Victoria - South Island

Y-STAR teams work to improve the mental health and social functioning of youth, support substance use treatment, distribute harm reduction resources, and help navigate access to other resources and care for youth and their families/caregivers. The teams can include Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) crisis nurses, social workers, counsellors, clinicians and youth/family support workers.

Y Star services include:

• Crisis assessment and response
• Substance use treatment support
• Overdose prevention and follow up
• Connections to services
• Transition support
• Resource and referral coordination
• Outreach
• Harm reduction

Access to Y-STAR is via referral from emergency departments, clinicians with Island Health’s Child, Youth & Family MHSU Services, pediatricians, and family physicians or nurse practitioners, by contacting Y Star directly.