Pathways | Directions Homeless Youth Services

Directions Homeless Youth Services

Addictions / Substance Use, Employment, Food, Healthcare Providers, Housing / Shelter, Indigenous Services, Mental Health - Child & Youth, Social / Recreational, Victim Services, and Youth Services

Provided by Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV)

Offers low-barrier programs and services to support youth under the age of 25 who are in crisis or experiencing homelessness.

Directions Youth Services (a division of Family Services of Greater Vancouver) offers low-barrier programs and services to support youth under the age of 25 who are in crisis or experiencing homelessness as a result of abuse, neglect, substance use, or mental health challenges. The following programs are offered:

Street Youth Job Action: A pre-employment program. Youth participants in Street Youth Job Action work a five-hour shift, helping to clean the streets of downtown Vancouver of graffiti, posted flyers, and hazardous materials like needles.
Leaders In Training: A food (culinary) that gives youth the opportunity to do paid work, acquire new skills, and grow in confidence. Youth apply for the program, then work two, four-hour, paid shifts per week in our kitchen for three months, helping to create the centre's nightly hot meals and daily snacks.
Art program: A visual art studio space well-stocked with art supplies. An Indigenous Outreach Worker facilitates weekly cultural arts programming.
Digital media programs: The Digital Media and Music program gives youth access to a recording studio, video games, musical instruments, computers, music instruction, video production instruction and more.
A drop in centre: 24/7/365 drop in centre. The centre offers a hot, nutritious dinner every day at 8:00 pm, snacks all day, bathrooms and hot showers, laundry facilities, harm reduction supplies and information, clothing, shoes, toiletries and other donated items, a pet room and a kennel.
Indigenous outreach services: Builds cultural connection and engagement with Indigenous youth who disproportionately are living rough.
Youth Safe House: Youth Safehouse is a nine-bed house that provides secure and stable emergency housing for at-risk youth ages 16 to 18. At Safehouse, they work with youth to help them secure income assistance, mental health and substance use support, find permanent housing, and get connected with other help they need.
Youth Haven: Youth Haven is a five-bed house that offers emergency housing to high-risk youth aged 16 to 19. The goal of the Haven is to ensure youth with mental health and/or substance use issues are safe, receive the best possible care, and access the stabilization and recovery support services they need.
Outreach Team: The Outreach Team offers help to youth who are at extreme risk because of their homelessness, substance use, sex work, mental health challenges, exploitation and other factors that create their marginalization and vulnerability. Outreach Workers walk the streets of Downtown Vancouver in ten-hour shifts, seven days a week, carrying backpacks full of supplies, including food, water, clothing, harm reduction supplies, and Naloxone kits.
Transitions for Youth to Adulthood (TYA): Supports young people aged 16 to 19 whose support services from Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) or the Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) are coming to an end.
10K Supportive Housing program: Offers ten, self-contained bachelor apartments to youth aged 16 to 19 who are involved with Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services (VACFSS) or the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). The program supports youth in exploring and addressing goals in various areas of their life including education, employment, primary, mental health care and substance misuse, healthy relationships, budgeting and financial literacy as well as the skills required for living independently like cooking and cleaning.
COLTS Daycare and Young Parents Program: Supports parents in obtaining their high school diploma while facing the task of parenting.