BC Gov News

Dick Vollet, president and CEO, St. Paul's Foundation –

"We are grateful to all of our donors who helped make this transformative health-care model possible, and who support innovation so Providence can continue to deliver exceptional and leading care, research and teaching."

Adam Palmer, chief constable, Vancouver Police Department –

"The HUB came together after the Vancouver Police Foundation received $750,000 from a generous donor. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, requested that the money be used to help alleviate the mental-health and addiction crisis in the city. Mental health and substance use are complex, deep-rooted issues for our city, and there is an urgent need in Vancouver for integrated services to assist people in crisis. A facility like this can only become a reality when police, business, public health care and different levels of government work together."

Dr. Dan Kalla, head of emergency, St. Paul's Hospital –

"This suite of wraparound services brings emergency care, rapid-access addiction treatment, harm reduction and a transitional care centre together to reduce overdose deaths and ease turbulent transitions to community care. This innovative approach can also be used at the new St. Paul's."

Dr. Patricia Daly, chief medical health officer, Vancouver Coastal Health –

"We need to continue working with our partners and keep collaborating on new and innovative ways to help those who are facing mental-health and/or substance-use challenges. The HUB is a unique care model that will add to our complement of services aimed at helping these vulnerable populations."

Rob Turnbull, president & CEO, Streetohome Foundation –

"Streetohome supports the introduction of innovative and promising practices that address gaps in the current system to meet the housing, addiction, education and employment needs of vulnerable individuals who are homeless, have lived experience of homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. The HUB will serve those living with substance-use disorder and mental-health issues, offering an improved care pathway that will change lives and build better futures for all."

Gregor Robertson, mayor, City of Vancouver –

“The HUB at St. Paul’s will help stop the revolving door with mental health and addictions services, filling a critical gap in care for our most vulnerable citizens. The suite of wraparound services for mental-health and substance-use patients is a crucial next step to tackle a provincewide crisis with mental health and addictions that needs urgent, dramatic action. Supported by a contribution of $1 million from the City of Vancouver’s innovation fund, the HUB will benefit people struggling with issues relating to mental health and addictions by helping to improve connections to care. There's a desperate need for more treatment-on-demand and personalized care for our most vulnerable residents because addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one.”

The Emergency Department HUB (HUB ED) is an acute medical unit near the St. Paul's Hospital Emergency Department. It provides seamless care for mental-health and/or addictions patients upon their arrival at the emergency department (ED). Specialists provide them with culturally appropriate, trauma-informed care in a dignified, private setting, separate from the hospital ED.

HUB services include:

• up to 10 patient beds
• a nursing station area, with three nurses on duty, 24 hours a day
• a fully equipped medical supply room
• rapid assessment, treatment and stabilization of mental-health and/or substance use-related disorders
• integrated care from various consulting teams that serve the ED, including addictions medicine and acute psychiatry staff, as well as the Indigenous health team

The HUB ED supports Vancouver's priority actions identified by the mayor's task force on Mental Health and Addictions, and will help Vancouver continue to move toward being a healthy city for all.

Vancouver Police Foundation Transitional Care Centre (VPF TCC)

The VPF TCC is the second of its kind in Canada, after St. Michael's Hospital Rotary Centre in Toronto. It offers up to eight beds of short-stay accommodation for people discharged from St. Paul's Hospital who need a safe interim space before they transition into the community.

The VPF TCC connects patients to services, such as supported or transitional housing, income support, counselling and connections to Aboriginal healing programs. It is intended to help facilitate smoother transitions from acute to community care services.

VPF TCC services include:

• a safe space for after-care and connection to primary and specialist health-care and community agencies
• common lounge/kitchen area
• washer and dryer
• meals
• overnight accommodation (four single rooms plus two double rooms) with bathroom, shower facilities and secure storage for belongings

The catalyst for the VPF TCC was an anonymous donation of $750,000 made to the Vancouver Police Foundation. The donor clearly outlines that the donation be used to specifically address the mental-health and substance-use challenges people are facing in the city. After receiving the donation, the Vancouver Police Department approached St. Paul's Hospital to establish a transitional centre based on St. Michael's Rotary Centre, which helps patients move back to their communities with access to the resources they need.

Rapid Access Addiction Clinic (RAAC)

As of June 1, 2018, the RAAC has treated 2,051 patients, almost double the number of patients seen in October 2017, and it has connected more than 1,000 people to primary care in their home communities. Due to the rapid growth of the RAAC, the clinic has expanded its hours of care to seven days a week.

RAAC services include:

• outpatient medical treatment and support for all substance-use issues, including problematic opioid dependence
• patients can receive treatment in as few as 24 hours after their ED discharge or clinic referral
• its physicians and nurses specialize in addiction medicine, and it offers social workers and peer navigators who have lived experience
• a comfortable, quiet room for those who are ready to be treated with Suboxone, or other oral opioid-replacement therapy

St. Paul's Hospital Overdose Prevention Site (St. Paul's Hospital OPS)

The OPS, a tent on the grounds of St. Paul's Hospital, offers access to trained staff and peer support workers from partner organization RainCity Housing. It provides a space for people to use substances in a judgment-free setting and connect with emergency care, if needed. Since the OPS opened May 7, 2018, more than 800 people have accessed the supportive space. Nearly 300 of those have been patients in the hospital.