Asking for help can be hard. Finding the right help can be even harder.
Do you need a medical doctor or a compassionate listening ear? Will you need a referral? Is the service affordable? For Chilliwack youth aged 12 to 26 who don’t know where to turn or who to ask, the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre is a great place to start.
“Anyone can come to get support for any kind of issue. If we don’t have answers for you right away, we can connect you to other services in the community,” says Dr. Robert Lees, Counselling & Training Director at the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre.
The Centre has been serving Chilliwack for six years and has adapted on the fly to continue supporting youth through the pandemic.
“Most experts say that a person’s brain isn’t fully developed until age 26. These are formative years, and we want to contribute to that formation,” Lees says.
- Face-to-face and virtual counselling: “We’ve adapted our mental health, medical and general counselling during COVID-19 and are now offering support face-to-face as well as online and over the phone,” Lees says. “It’s something we’re excited to continue from now on — some people benefit from a face-to-face interaction, but others prefer the anonymity of an online session so we’re happy we can now provide both options.”
- Referrals to other services: Need help finding income support, shelter, or a support group and don’t know where to turn? The Chilliwack Youth Health Centre can help you find the resources you need. “If we can’t help you here, we can assist you in connecting with professionals in the area. You don’t have to do this alone,” Lees says.
- Drop-in support groups: In addition to one-on-one counselling, the Centre offers parent consultation and casual opportunities to build community and find support. “We offer a space where young people can connect with caring adults,” Lees says. “Through partnership with the YMCA, the Chilliwack Gender Care Committee, MCFD and Ann Davis Transition Services we offer a number of specialized groups — extremely important connections anytime, never mind during a pandemic!”
- All medical and counselling services are FREE: No referral or appointment necessary — just drop in! All services at the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre are free and available to youth ages 12 to 26. Want to donate to a good cause? The Centre recently received charitable status, so your donation is tax deductible.
Find the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Neighbourhood Learning Centre (attached to Chilliwack Secondary) at 46363 Yale Rd., or Thursday afternoons at Sto:lo Health on Vedder Road starting September 10. For counselling phone or text Brandi Carlow at 604-819-4603, email chilliwackyhc@gmail.com, or drop in at one of their locations Tuesdays and Thursdays: NLC 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last drop-in time for counselling is 5:30 p.m.); Sto:lo 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. (last drop-in at 6 p.m.). To speak with a doctor phone or text Shannon Beer at 604-701-2059 or email chilliwackyhc@divisionsbc.ca. Medical services are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit chilliwackyhc.com for updated information.
