Today, Maggie Chi, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Marjorie Michel, announced close to $10 million to expand Integrated Youth Services (IYS) across Nova Scotia, helping more young people and their families access coordinated, community-based mental health and related services.
Delivered by Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health, the Connected Futures: Anchoring Services and Care in Community for Youth in Nova Scotia project will help strengthen services at existing IYS hubs in Nova Scotia, and improve access to care services for Indigenous youth, those living in rural areas, and other underserved populations. It will also support enhancements to existing IYS hubs to integrate primary care services, including investments in up to 12 additional clinical support staff across up to eight hubs. These improvements will help young people access a broader range of overall health services in one location, reducing barriers to care and ensuring more timely, consistent, and connected support. The project involves partnerships with multiple local and provincial organizations such as the YMCA and YWCA, the Eskasoni Health Centre, the New Dawn Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the BGC. Youth and caregivers will play an active role in shaping programs and communications through advisory and co-design opportunities.
Supported through the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF), this project is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to improve mental health outcomes for youth by enhancing access to, and navigation of, mental health services with a focus on underserved, rural and Indigenous youth.
