Pathways | Downtown Youth Centre

Downtown Youth Centre - Kelowna

Education, Family / Parenting, Legal, Mental Health - Adult & Senior, Mental Health - Child & Youth, and Youth Services

Provided by Okanagan Boys & Girls Clubs

Provides services for youth including mental health, employment, and housing.

Provides services for youth 12 – 18 Years of Age. The following programs are offered:

Upstream Kelowna: A preventative approach to youth homelessness and school disengagement. It uses a locally adapted, universal screening tool to identify school aged youth who may be flying under the radar. The confidential Student Needs Assessment identifies risk before crisis hits. The student and their family is then connected to a variety of supports based on their needs and aimed at building resilience and overall well-being.
Youth Recreation: Positive adult mentors guided by the Clubs’ core values build self-esteem and encourage healthy relationships while instilling the importance of mutual respect, teamwork and being socially responsible. While youth may just need a safe and supportive place to “hang out”, we also offer recreational opportunities, games, creative arts and special events.
Reconnect: Reconnect Counselors work with youth ages 13 – 18 and their families. Supports available through Reconnect are adaptable; occur one-to-one, in a group and by referral; on-site and in the community. Supports include crisis intervention, parenting program, counselling, mediation and safety planning. A full list of services offered through the reconnect program are listed here.
Restorative Justice: An approach that seeks to repair harm caused by a youth’s actions, through reconciliation with the person harmed and others affected. To achieve this, the youth must take responsibility for their actions and voluntarily agree to participate in the program. Referrals are received through RCMP, loss prevention, By-Law, community members and BGC Okanagan, for youth ages 12-18 years. This program serves Lake Country, Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Peachland.
Outreach Mental Health Program: Designed for youths 12-18 years old who are unable or unwilling to access traditional mental health services, and their families. Outreach Mental Health services are by referral from Child and Youth Mental Health or from an Outreach Counsellor through BGC Okanagan such as the Reconnect Counsellors or the Housing First Case Manager. –b> Life Skills Program/b>: The Power of Me! Focusing on the age group 13-18, youth with support needs have the opportunity to learn vital skills associated with living alone or semi-independently, preparing them for the future as adults. This program blends daily living, personal/social, and work-related skills into integrated fun lessons designed to increase self-confidence. The program occurs weekly on Thursdays during the school year. Participants must be referred by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Reunite: Reunite assists runaway youth to reconnect with their families across Canada. If home is not an option, we work with the youth and agencies in that city to find an alternative solution. In order to be eligible, a youth must be between 16-19 years of age and must have run away from home. After a successful reunite is made, we will conduct a one-month follow-up with the family and offer any assistance needed at that time.
Bail Support & Supervision: This Bail Support and Supervision Program provides daytime support, as well as monitoring and supervision, to youth aged 13 to 18 years who have been referred to the Kelowna Youth Justice House while under a 24/7 supervision order by the courts.