North Shore’s Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre takes shape
On the third floor of the new HOpe Centre at Lions Gate Hospital an innovative inpatient unit is preparing to change lives for young people struggling with acute mental health and substance use issues. When it opens in April 2017, the Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre will be the first facility of its kind in British Columbia to provide specialized assessment and treatment for youth with serious concurrent disorders – mental illness and addiction. The Centre will accept referrals from across VCH, filling a gap in the current continuum of care for youth in British Columbia.
Addressing an unmet need
Mental illness and substance misuse affect every aspect of an individual’s life, creating particular challenges for young people who are struggling to finish school, develop a career and find their place in the community. Youth have unique needs that are not well served in traditional adult or pediatric mental health inpatient settings, currently the only options available within VCH.
Key elements of the Carlile Centre:
- 10-bed inpatient unit designed to meet unique needs of youth age 13-18 with serious concurrent disorders
- Services include: assessment, stabilization, withdrawal management, treatment initiation, specialized therapeutic programming and community-based planning
- Individualized treatment plans, with active participation from youth, parent/caregivers, and community resources
- Multidisciplinary team, including: psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, nurses, youth care counsellors, social workers, concurrent disorders therapist and school support staff
- Telehealth linkages to support youth in rural and remote communities
Clinical hub of expertise
The multidisciplinary treatment team, including nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and clinicians experienced working with youth who have complex mental health and substance use issues, will serve as a hub for clinical expertise, serving the entire region. They will work closely with patients and families, and have strong connections with community partners to support youth as they transition from community to hospital and back.
Dale Handley, VCH Clinical Planner, Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Services, chats with admin assistant Del Demheri outside the HOpe Centre.
“The Carlile Centre is a new, much needed element, in the continuum of services for youth, and we are working with our community partners to develop appropriate referral pathways,” explains Dale Handley, Clinical Planner, Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Services, VCH.
“In addition to receiving help with mental health and substance use, youth can continue to go to school or receive vocational counselling while they are at the Carlile Centre, to support them to resume life at home, school and in the community when they are ready leave hospital,” says Dale.
The average length of stay for a patient referred to the Carlile Centre is expected to be 21 days. The homelike environment, combined with leading-edge best practice, will support patients as they address their mental health and addiction issues. A trauma-informed, recovery-focused approach and culturally appropriate care will provide a safe place for recovery and reflection.
Join the team, make a difference
Be part of this innovative Regional Youth Concurrent Disorders Program at Vancouver Coastal Health. Make a difference in the lives of Canadian youth who are at acute risk due to mental health and substance use issues. Job postings for British Columbia’s first-ever dedicated Youth Concurrent Disorders Unit go up in September.
Click here for more information.
Members of the North Shore youth mental health team enjoy some sun outside the HOpe Centre.