Nearly one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. While many start experiencing symptoms as youth, the stigma surrounding mental illnesses often leads individuals to delay or avoid diagnosis. Much work is being done locally to help our youth get the help they need in order to build healthy, fulfilling lives. This spring in the Okanagan, a new facility called Foundry Kelowna will open its doors and, for the first time, youth will have access to coordinated and integrated primary care, clinical mental health, substance use, social services, and youth and family peer support and navigation. Will these commitments to youth mental health decrease the stigma of seeking treatment? Will Kelowna be able to improve access to care in a population where 75% of young people who need help do not get access to it? In what ways can early mental health support and treatment help to prevent future crises?

Recorded February 23, 2017, in Kelowna, BC.