As young people returned to school and settled into new routines, Shoreline Medical Society expanded the mental health and substance use counselling available to youth through the Saanich Peninsula Youth Clinic, with new in-person counselling in Brentwood Bay and expanded virtual evening services.
The Youth Clinic provides free and confidential health and wellness services for young people ages 12 to 24. Services include medical care, mental health and substance use counselling, sexual health services, health education and peer-based supports. Physician appointments are available Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.
The expansion comes with the addition of Sasha, Shoreline’s new Youth Clinic Mental Health and Substance Use Counsellor. Sasha brings experience supporting young people and a calm, youth-centred approach focused on creating a space where they feel safe, heard and supported. He provides in-person and virtual counselling in Sidney and Brentwood Bay. Visit our Youth Clinic page for the appointment schedule.
“More than anything, I listen. I don’t push, pressure or judge. We move at a pace that feels comfortable for them,” said Sasha. “My role is to create a space where young people feel safe, heard and supported.”
The Youth Clinic also includes peer support navigators, sexual health educators and Youth Action Committee volunteers, helping young people connect with information and resources while bringing youth perspectives into the clinic’s work.
To book a Youth Clinic appointment, call 250-656-4143, press 7, then press 1.
Community support makes growth possible
The Youth Clinic is funded almost entirely through donations. Shoreline is grateful to the Victoria Foundation Community Grants Program,100 Women Who Care Saanich Peninsula, Butik Naturals, the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee, Peninsula Co-op, Red Barn, and the many community organizations, local businesses, and donors who support the clinic. Their generosity has helped us not only sustain services but expand them in response to growing community need.
For $50, community members can sponsor a Youth Clinic session and help keep care free and accessible for local youth.
