Following a six-month pilot project for a youth health clinic started by Dr. Kate Evans, it appears it is here to stay! There was need not just for physical but also for mental health support and Dr. Evans’ program not only got the support of the South Island Division of Family Practice, Peninsula Medical Clinic, the Town of Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula Primary Health Care Society, but they have received important funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
[Transcript]
Today is a good day for youth on the Saanich Peninsula. I’ve spoken in this House about a pilot project spearheaded by a local doctor in Sidney to provide a health service specifically for youth. Recognizing there was no supportive health clinic for youth on the Saanich Peninsula, Dr. Kate Evans started down the path of creating it. After many meetings with stakeholders and support from the South Island Division of Family Practice, a pilot project for a clinic aimed at youth from 12 to 24 was born.
Clearly, there was a need in my riding for an inclusive clinic close to home, open after school and judgment-free. The clinic was only open for two hours once a week, and doctors would see between four and 16 patients each week.
The two-month pilot stayed open for six months. They closed in mid-December of 2017 to examine the project and apply lessons that they learned. It was not just physical issues. Youth were seeking mental health support for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, psychotic symptoms, grief and complicated family issues.
The doctors built trust with their young patients, who felt they had someone who they could speak to about any mental health issue that they were facing. My partner has faced mental health challenges since her youth, and perhaps the early intervention a clinic like this offers would have helped her address the trauma she has experienced much earlier in her life.
Fast forward to today — literally, today — I’m delighted to say that they’re opening again. This afternoon, they open in their new space in the Peninsula Medical Clinic in Sidney, supported by a number of local organizations, including the town of Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula Primary Health Care Society, and with significant funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
This is yet another example of government financially supporting the incredible efforts of community members. I raise my hands to MCFD and the leadership of those involved in this important project.
On behalf of the South Island Division of Family Practice and the Saanich Peninsula Primary Care Society, I would really like to thank you, Adam, for the work that you have done for us and for this acknowledgment in the Legislature.
Thank you, Adam, this is an amazing addition to health care for Saanich youth. It will have a positive effect on the community at large. I am confident you’ll find a way for all your Green voters on Salt Spring Island to also, be able to have their own MD, as well. Many are without. Prevention through regular check ups , (blood work, access to medication like asthma puffers, before the problem arises is being proactive. Additional information for the grossly misinformed that burning wood is “natural” needs to be addressed on a large by law scale; this is key to a healthy life. It is so backward that Ganges is filled with smoke on a regular basis; as are several neighbourhoods. The practice of burning wood must cease; especially with the forest fires’ smoke polluting our lungs longer, and longer each summer. Thank you