ICY Team Clinical Counsellor

qathet School District recently introduced a new resource available for students within our schools, an Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) Team Clinical Counsellor, Emily Johnston!

About ICY Teams:

• Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) Teams are a vital part of British Columbia's A Pathway to Hope, a provincial strategy aimed at enhancing mental health and substance use care. These teams collaborate with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, MCDF, and the local health authority (VCH).
• ICY Teams are groups of experts who work in communities and provide comprehensive mental health and substance use services for children and youth aged 0-19, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or situations.
• With the consent of those they help, team members share important information to reduce the need for young people and their families to repeat their stories.
• Service providers work together to make sure the transition between different services is smooth and appropriate. This means families and caregivers don't have to figure things out on their own, making it easier for children and youth to get the help they need, whether it's at school or in their community.
• ICY Teams can adjust the level of support they provide to match the specific needs of children, youth, and families.
• These teams offer a wide range of services, including assessments, screenings, consultations, therapeutic services, and more.
• In some communities, they also offer support that respects different cultures, including Indigenous child and youth support positions.

About Emily Johnston's Role: ICY Team Clinical Counsellor 

Emily offers outbound and outreach services for children and youth across the qathet region, offering support for individuals beyond and outside of qathet School District as well. She specializes in delivering therapeutic counselling services and serves as a school liaison to assist children, youth, and their families. Emily participates in school-based team meetings and collaborates with various partner and community agencies as required. She works closely with school and school district counsellors and may conduct workshops and training sessions for families, district staff, and community organizations as determined by the ICY team.

Emily has a collaborative approach, working with other team members (hired through different agencies) to provide wraparound services and support for children and youth. Her prior experience includes serving as a clinical counsellor in schools in Yellowknife, and she has recently started accepting limited referrals through school counsellors and Child and Youth Mental Health services.

To get in contact with Emily, please email: Emily.Johnston@sd47.bc.ca