We’re in the final weeks of our 120-day action plan, with an acute behavioural stabilization unit and new community treatment teams in the works. The plan was announced by Health Minister Terry Lake in November to respond to health needs of patients with Severe Addiction and/or Mental Illness (SAMI) in all health regions.

We care for clients who are vulnerable and often marginalized, and will spend close to $300 million this year alone to provide a range of services for people struggling with mental illness and addiction. But there are always opportunities to improve care, which is why we conducted an external Emergency Department and Mental Health & Addiction Review and helped the Ministry develop the action plan. Thank you to all leaders and staff for your tireless efforts to bring the action plan to life.

What will happen by March 20?

We committed to make several changes that will move us toward a system that is integrated, innovative and assertive in engaging this complex population:

New Acute Behavioural Stabilization Unit

We are opening a 9-bed Acute Behavioural Stabilization Unit as part of the emergency department at St. Paul’s Hospital. The SPH ED has experienced the highest increase in SAMI patients of all VCH/PHC hospitals and the unit’s model of care will address their unique needs. Renovations for the new unit began today. Due to space constraints, areas in some existing departments and programs such as Diagnostic Imaging and Healthy Heart will require workflow redesign and possible relocation.

New Rapid Response Assertive Outreach Team

Health care professionals and police officers have formed a new assertive outreach team to serve individuals in the Downtown Eastside. The team transitions clients and will mitigate public risk by ensuring clients are engaged in care and connected quickly to the community-based services they need after release from hospital. The team is working with a small caseload of clients and is refining referral processes with the emergency departments at VGH and SPH.

Two Assertive Community Treatment Teams

We are adding two ACT teams, bringing our total number of teams to five. In collaboration with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and BC Housing, ACT teams provide medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitation services to individuals in the community. The staffing model, model of care, information sharing agreement and Vancouver site location have been determined, as well as the leadership structure. Nursing positions are posted and physician recruitment is underway. The teams will begin to identify clients at the end of February.

Information-sharing protocols between agency partners

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the VPD, VCH and PHC to support the sharing of information for the care, response, service and treatment of those with mental illness, and to assess and mitigate the risk of harm to anyone’s health or safety. The agreement applies when police apprehend a person under the Mental Health Act. Work continues on an information sharing process with BC Housing/non-profits for new housing sites.

Youth Mental Health Outreach Team

We are developing a new Intensive Case Management team to enhance the services available to homeless and inadequately-housed youth aged 16-24. This new team will complement the existing team that serves people aged 19-24. Both teams are part of the Inner City Youth Mental Health Program at PHC. Hiring for the new team is underway.

Our commitment extends past March 20

There are no easy solutions to this complex situation. Effective treatment requires an approach where addiction and mental health problems are targeted together with fundamental social issues such as homelessness, stigma, criminality and poverty.

An implementation committee comprised of officials from the Ministry of Health, VCH, BC Housing, VPD, and the City of Vancouver, will also work towards longer-term solutions for high-risk SAMI patients in Vancouver.

Learn more

More details will be shared in the coming weeks. For background on the action plan, read the November announcement in VCH News. Details on the Emergency Department Mental Health & Addictions Review – where many of the recommendations are now encompassed in the 120-day action plan – are on the VCH website.