Province announces new mental health and addictions program for South Peace youth

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — Mental health and addiction services for kids, youth, and families in the Peace River South area are expanding, according to a recent announcement from the provincial government.

The province announced Friday that it’s bringing “Integrated Child and Youth” (ICY) care teams to the area alongside six other communities across B.C.

ICY care teams already exist in several other areas, including Nanaimo, the Comox Valley, and Richmond.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says they “provide co-ordinated access to mental health, wellness and addictions resources, ensuring children, youth and their families have seamless access to these critical services where and when they need them.”

According to the provincial government, the goal of the ICY project is to provide more support for struggling young people. 

The announcement says 75 percent of serious mental health issues are estimated to start before age 25 and that drug toxicity and suicide are the leading causes of death among people ages 15 to 18.

“As peer-support workers, we create and run lunch-time drop-in groups in high schools all around the city,” explains David Mansoor, a Richmond ICY care team member.

“All students are welcome, and we share food and drinks, play games, create art, and most importantly, build relationships. We get to know these youth and they get to know us as safe, caring adults, always leading with a mental-health-first framework.”

The teams will be able to connect people ages 19 and younger with counselling services, as well as peer and cultural support systems.

According to the announcement, the province hopes to have 20 ICYs, including the one in Peace River South, operational by 2025.

Northern Health will implement the ICY team. Details on what the initiative will look like in the South Peace area, which includes Dawson Creek and Chetwynd, are unavailable as the project is in its early planning stages.

Existing ICYs reportedly support “at least 1,420 young people each month.”