A new era of mental health at VGH: Demolition of Willow Chest Centre is expected to begin this Fall to make way for the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre pictured here.
I’m pleased to report that both clients and staff of our tertiary mental health rehabilitation program are settling in at their new home. On May 1, 2013, all 20 clients and 30-plus program staff “moved house” from Willow Chest Centre to Willow Pavilion on the VGH campus. Our move brings Willow Chest Centre one step closer to demolition, clearing the way for construction of the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre (JRSFHC).
Learning from past moves, we minimized the disruption for clients and the workload for staff through careful, detailed scheduling. And thanks to the support of our Facilities and Sodexo partners, the smallest details — from homey, welcoming pictures hung in the new space to boxed lunches for all— ensured moving day wasn’t as trying as it could have been.
The program now occupies the second floor of Willow Pavilion, where clients are closer to tertiary programs and resources. Staff also say they enjoy functioning as part of the larger tertiary mental health team based at Willow Pavilion, and their closer proximity to the rest of the team makes programming and securing clinical support that much easier.
Demolition of Willow Chest is expected to begin this Fall. The Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre (JRSFHC) will replace the Health Centre on the VGH campus and consolidate inpatient, outpatient and outreach mental health and addiction services to provide an enhanced continuum of care. Our aim is to open the doors to the JRSFHC in early 2017.
The VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has also launched a public fundraising campaign — “Make Mental Health Matter” — to raise the last $10 million for building the JRSFHC.
If you or someone you know would like to support a new era of mental health care at VGH, visit givetomentalhealth.ca