Glacier View Secondary has opened a youth wellness centre to provide School District 71 students with improved access to physical and mental health resources.

The centre includes a sexual health clinic, alcohol/drug prevention, early intervention, counselling, and youth outreach. There will also be support for families and youth with developmental disabilities.

Glacier View principal Murray McRae notes that children and youth between five and 19 spend almost a quarter of their lives in a school.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a familiar and, in most cases, a comfortable environment for our students, and research has shown that embedding a health care service model within a school environment can significantly reduce the challenges youth experience in obtaining timely health care services,鈥� McRae said during a Wednesday ceremony at the Courtenay school.

Janice McLaughlin, a general practice doctor, is offering her services at the centre every second Tuesday, starting May 2. Twice a week, a sexual health nurse will help students with birth control and pregnancy testing. And a John Howard Society staffer will be on site three times a week to support and counsel youth.

鈥淭his has really been a group effort of a lot of agencies in the Comox Valley,鈥� said Brett Hodson, manager of public health for the Comox Valley, who chaired the initiative with McRae. 鈥淭his is Island Health鈥檚 third foray into working with schools and putting a wellness centre in place.鈥�

鈥淭his is truly what community is about,鈥� SD71 superintendent Dean Lindquist said.