We are families and we serve families. FamilySmart believes that exceptional care and caring is imperative to the mental health of young people. We offer peer support, events, resources and workshops to support the mental health of children, youth and young adults.

When families connect with FamilySmart, they are connecting with people who really KNOW the journey. We get it and we help to make it go better for others.

There is a mental health crisis in BC and across Canada. Approximately 150,000 children and youth in BC are affected by mental health challenges, yet only 25% are able to access services. An estimated 68,000 youth between the ages of 15 and 24 meet the criteria for substance abuse disorder and suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens 15-19 years old. FamilySmart is there when many other things are not.

This is what our work looks like:

Peer Support

FamilySmart’s peer support provides emotional support, information about services andresources, and help and mentorship in navigating services and creating connections with professionals. We offer parent peer support throughout BC through the Parent in Residence Program and youth peer support at the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospitaland in 2 Adolescent Day Treatment programs in the Fraser Region.

Events and Resources

Every month, FamilySmart invites families across BC to connect & learn at one of our online events - we call these events ‘in the know.’ Together, we watch a video from our library on a topic that supports child, youth or young adult mental health. We share experiences and strategies that help in the hard moments and focus on strengthening our understanding and connection with our kids. FamilySmart also founded and hosts May 7th National Child and Youth Mental Health Day to raise awareness of child and youth mental health and build caring connections between young people and the caring adults in their lives.

Workshops and Training

FamilySmart offers workshops for families and caregivers whose child or youth has been a patient in a psychiatric unit. It’s really tough to be going through hard stuff with a child or youth who is struggling with their mental health and they end up in crisis - and we want to help. We also offer training that brings together young people, parents/caregivers and professionals to learn with and from each other to help experiences between them go better.

FamilySmart connects with over 10,000 young people and families every year and there are so many more families who could benefit from connecting with us. We have no waitlists and thereis no cost to young people or families to use our programs.

Your support is invaluable - thank you.

For more information on FamilySmart, please visit familysmart.ca or follow us on Instagram or Twitter @familysmartcda or Facebook @familysmart.ca