We are a team of three coordinators and one manager, and we are passionate about facilitating the cultural shift to person and family-centred care. We know that families often provide essential support to people with living with mental health and substance use. We encourage this family support within Vancouver Community, Vancouver Acute, and Regional Tertiary Mental Health and Substance Use Services. We create opportunities for family support and involvement across the continuum of care.

What we do

• We collaborate with families and clients’ care teams to improve communication and information-sharing.
• We educate staff (for instance, at the Heart and Soul orientations for new hires in Mental Health and Substance Use), thereby assisting to create a culture of family involvement in our organization.
• Zach and Isabella lead a VGH-based support group for family and friends of individuals living with mental illness and/or substance use.
• Justun leads an 8 week psycho-educational program for the family and friends of individuals living with mental illness and/or substance use.
• We meet regularly with family advisory committees to collaborate with them in assuring family involvement. For example we are working with the Vancouver Family Advisory Committee on their upcoming Family Forum on Mental Health and Housing on Saturday, May 13.
• We work with the Vancouver Coastal Health Community Engagement Team to encourage public participation in decision-making, ensuring that there is family participation on relevant VCH policy committees and hiring panels, and providing opportunities for quality improvement.
• We write a bimonthly newsletter, available online, where we also feature online articles, suggestions, and resources.

You can find more information about our team on the VCH website.