We are pleased to announce that Associate Professor Dr. Skye Barbic has been awarded a Canada Research Chair (CRC) (Tier 2) in Integrated Youth Services. The CRC, one of the Government of Canada’s most prestigious awards for research, recognizes Dr. Barbic’s immense contributions to the fields of youth mental health and health outcomes, and it positions her to become an international leader of research.
Dr. Barbic’s CRC answers to a pressing need to provide timely, accessible services to youth with mental health and substance use (MHSU) disorders. Currently, the services necessary for youth with MHSU disorders to thrive are offered separately in different places, and waitlists are often six to twelve months long. Moreover, youth often face barriers to accessing these services, including unemployment, homelessness, and discrimination. As a result, fewer than one in three youth with MHSU disorders receive the treatment which they seek.
Dr. Barbic’s research has shown that integrated youth services, which are comprised of services for physical, mental and sexual health, services for substance use, and social services all in one place, are more effective than traditional treatments for MHSU disorders; she champions this model of care as part of a province-wide initiative called Foundry.
Dr. Barbic will use her CRC to provide evidence supporting the creation of a network of integrated youth services so that these youth can access all of the services that they need in a timely and consistent manner.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Barbic on this remarkable achievement.
Image: UBC OSOT