Health Minister Terry Lake today celebrated the substantial completion of the Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre, which will care for people with mental-health or substance-use challenges.

"We are on the home stretch for the opening of the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre, which will help mental-health and substance-use professionals provide better care to patients and their families in a more modern environment,” said Lake. “The Segal family has been extremely generous and tireless champions for this project and their contributions will have a positive impact on the lives of British Columbians facing mental health or substance-use concerns.”

The facility is substantially complete and will create a welcoming, home-like experience for clients, including a rooftop garden deck. The facility’s anticipated opening date is fall 2017.

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The eight-storey building will consolidate inpatient and outpatient services under one roof to provide clients with the treatment, programs and skills they need to successfully resume life in the community. It will replace outdated facilities such as the former VGH Willow Chest Centre (circa 1948) and Health Centre at Vancouver General Hospital (circa 1943).

It is also the future home for Vancouver Coastal Health’s Access and Assessment Centre, which opened in April 2016 in the Vancouver General Hospital Health Centre and will be moved when the Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre is open.

"Mental health problems are far more prevalent than most of us realize,” said Joseph Segal. “The cure is not easy. Compassion and understanding are so vital in the cure. I believe that this building that we are dedicating will be a step to understanding and tolerance.”

With 100 private rooms, each with its own washroom, the Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre will be the largest purpose-built facility of its kind in the province for people with mental health and substance-use issues.

“One in five Canadians is diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime. This new facility is vitally important to support patient and family-centred care,” said Barbara Grantham, president and CEO of VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation. “We are very grateful to our donors, and to government, for making this very special place a reality.” The VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation has raised $25 million toward the project.

The total capital cost of The Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre is $82 million. Thanks to $57 million in funding from the provincial government, and a lead gift of $12 million from philanthropists Joseph and Rosalie Segal, the Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre will open the doors to a new era of mental-health care in 2017.

“The Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Centre will ensure that our psychiatric and substance-use clients truly receive the best care,” said Mary Ackenhusen, president and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “We know that natural light, well-designed rooms and common areas can make a tangible difference in the recovery of patients, allowing them to return to the community and their normal lives more quickly. We look forward to the improved access and outcomes this building will provide.” 

Today’s announcement supports a number of priority areas that will help better meet the needs of people struggling with mental-health and substance-use issues. Budget 2017, with $165 million provided in targeted mental-health and substance-use investments, is helping government address gaps in the system. It is providing patients and families with better information and ways to navigate the system, and integrating and co-ordinating services throughout the province. The Ministry of Health spends about $1.45 billion each year to support people in need of mental health or substance use supports.

The B.C. government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects throughout the province. In doing so, these construction projects are creating well-paying, family-supporting jobs. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government.

Learn More:

A comprehensive fact sheet on services for mental health or substance use concerns:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/factsheet-comprehensive-mental-health-and-substance-use-services-in-bc