New programs and services for the Downtown Eastside
After almost three years of extensive consultation and planning involving staff, clinicians, clients and government and community stakeholder groups, Vancouver Community is moving forward with the first of our changes to health services in the Downtown Eastside as part of the Second Generation Strategy.
The changes announced today are the beginning of a long-term strategy that will evolve over time to provide better access to care and improve the quality of life and health outcomes for our clients and community residents in the Downtown Eastside.
Says Dr Patty Daly, VCH’s chief medical health officer, “…As health care providers we know that services in the Downtown Eastside can be improved – and it’s our responsibility to ensure that people in this area receive the type of care that will improve population health.”
Initiatives announced today include:
- A new mental health and addiction drop-in model with stronger connections to health services;
- A new low-threshold addictions service that removes obstacles to treatment and provides untreated people with a range of medical addiction therapies;
- A new peer navigator program where people with lived experience help others to access supports and services;
- New hours for Insite that will provide better access in the morning when demand for services is highest; and
- A shelter pilot to improve transitions for people who are homeless coming out of hospital
The new programs and services, expected to commence in 2016, were among the priorities identified in the DTES Second Generation Strategy design paper released earlier this year.
Staff have been heavily involved from the beginning of the process and will continue to be a driving force in the planning and implementation of future initiatives. Just one example of this is with the planning underway around integration of services to better coordinate care services and supports around client needs in the Downtown Eastside. A large cross-section of VC staff and clinicians will be invited to participate in visioning sessions later on this month, as well as sessions in October and November.
Says Laura Case and Rolando Barrios, COO and Senior Medical Director for Vancouver Community respectively, “We would like to recognize and thank the staff and clinicians who have worked tirelessly over the last few years on the Downtown Eastside 2nd Generation Strategy and appreciate your continued work and commitment to better serve our clients and people in need in the Downtown Eastside.”
For today’s announcement, please click here.
For more information on the DTES 2nd Generation Strategy, please visit: http://dtes.vch.ca