people ages 12-24. Centres provide integrated, one-stop-shops for young people to access a broad range of mental health and substance use services, primary care, social services, and youth and family peer support. From January 2017-March 2018, a total of 4783 youth were served at six Foundry Centres. This equated to 35,791 visits and youth accessing services 3-9 times. 44% reported that if they had not accessed Foundry, they would have gone “nowhere”. The Youth Experience Survey summarized that: youth felt welcomed and comfortable (99%), they would refer their friends or family members (91%), and multiple services in one place made it easier to get the help they needed (97%). Our poster will also report on the Clinical Microsystem Assessment Survey (CMAT), Partnership Self-Assessment Tool, and a 2-year developmental evaluation. Centres staff endorsed optimal ratings on three of ten dimensions of the CMAT, reflecting the early development of integrated service delivery. Partners indicated that more work is needed to achieve a successful collaborative process between partners. The developmental evaluation of the Foundry model demonstrated that the anticipated Foundry “brand experience” was evident in the core components of care and that realizing this vision requires a unique approach to leadership and partnership that is challenging in existing siloed service systems. Taken together, findings suggest that relationship building is key to system transformation in youth mental health, which is evident in Foundry’s collaborative, team-based approach to care.
Topic Area: Service System Development and Reform