Data platform
Building a secure, connected data backbone for Integrated Youth Services.
The needs of youth, families, and support systems are constantly evolving. To deliver responsive, effective, and equitable care, we need reliable data paired directly with youth insights.
Supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we are building a Pan-Canadian digital data platform for IYS. The platform creates a secure backbone to integrate data across sites and sectors - helping networks learn from one another, strengthen local service delivery, and improve outcomes for youth.
The Vision
Every young person in Canada deserves access to the supports they need to achieve their optimal outcomes.
By aligning on core pan-Canadian indicators, this platform connects information across jurisdictions, making it easier to evaluate what works and demonstrate collective impact.
Key Priorities
Youth-Centred Design
Young people have been involved from the earliest stages of discovery and design, ensuring safety, accessibility, transparency, and trust are built into the platform’s foundation.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Operationalizing distinction-based governance (e.g.,OCAP® and CARE principles) so First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities retain full authority, control, and custody over their data.
Health Equity & Inclusion
Embedding Engagement, Governance, Access, and Protection (EGAP) equity-centred data practices and principles to identify access barriers, advance cultural safety, and reduce health disparities across Black youth populations.
Data Harmonization
Aligning core indicators and shared approaches so insights can be smoothly analyzed across IYS hubs while respecting local governance and provincial models.
Secure Collaboration
Enabling networks to safely pool service, clinical, and research data while fully protecting privacy and maintaining security.
Continuous Improvement
Research, data and evaluation are not just valuable; they are essential to ensuring that IYS continues to be responsive, effective and evidence-informed over time.
If you want to learn more about how to get involved in helping develop the platform through your ideas and lived experiences, please contact dataplatform.ye@iys-sij.ca to learn more.