MOOSE JAW — Saskatchewan’s Integrated Youth Services (IYS) program, which has selected Moose Jaw to host one of its initial four locations, has announced the launch of a new brand to distinguish all its sites across the province on July 30.
After a collaborative project involving the IYS and the province, “HOMEBASE” has been selected as the new name for the organization. Its affiliated slogan is “For Youth — By Youth.”
“Integrated youth services make it easier for our young people to access the supports and services they need in one location,” announced Tim McLeod, minister of mental health and addictions.
“The new brand ensures young people ages 12 to 25 and their caregivers can easily identify IYS sites,” he said.
The IYS program is both a national and international movement that comes as part of a $3.4 million investment in 2023-2024. The program aims to re-imagine how youths between the ages of 12 and 25, along with their caregivers, can locate and access the resources, services, and supports they need.
Among the services typically offered through IYS are mental health and addictions services, peer supports, physical health programs, education, employment and employee training supports, cultural and traditional supports, as well as various social and community services.
This program is implemented by the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan, a non-profit organization assisting at-risk individuals or those otherwise involved in the criminal justice process.
John Howard’s mission is to ensure that “Communities have effective, just, humane practices that support positive social outcomes” according to its website, and the organization helps provide consistent implementation of the program.
In the provincial model for IYS, these young residents will be provided rapid access to youth-targeted supports and the program’s focus is on prevention and early intervention.
chosen to host the new IYS hubs in the province. The three additional locations are in Regina, Humboldt, and the Sturgeon Lake First Nation with further locations to be announced in the near future.
“HOMEBASE is so excited to launch our identity as we move forward on our journey to open sites to meet the needs of young people throughout our province,” announced Paim Reimer, the HOMEBASE director.
“We are grateful for the youth on our co-design team who spearheaded this process and did the heavy lifting as we enact our vision of how HOMEBASE will be shaped.”
The inter-sectoral IYS initiative is supported by leadership from several provincial ministries including the ministries of Health, Education, Social Services, Justice and Attorney General, Corrections, and others.
The staff onboarding and site development process is nearly complete as of July 30, and it’s expected that these sites will become operational this fall with a date to be determined.
More information about the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan and its programming can be found at .
To learn more about the IYS initiative, visit its new website at .
