A Provincial Hub for Children, Youth and Families

As a youth, or a career practitioner, employer, family member or friend of a youth looking for work, you may have experienced that the road to finding a job is much more complex than simply learning to navigate job search sites, fine-tune a resume, or improve interview skills. Some youth face mental health challenges that must be addressed before they can fulfill the demands of full-time or part-time work.

Fortunately, young British Columbians with mental health or substance abuse challenges have access to free resources and supports that can improve their health, and improved mental health might just be one of the steps needed to find and succeed in a new job.

Did you know that one in five children and youth in British Columbia experience mental health challenges that significantly interfere with daily living? And are you aware that in BC, over half of youth who need mental health support have not accessed appropriate resources and services?

Connecting with children, youth and families early is critical to making a difference – and the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre was established in January 2008 to do just that – to serve as the provincial hub for free mental health and substance use information, resources, supports and system navigation for children, youth and families.

The Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is BC’s province-wide information source for children, youth and families who are experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. The Centre also provides resources to people of all ages seeking support and information related to eating disorders.

Individuals who contact the Kelty Centre can receive one-on-one support from the Centre’s peer support workers, including F.O.R.C.E. Parents in Residence, F.O.R.C.E. Youth in Residence, and an eating disorders peer support worker.

In addition to contacting the staff who work at the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, the Centre’s website is a rich source of information on a range of mental health topics. Resources available through the website include fact sheets, toolkits, audio recordings, videos, and interactive activities. The Kelty Centre also has a presence on a number of social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Kelty Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. You can contact the Centre by phone, by email, or by visiting them in person at BC Children’s Hospital.

To contact the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre:
Phone: 604-875-2084
Toll-free: 1-800-665-1822
Email: keltycentre@bcmhs.bc.ca
Website: www.keltymentalhealth.ca