Sask. looking for young people to help design new Integrated Youth Services

The John Howard Society and the Saskatchewan government are looking for youth to help design how the province will deliver a variety of services to young people and their families.

The two organizations have partnered on Integrated Youth Services (IYS), which aims to provide youth and their families access support on mental health, sexual health, substance misuse, peer supports, primary care, education, employment and training, and social and community services.

The plan is for IYS to have three hubs in Saskatchewan where youth can access all of these services in one spot, with virtual programming to be offered until until these physical spaces are available.

Everett Hindley, Saskatchewan's minister of mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health, said he learned about Foundry, an integrated youth services project in Vancouver, while there on business. This project gave youth and their families access to services 24/7 that could help them when needed.

"As adults we all can recall some of the challenges that we faced as youth and teenagers growing up, and you think about the youth of today and some of the even greater challenges that are facing them," said Hindley.

"We talk a lot about treatment and recovery, but we also need to to focus on the other end of it as well, which I believe is prevention and more prevention tools, particularly for young people."

This past November, the Saskatchewan government made an announcement looking for a partner to work on a similar project here in Saskatchewan. The John Howard Society, a non-profit focused on humane treatment of prisoners and the root causes of crime, was chosen.

Now, they have put out a call out for youth ages 12 to 25 to apply to be apart of the co-design team.

Members of the youth co-design team will guide the development and implementation of IYS.

LISTEN | Sask. launches new integrated youth services collaboration: 

Pamela Reimer, the newly appointed director for IYS, said the goal is for the program to be made for youth by youth. She said youth know what services are needed and how they should be made available.

"When we're able to bring youth on-board with us and have them help us co-design these programs and initiatives and services, we're actually helping create a system that works for you and and make sure that it's accessible to all youth," Reimer said. "And ensures that they're able to get those supports and services when they need it, how they need it, as quickly as they need it."