SURREY – Surrey-Green Timbers MLA Rachna Singh says the expansion of emergency support services at Surrey Memorial Hospital for youth experiencing mental health and substance use challenges will provide young people with the help they need at a critical time in their lives.

“It is of vital importance that we provide mental health support for Surrey youth especially during a critical period of their lives,” said Rachna Singh, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers. I am proud to see this government prioritizing Surrey and its healthcare needs after years of neglect with 1.66 billion in funding for the new Surrey Hospital alongside much needed support programs such as these.”

This expansion of free mental health and substance use outreach at Surrey Memorial, Royal Columbian, Burnaby General, and B.C.’s Children’s hospitals will be supported through a $1.35 million grant from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to Dan’s Legacy Foundation.

Dan’s Legacy provides trauma-informed and culturally sensitive counselling and wrap-around programming to youth affected by mental health and addictions challenges in Metro Vancouver. This funding will allow Dan’s Legacy to double their counselling and outreach team to a total of ten therapists, two social workers and two youth outreach workers.

Throughout the pandemic, Dan’s Legacy has seen a significant increase in hospitalizations for anxiety, psychosis, overdose, and suicide attempts with their youth clients. The Foundation’s counselling services are available for young people 15 to 25 years of age who have experienced trauma and mental health or substance challenges, and their families. In the past four years Dan’s Legacy has helped over 900 youth meet their educational, employment and recovery goals.

Learn More:

Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions

A Pathway to Hope: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCMentalHealthRoadmap_2019.pdf

Stop Overdose BC: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca/