Interior Community Services

Interior Community Services offers highly structured, individualized programs based on the strengths, abilities, and needs of the youth. Interior Community Services also provides therapeutic model homes for youth who cannot remain in their home. The responsibility for the care and nurturing of the youth is assumed by Interior Community Services and the program is designed to meet the individual strengths, abilities, desires and needs for the youth. The mandate of these homes is to ensure a safe environment while teaching various independent living skills.

Safe Spaces Programs

Safe Spaces is a service for youth up to 26 years of age, who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, transgender or questioning, and their allies.  It is a youth driven service offering weekly group meetings for youth, a transgender group that meets when needed; one-on-one appointments; crisis support; summer drop-in; workshops and presentations on Homophobia and Transphobia for Kamloops and surrounding communities; a resource and lending library and a referral system.  In March the Safe Spaces team decided to start up the Safe Spaces Trans Group as there was a need again. Both of the Safe Spaces group have a self-referral service.

Impact for Youth

The Safe Spaces team works in conjunction with the Youth Outreach team to assist youth who are in danger of becoming, or are already, homeless. This can include, but is not limited to:

• Help filling out forms for subsidised housing and finding housing;
• Assistance with resumes and job search; and
• Teaching basic life skills

Replication

• The location for Safe Spaces is kept confidential. Youth call, text or email the Program Coordinator and review ensure that Safe Spaces is a match for them, and agree to the confidentiality policy before they are told about the location. This allows the youth who are not “out” to feel safer.
• There are confidentiality and intake forms that are filled out once the youth get to group as well.
• Safe Spaces has a budget for food and activities. Last year Safe Spaces initiated an annual fundraiser, “Too Fabulous” which is a drag show that raised money for the program.
• If youth require services outside of Safe Spaces, we do work closely with the other programs that Interior Community Services offers and ASK Wellness Kamloops.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact Krista Gallant, Youth Support Workers or Kari Bepple, Program Coordinator at: Phone: 250.819.1919 or Email: sspaces@interiorcommunityservices.bc.ca

Category

Drop-in, group