Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership announces $1.5 million in support of Foundry to transform youth mental health in BC and beyond

Donation to St. Paul’s Foundation enables Foundry to undertake unprecedented youth and family-driven research and mobilization of knowledge

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 24, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – In the lead up to Bell Let’s Talk Day, the Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership today announced a $1.5M donation to St. Paul’s Foundation in support of Foundry to continue to transform youth mental health in BC and share knowledge and best practices around Canada. The donation will help to bolster Foundry’s Research team and its Knowledge Translation and Exchange (KTE) team over the next three years to improve integrated health and social services for youth and their families and caregivers in BC and support other emerging Integrated Youth Services (IYS) initiatives around the country and beyond.

This increased capacity within Foundry’s Research and KTE teams will enable the organization to translate and mobilize research findings as well as data and lessons learned from their 11 (soon to be 19) IYS centres and virtual services to continuously inform and improve services for youth and their families and caregivers. 

Funding from the partnership will also give Foundry greater capacity to continue to support emerging IYS networks, sharing lessons learned and mobilizing knowledge that will help improve access to quality, integrated care and ultimately improve outcomes for all Canadian youth.

The gift is a part of the Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership’s $10M commitment to advance integrated systems of care for youth mental health across Canada through IYS. Cumulatively, Bell and the Graham Boeckh Foundation have contributed more than $3M in philanthropic support to St. Paul’s Foundation, helping to forge the Foundry provincial initiative.

“We are so grateful for the Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership’s lifetime support of Foundry. As we enter our seventh year, Foundry is at a pivotal moment in our organizational life cycle, with an extraordinary opportunity to translate and share our findings and learnings to benefit not only our network of centres and virtual services, but emerging IYS models across Canada and internationally. This donation is integral in moving us closer to our vision of transforming youth health and social services. Together, we are supporting youth and their families and caregivers in living a good life.”

–  Steve Mathias, Executive Director, Foundry

“I am incredibly grateful to the Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership for this gift. It will allow Foundry’s research to continue to be a responsive, flexible and dynamic entity empowering youth voices to move evidence into practice quickly. With their support, Foundry’s research and knowledge exchange efforts will not only be cutting edge but will continue to ensure meaningful, accountable and intentional partnerships are built alongside youth, family and communities in BC.”

–  Dan Nixon, Youth Engagement Specialist, Foundry

“The Foundry model works, and as a supporter of Foundry and the backbone organization at Providence Health Care, it’s long been our goal to share it with young people across the country. Today, thanks to the Graham Boeckh Foundation and Bell, Canadian youth don’t have to feel alone.”

–  Dick Vollet, President and CEO, St. Paul’s Foundation

“GBF is pleased to support Foundry through the Bell-GBF Partnership. This new investment will increase Foundry’s research capacity to put youth at the centre of research and ensure services continuously improve and adapt to provide young people with the care they deserve. We are also pleased that this contribution will ensure that Foundry continues to share lessons learned and best practices for youth mental health across Canada, leading to better mental health outcomes not just for youth in British Columbia but elsewhere in the country.”

–  Ian Boeckh, President, Graham Boeckh Foundation

“We’re very proud to support Foundry as they continue their important work to transform youth mental health in BC. The Bell-Graham Boeckh Foundation Partnership is committed to accelerating the delivery of mental health services for young people across Canada through Integrated Youth Services, so we are also particularly pleased to invest in enhancing Foundry’s capacity to advance pan-Canadian collaboration with IYS networks around the country, so that more young people and their families can get access to mental health services and supports in ways that best address their needs.”

–  Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk

Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 26 – Join the conversation!
On Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video, and every use of the Bell Let’s Talk Facebook frame or Snapchat lens. All at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access.

About Bell Let’s Talk
The largest-ever corporate commitment to mental health in Canada, Bell Let’s Talk is focused on 4 key action pillars – Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership -and is a driver of Bell for Better. Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 1,300 organizations providing mental health services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities, local community service providers and other care and research organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About Foundry
Foundry is a growing network of community-based, partnership-driven, integrated service centres for youth aged 12-24 and their caregivers, located in communities throughout British Columbia, and through virtual care. Our vision is to transform how young people and their families find the resources and support they need, both online and in their communities. Our mission is to support youth in living a good life. Foundry removes barriers and improves care pathways for young people by bringing together primary and mental health services, substance use supports, youth and family peer support and social services – providing early intervention and care through a seamlessly integrated and individualized approach. To learn more, visit foundrybc.ca.

About St. Paul’s Foundation
St. Paul’s Foundation raises funds to support compassionate, inspired care at Providence Health Care’s 17 health care sites in BC, including St. Paul’s Hospital. The funds we raise help put patients and residents first through a collaborative, integrated approach that includes the best in clinical care, world-class research, and education. Through fundraising and strategic partnerships, the Foundation supports Providence Health Care – a founding member of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster – in building on its long history of innovation, leading research, and advancements in care for the people of British Columbia and beyond. To learn more, visit helpstpauls.com. 

About Graham Boeckh Foundation
The Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) is a private family foundation that aims to catalyze transformational change in the mental health sector in Canada and beyond in order to improve outcomes for patients with or at risk of mental illness. For almost 10 years, GBF has been dedicated to advancing IYS across the country. For more details, please visit grahamboeckhfoundation.org.

Media Inquiries

Foundry/St. Paul’s Foundation
Vivian Dang
vdang@foundrybc.ca
@foundrybc

Bell
Jacqueline Michelis
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News

SOURCE Bell Canada