Projects using the Data Innovation Program closed

Insights for enhancing policy and services for children and youth who experience mental health problems

Status: Closed

The Ministry of Citizens’ Service and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions are undertaking a cross-government partnership to use integrated data to understand population-level patterns in how children and youth who experience mental health challenges access services across government and how those services affect them into adulthood.

Project main contact: Dan MacKenzie, Director of Data Insights, Digital Platforms and Division, Ministry of Citizens' Services

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
• Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Linking K-12 education to adult outcomes

Status: Closed

The Ministry of Education is undertaking a series of research projects to understand how a student’s experience in school (kindergarten to Grade 12) impacts their life afterwards, such as interacting with labour market programming or apprenticeship training. At a glance, the path looks different for everybody. But can a pattern be found in how students experience K-12 and their outcomes as adults? In this project, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General seek to understand population-level patterns between students’ demographics and educational experience (including academic performance and attendance) and their later-in-life outcomes, starting with time spent in the corrections system. If a pattern does emerge from the data, it may be possible for educators and policy-makers to put supports, resources and services in place to better help direct students/children to a healthier path in life, away from the criminal justice system.

The project team includes staff from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Project main contact: Brett Wilmer, Director, Education Economics Branch, Ministry of Education

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

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Identification of students with special needs by schools and healthcare data

Status: Closed

The Ministry of Education is undertaking an integrated data project to investigate the relationship between a school district's special needs diagnosis and students’ administrative health records. Insights from this study will benefit the public by informing whether predictive insight into the incidence of new students coming into the education system with special needs is available through using administrative data from the health system.

Project main contact: Brett Wilmer, Director, Education Economics Branch, Ministry of Education

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Education

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B.C. Kindergarten Index

Status: Closed

The Ministry of Education is undertaking a research project using administrative data to help in developing a census-based indicator of the current well-being and vulnerabilities of B.C.’s kindergarten student cohorts year by year. The ministry has been using data available through its Education Data Warehouse to build a baseline kindergarten index. Measures such as student demographic information, neighbourhood-level census data, as well as student EDI scores, Early Learning/Strong Start data, and student report card information have been integrated as predictors of various outcomes. Through the Data Innovation Program, external data sources will be linked to this data to see if the predictive accuracy of these indices can be improved upon.

Project main contact: Brett Wilmer, Director, Provincial Statistics, Ministry of Citizens' Services

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Attorney General
• Ministry of Children and Family Development
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
• Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
• Statistics Canada

Health trajectories

Status: Closed

The Ministry of Health is undertaking an integrated data project that examines the relationship between citizens’ characteristics at birth and educational attainment. The findings of this work will help inform decisions on health intervention policies to better support at-risk children and youth.

Project main contact: William Warburton, contractor, Ministry of Health

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Health

Investing in programs that expand youth mental health care and addictions services

Status: Closed

As part of the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions’ “A Pathway to Hope,” this project will help us learn more about the need for mental health and addictions services across the province. The impact that Foundry has on a community will be the main focus of this project. Foundry provides young adults ages 12-to 24 with access to health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through their integrated service centers. This project will help us learn more about how access to a Foundry centre can meet the needs of youth who use mental health care and social services. Analysis will be restricted to communities where Foundry services are available – Campbell River, North and West Vancouver, Kelowna, Prince George, Victoria, Penticton and Abbotsford. This work will help will guide the expansion of Foundry services across the province.

Project main contact: Dr. Ashley Pullman, Mitacs Science Policy Fellow, Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions

Linked datasets:

• Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training
• Ministry of Child and Family Development
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Health
• Statistics Canada