What are Integrated Youth Services (IYS)?
Integrated Youth Services (or “IYS” for short) is an approach to organize and deliver health and social services to youth aged 15-24.
IYS Mission.mp4IYS isn’t one “type” of service itself, but a method of linking all kinds of health and community resources together to offer comprehensive care for diverse needs of young people.
IYS works like a “one stop shop”, so no matter which door you walk through, you will get connected with the resources you need, whether they’re for mental health, sexual health, housing, education, or something else.
This creates a network that is greater than the sum of its parts by taking advantage of a community’s existing strengths and resources to offer services beyond that of any one organization alone.
The growth of the IYS approach across Canada and the world is showing us that
we can do better.
The Benefits of IYS
IYS In Canada
Integrated youth service hubs in Canada mostly developed independently.
Advocacy combined with government and charitable funding has advanced IYS around the country — creating some very comprehensive systems of care in several provinces.
There is great diversity in IYS delivery. Some IYS providers have a big network of sites, others are developing locally.
What they all share in common, however, is a core set of key principles, focusing on things like accessibility, youth partnerships, and engagement [7].
You can read more about IYS in Canada in this report from the Graham Boeckh Foundation [1].
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