Pathways | Victoria Youth Empowerment Society (YES)

Victoria Youth Empowerment Society (YES)

Addictions / Substance Use, Housing / Shelter, LGBT2Q+ Community, Mental Health - Child & Youth, Sexual Health, and Youth Services

Provided by Victoria Youth Empowerment Society (YES)

Provides prevention, intervention, treatment and education for youth, their families/caregivers and the broader community.

Programs offered are:
Daytime Youth Drop-In:
A daytime drop-in centre that connects youth to healthier opportunities by providing access to counsellors, supports, and referrals. Youth receive assistance and support to meet their needs which may include: emergency housing/shelter, drug and alcohol counselling/withdrawal management, mental health assessment/support, food/basic needs, drop-in facilities, individual/family counselling, life skills training, independent living support/transitional planning, linking/referrals, and outreach services.

Alliance Club:
An evening drop-in centre for youth (aged 13-19). Provides a safe, healthy alternative for youth who may be hanging out in the downtown core, as well as providing a connection point for street entrenched youth who may wish to explore a more positive lifestyle. Services include an evening meal, access to showers and laundry facilities, and free hygiene products and clothing. The Alliance Club is a member of the Victoria Area Reconnect System which provides an integral link between youth, their families and/or other community supports. One priority is re-connecting missing youth with their families/caregivers.

Down To Earth:
This program's vision is to connect youth to wholesome outdoor activities that promote healthy recreation, pro-social relationships, and self-growth while providing a safe place for youth to be and learn new skills. These activities have included hiking, fishing, and paddleboarding in the south Vancouver Island district.

Kiwanis Emergency Youth Shelter:
KEYS is a 10-bed facility that provides emergency housing for youth (ages 13-18) who are in crisis and have no safe housing alternatives. The program offers assistance 24 hours 7 days a week. KEYS is a dorm-style residential setting offering up to a 7-night stay depending on the needs of the youth and their family/caregivers. Services include three meals a day, access to showers and laundry facilities, free hygiene products (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, razors etc) and clothing (socks, sleepwear, undergarments, seasonal wear, shoes, etc).

KEYS counsellors identify the immediate and short-term needs of the youth and their families and assist them in accessing the appropriate resources to meet their needs to ensure safe and secure housing after their shelter stay. Counsellors respond to a wide range of crises including, but not limited to, parent/teen conflict, mental health and addiction issues, protection concerns and homelessness.

Life Skills Program:
Offers youth (aged 12-19) one-on-one practical and developmental life skill support, with an emphasis on equipping youth with the tools necessary to successfully transition to independence. This may include life skills such as: securing housing, school enrollment, stress management, self-esteem, healthy relationships, family dynamics, anger management, budgeting, substance use, mental health, securing employment, and/or applying for financial assistance. The program is designed for youth who may not be attending school, are having difficulty finding or maintaining employment, experiencing barriers that may be impacting their ability to maintain in school/home, and/or are unable to sustain independence without additional supports. Referrals are accepted directly from the youth, families, MCFD, and/or other community service providers.

Supported Independent Living Program:
Provides the support necessary to ensure the successful transition of youth to independence and adulthood. Assists youth (aged 15-23) in the parental responsibility of MCFD, with continuing care status or receiving services under Section 12 of the CFCS Act, Youth Agreements, or Agreements with Young Adults. The program integrates accommodation support, personal management skill-building, and individual support services. Counsellors focus on addressing transitional services to meet the core needs for accommodation, financial assistance, employment, practical skills, social/family networks, and additional supports such as medical, addictions, mental health, and education needed by youth and young adults. Referrals are accepted directly from the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).

Summer Opportunities Program:
Provides a daytime drop-in program for at-risk and street entrenched youth who gravitate to the downtown core over the summer. The program offers services to youth (aged 13-19). Offers an opportunity to engage in healthy recreational activities as an alternative to the street lifestyle. Also serves as a connection point for youth to access other community resources and provides basic necessities such as healthy meals, showers, clothing, hygiene products, and laundry facilities.

Specialized Youth Detox:
A 5-bed non-medical withdrawal management facility serving the youth of Vancouver Island. A voluntary program for youth (aged 13-18) that require acute physical detoxification. The program offers youth the ability to stay up to 10 days to detox and stabilize both physically and emotionally. Also provides support to youth and their families/caregivers seeking assessment, consultation, referrals, and assistance with pre-and post-withdrawal treatment planning. Works with youth and their supports to develop a plan so each youth has an opportunity to meet their personal goals.

The program welcomes all members of the youth community including youth experiencing co-occurring disorders. Referrals are accepted directly from the youth, families, MCFD, and/or other community service providers. Youth are required to have a medical screen completed prior to entering the program to ensure 24 hours supervised medical care is not required.

Youth & Family Support Services:
A Youth and Family Counsellor and a Youth and Family Outreach Counsellor provide short-term support and longer-term counselling to youth (aged 12-19) and their families. Has a client-centred approach and a model of family resiliency. This approach recognizes that youth and their families are capable of rebounding from
crisis and adversity to achieve a greater sense of personal and familial well-being. Clients are encouraged to participate in the decision-making that affects their lives as they are their own best authority on their needs and experiences. Referrals are accepted directly from the youth, families, MCFD, schools and/or other community service providers.

YOU(th) Can Cook:
A free community kitchen for at-risk youth. The program helps youth to build nutrition, budgeting, and cooking skills. Youth are also given the opportunity to obtain their Food Safe certification. Bus tickets will be provided to youth who require them. Youth are also welcome to bring a support worker to attend classes with them if requested.

Youth Services Outreach Program:
Supports the immediate needs of the youth (aged 12–19) and their families in the Core Victoria region. It is a short-term intervention program with the aim of connecting youth and their families with longer-term support. The program provides initial and immediate contact to youth and their families in an attempt to resolve current and emerging issues, as well as facilitate prevention/diversion, early mental issue identification, and crisis intervention to reduce risk to youth and their families. Referrals are accepted directly from the youth, families, MCFD, and/or other community service providers.

Shift:
A group for transgender, Two-Spirit, non-binary, and gender diverse youth 13-19 years of age. This group is designed to be an inclusive and safe space where youth can access support related to their gender identity and come together for peer connections. Topics and activities include self-esteem building, coping strategies, navigating medical services, and much more. The group meets twice a month for a total of six meetings per session.

Youth in-care Network:
YICN is a space for youth in and from care ages 14-24 to be a safe, supportive, and empowering space where youth can connect with fellow individuals with some shared experiences and stand together to create positive change through group activities and workshops.

You(th) Can Garden:
A community garden situated at the Kiwanis Emergency Youth Shelter that provides youth with the opportunity to learn how to grow their own produce and take home healthy fruits and vegetables at no charge.

The Anxiety Group:
Designed to be a safe, welcoming and less clinical experience for youth ages 13-24. The group provides a learning experience for youth to make meaningful connections not only to other youth experiencing anxiety but also connections within themselves when it comes to their own coping skills and self-awareness.

250-383-3514 (Main Office)

Public email: office_manager@vyes.ca

Website: http://www.vyes.ca/programs/

533 Yates St., Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 1K7

250-383-3514 (Youth in-care network)

Public email: yicn.vyes@gmail.com

250-386-8282 (Anxiety Group)

Public email: lifeskills@vyes.ca

250-217-1471 (Kiwanis Emergency Youth Shelter (KEYS))

Public email: keys@vyes.ca

250-383-3514 (Life Skills Program)

Public email: lifeskills@vyes.ca