FOUNDRY Surrey
Equitable access to integrated health and social services
Meet Jen...
Manager - Foundry at Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS)
“It’s a dream job for me. I love change. I love being part of a solution. I don't like anything that stands still. I’m constantly learning, and because of Foundry’s five core services (INSERT FIVE), I’m constantly surrounded by people who are experts in their field and have chosen to do this work. Sure, we have hard days in this work, we always do, but there's always somebody next to you to be inspired by and someone to remain inspired for.”
RELEVANT STATS
- Approx 110,000 people in Surrey are between 10-24 years of age.
- Per 100,000 people in Surrey, there are only 59 physicians, 44 specialists, and 65 Supplementary practitioners
- Waitlists are real. Young people shouldn’t have to wait.
“Being able to come in when they need it. It doesn't have to be a doctor, it doesn't have to be an RN, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist, it needs to be a connection. We offer these services that do not exist anywhere else like this. It has to keep going forward.”
WHY SURREY? WHY NOW?
“I have worked in Surrey for four years, and saw very quickly what a fabulous community it is. There is a table for everything and everyone here. I have never seen so many community agencies work together in partnership for collective solutions. For example, when we developed our community leadership table to bring FOUNDRY to Surrey, we had 52 different partners come to those meetings. Surrey has a history of working together to meet the needs of our young people. Surrey has a really strong foundation of partnership to implement the FOUNDRY model.”
The other piece is Surrey’s fabulously unique and diverse community. We have been extremely intentional as we've built our leadership tables, making sure they represent the community, and what that looks like. Representation matters. Surrey has a very large population of newcomers, both refugees and immigrants, and each person’s experiences are very different. We need to make sure that those voices and folks are part of our leadership.”
MORE ABOUT THE FOUNDRY...
When Foundry Surrey was first announced, Jen’s phone number was listed on the Foundry Surrey website. Each week she would get five to ten calls, mainly from family members, community and partners asking about when it will open, and through these conversations, people would begin telling Jen their stories.
“I’d be on the phone with a mom or dad or an auntie, and they would be asking for things that I know that Foundry can give them, but I didn’t have any place to send them yet.”
Foundry will be able to give this community what it needs and for Jen, the impact happens when the phone rings.
“I will be able to pick up my phone and say, yeah, come on in. I know, as a mom of a teenager, being able to make the connection in the moment it is needed is the most important thing. I can only imagine what the impact will be for the folks who get to come into the site. Once we offer these services that do not exist anywhere else like this, it can’t go backwards. It will only ever continue to go forward.”
The intention of Foundry is to fill in gaps that exist in the system, not duplicate services. Foundry listens for the need and then works together with resource partners to find a solution.
JEN'S STORY
“It doesn't mean we're going to be able to fill every single gap, but we're given the permission and the responsibility to hear what is needed, then create something that meets that need. I work with people who choose this work. They’re not here by default. They’re here by choice.”
Jen is grateful for the trauma informed solution oriented approach. She understands that those who work at Foundry often have a personal connection and a deep heart for the work, and Jen is no different. “I know what it’s like to sit in the stigma. I’ve seen it. I’ve had my life turned upside down, and it changed my profession, it changed the work I do, it changed how I exist in the world. When families call me and I hear their backstory, I know it’s not about being a good person, or a bad person, it’s about the struggle they’re experiencing.”
“I have nothing but pride for people as they are showing up, and asking for what they need. I want to shout their stories from the treetops and mountain tops! I’m grateful through Foundry, I’m able to be part of their healing journey.
WHO IS FOUNDRY?
FOUNDRY is a safe and inclusive place where young people and families find flexible, accessible, non-judgmental care, information, resources and support as life challenges arise. All under one roof, health and social services will be brought together in a single place to make it easier for young people to find care, connections and the support they need.
FOUNDRY offers young people ages 12-24 health and wellness resources, services, and supports both online and in person. It’s a place where young people and families in Surrey can go when they have mental health or substance use concerns, physical health questions, if they are struggling with anxiety, depression or are in a life-threatening situation. It’s a place where youth can see a doctor or drop in to speak with a counsellor, and have access to a range of accessible resources without a referral, and free of charge. It’s a welcoming wellness centre designed for youth, by youth and with youth to meet their unique needs without long waitlists.
FOUNDRY SURREY lifts their hands and hearts to the first peoples of this land for their stewardship of the land and their care of each other. Foundry Surrey acknowledges that it is located on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt, and Tsawwassen First Nations.