Optimizing research impact and building capacity for youth driven research within the learning health system of an integrated youth services initiative

Led by Dr. Christine Mulligan, this project will take place at Foundry, an integrated youth service initiative (IYS) providing comprehensive support to youth across BC.  IYS can improve youth mental health and substance use outcomes, issues afflicting 1 in 5 Canadian youth. Foundry operates virtually and in physical centres in BC, supporting youth through 5 service streams: physical and mental health, substance use, peer support and social services. Foundry is implementing a Learning Health System (LHS), a care model where data and learnings are used in real-time for continuous improvement and strong, equitable impact. This project is supported by a partnership between Foundry and the University of British Columbia, and jointly funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Michael Smith Health Research BC, as part of the CIHR Health Systems Impact Fellowship program. This research program will evaluate and enhance feedback loops between research, policy, and practice (iKT), focusing on building capacity for youth- driven inputs into Foundry research. The fellow will engage with Foundry knowledge users/creators to assess current iKT feedback loops at Foundry, highlighting areas for improvement, and finding solutions. This project will create a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to give input into Foundry research, such as by co-developing (i.e., with Foundry youth) a plan to identify young people’s needs and co-designing new ways to track youth-reported outcomes. The YAC will co-develop a youth-centered iKT plan, and results will feed into the iKT feedback loops improved in this project and into the LHS, through arts-based methods, talking circles, and other publications. Importantly, the project’s outputs (iKT feedback loops and capacity for youth input) are sustainable and will develop beyond this program. This research program has immense potential for lasting impact on Foundry, and ultimately, the well-being of BC youth.