Mental health and substance use services strengthened island-wide

December 17, 2014

Island Health will open 28 new substance use beds and 14 new tertiary mental health care beds in 2015. In addition, three new intensive case management teams and a new assertive community treatment team will support recovery for clients with serious mental illness and addictions with intensive supports in the community.

“It can be difficult for people with severe mental health or substance use issues to engage with the health system,” said Island Health CEO Dr. Brendan Carr. “These new services will improve how we reach out and provide the kind of care they need, where they need it.”

“In 2012, we embarked on an ambitious plan to address gaps and challenges we had identified in our mental health and substance use services, and we have made significant progress,” said Cheryl Damstetter, executive director of mental health, family and public health services. “There is more work to do, and we know that collaboration with community partners, local governments and other agencies will continue to be critical for addressing the wide-ranging and complex needs of those with severe addiction and mental illness.”

Services already introduced since 2012 under the plan include:

• the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital psychiatric emergency services and psychiatric intensive care units,
• 51 tertiary mental health beds at Cowichan Lodge,
• a four-bed high-risk unit at Seven Oaks in Victoria,
• three detox beds for women in Comox,
• two designated beds at Royal Jubilee Hospital for people with eating disorders,
• new ACT teams in Campbell River and Port Alberni,
• telehealth services to support people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression, and
• education for a wide range of health care providers in rural and remote areas on suicide prevention and eating disorders.

Island Health has also increased support for children and youth with mental health issues including:

• expanded tele-mental health services to support rural and remote areas of the island,
• a new coordinator for child and youth mental health and substance use services in the North Island, and
• introducing new child-youth mental health workers, doing a safety upgrade in the pediatrics department and adding crisis nurses in the ER at Victoria General Hospital.

Under a three-year plan to improve mental health and substance use services (2012-15), Island Health is investing $26.6 million in new services. That includes new provincial funding of $2 million, part of the $20.25 million earmarked for health authorities in 2014/15 to invest in more local programs and supports to improve care for the severely addicted and mentally ill population. This announcement builds on significant progress on the action items outlined in the Ministry of Health’s November 2013 report for individuals with severe addiction and mental illness, with even more programs to be announced in the upcoming year.

The $26.6 million also includes dedicated provincial funding of $12.5 million for mental-health beds and supports as part of the Riverview redevelopment project and $2.9 million for integrated primary care. These initiatives support the objectives outlined in the Ministry of Health’s 10-year plan to address mental health in B.C., titled “Healthy Minds, Healthy People.”

Island Health has made extensive investments in mental health and substance use services in the past 10 years, with the budget increasing every year – from $85.97 million in 2005/06 to $167.8 million in 2014/15.

Backgrounder follows.

BACKGROUNDER

New mental health and substance use services in 2015

North Island

• Five community withdrawal management and detox beds, specifically designed to support people of Aboriginal descent with concurrent disorders in Mt. Waddington
• Six supportive recovery beds for women in the Comox Valley
• New intensive case management team to support clients with issues involving substance use and police involvement in the North Island, serving Port McNeill, Port Hardy, Alert Bay and surrounding area
• New intensive case management team to support clients with issues involving substance use and police involvement in the North Island, serving the Courtenay/Comox area

Central Island

• Two shelter beds for youth with concurrent mental health and substance use needs
• Six supportive recovery beds for women
• New Assertive Community Treatment team serving the Cowichan Valley

South Island

• 14 regional tertiary beds to provide higher level, more accessible, specialized transitional care for people with concurrent disorders and physical or personal care requirements after discharge from hospital
• New intensive case management team working with the psychiatric emergency services at Royal Jubilee Hospital to better support clients with severe addiction and mental illness in regaining stability in the community after discharge
• Urgent counselling clinic for clients requiring immediate care for mental health and substance use issues
• Two beds for teenage mothers with mental health and substance use issues
• One additional bed at Ledger House, which provides residential mental health services for children and youth

Planning is underway for seven additional beds to support clients with substance use challenges. Locations and type of bed will be determined in the coming months.

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South Island Media Inquiries
Sarah Plank
Media Relations Manager
Phone: 250.727.4275
Email: sarah.plank@viha.ca

Central and North Island Media Inquiries
Val Wilson
Manager, Regional Communications
Phone: 250.739.6303
Email: valerie.wilson@viha.ca

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