Integrated Youth Services Network
The Integrated Youth Services Network (IYSN) is a complex and collaborative project, with the objective of providing the right services to the right youth in a timely and efficient matter.
The IYSN will include 7 locations but will feature the benefit of “one door” meaning that youth will only tell their story once.
The IYSN will include 7 sites located in the rural centres of Wellington, as well as in Guelph. Physical activity, mental health, substance use, and peer supports will be core services at all IYSN sites.
The Integrated Youth Services Network (IYSN) is a complex and collaborative project, with the objective of providing the right services to the right youth in a timely and efficient matter.
A network of community organizations has come together to re-imagine a newly designed system to directly address mental health and substance abuse needs of youth in Wellington & Guelph. Under the leadership of the Rotary Club of Guelph, a partnership of service organizations and volunteers has come together to build what is so urgently needed in the community.
The vision for this new model is one where:
A Network of Community Organizations Act As 1:
Each organization is part of a network, all integrated by technology which allows youth to access the immediate virtual care that they so urgently need. Assessment of a youth’s needs will be provided virtually (and eventually in each facility).
No matter the situation, technology will be used so that access to the right services is available no matter where you are. This technology component will enhance access for youth right now, as well as in the future by giving rural regions the same support systemas those in urban centres.
7 Locations Come Together With 1 Door:
In today’s siloed mental health model, each time a youth visits a new location or a new care provider, they are forced to retell their story which can be a traumatizing experience. The IYSN will include 7 locations but will feature the benefit of “one door” meaning that youth
will only tell their story once. This is made possible through an interconnected online system and is now of the utmost importance during a time where we are relying highly on virtual care.
The IYSN will include 7 sites located in the rural centres of Wellington, as well as in Guelph. They will offer a range of stepped-care services of varying levels of intensity that are co-designed with youth. Physical activity, mental health, substance use, and peer supports will be core services at all IYSN sites.
The 7 Sites Include:
East Wellington Community Services
Town of Erin Minto Mental Health
Palmerston Skyline Community Hub
Fergus University of Guelph
YMCA/YWCA of Guelph
Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo
Wellington Shelldale Family Gateway
Youth will help design the IYSN centres so that they are:
o A safe space
o A place to hang out, be active, and to just be themselves
o A welcoming and supportive environment where we have eliminated the stigma
o A place that encourages positive social interaction
o A place they want to be
By addressing what needs improvement (and what our youth are telling us they need), we will work to build a strong community by supporting our youth and helping them reach their full potential.
LET’S MAKE THE IYSN A REALITY IN THE WELLINGTON & GUELPH COMMUNITY
What is the investment?
You are allowing youth in the community access to immediate virtual care during a time where they have nowhere else to turn. You are investing in a future for 1000s of youth in Wellington & Guelph.
By donating, you are giving our youth:
o Immediate virtual care, helping to improve overall mental wellness and prevent more complex issues from arising in the future.
o Positive, youth targeted programming to develop confidence and skills to succeed
o Physical spaces transformed into safe and enjoyable spaces for youth
o A front door that youth can step through to access the care that they need from the qualified staff of over 30 organizations
o A sense of belonging and the opportunity for meaningful relationships
o A safe space
DONATE NOW
Donate now so that our youth can be given immediate virtual care, as well as a plan for the future.
The youth of Wellington & Guelph need us, now more than ever.
For more information on how to help, contact us.
kaili@transformingyouth.ca
