British Columbians living with overlapping brain injury, mental-health and substance-use challenges will benefit from a new research project that will explore these areas and propose solutions to meet people’s needs.

The Province is investing $345,000 in Constable Gerald Breese Centre for Traumatic Losses (CGB) to support ongoing research into brain injury, mental health and addictions, and propose evidence-based solutions and services that are integrated, accessible and culturally safe.

“People who survive an illicit drug poisoning are at higher risk of brain injury because of the increasingly toxic drug supply,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “B.C. is funding this research to find the best ways to support people who have complex overlapping mental-health, substance-use challenges and brain injury.”

The research project includes provincial conferences – BC Consensus Building Days – and educational programs. The first BC Consensus Building Day, at the University of Victoria, will focus on overdose survivors with brain injuries. The conference will gather perspectives and ideas from health-care providers, community stakeholders and people with lived experience, including Indigenous groups and marginalized communities.

“Individuals experiencing brain injury, mental health, addictions, homelessness and criminality, and their families, are struggling to navigate a system that is not fully integrated. This is leading to dire consequences for many,” said Janelle Breese Biagioni, clinical counsellor and CGB’s CEO and founder. “It’s critical we take action now. Our intention is the B.C. consensus on brain injury, mental health, and addictions is an important step forward in determining priorities and solutions needed to bring about needed change to best serve people in British Columbia who are living with these experiences.”

This investment complements government’s work supporting people with overlapping mental health, substance use, trauma and acquired brain injuries, including the first-of-its-kind Red Fish Healing Centre, and groundbreaking approaches like complex-care housing.

Quotes:

Geoffrey Sing, chairperson, BC Brain Injury Association –

“The BC Brain Injury Association is proud to participate with Consensus Day hosted by the CGB Centre. This project will help establish best practices to support survivors of a brain injury impacted by the challenges of mental health and addiction; identify appropriate services; and help leverage to co-ordinate future vital research topics in regard to this issue. Our community is losing too many good lives – be it death to overdose, incarceration and/or homelessness – to the challenge of brain injury as a result of mental health and/or an addiction issue. With appropriate timely support, these individuals can survive and thrive in our community. Consensus Day is a positive, constructive means to help establish best practices to allow the greater community to provide meaningful support.”

Mauricio Garcia-Barrera, associate dean of research, faculty of social sciences, University of Victoria –

“Many community members in B.C. are undergoing a time of complex trauma—substance use, homelessness and mental health difficulties. Often underlying these challenges is a brain injury. This funding will support three years of consensus building between health-care providers, survivors and community stakeholders to find a way through this crisis.”

Quick Facts:

• Through Budget 2022, the Province has committed $164 million over the next three years to implement complex-care housing to serve as many as 500 vulnerable people throughout B.C.
• Since January 2022, government has announced 355 spaces in 12 communities and regions including Abbotsford, Bella Coola, Kamloops, Kelowna, Langley, Fraser South, Nanaimo, the North, Powell River, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria.
• More than 80 people have moved in to complex-care housing.

Learn More:

Constable Gerald Breese Centre for Traumatic Losses: https://traumaticlifelosses.com/

Heads Together Think Tank – B.C. Consensus Building Days: https://headstogetherthinktank.com/

Mental Health & Substance Use Supports: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use

Complex Care Housing: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/mental-health-support-in-bc/complex-care-housing

Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health & Addiction: http://www.bcmhsus.ca/our-services/provincial-integrated-mental-health-addiction-programs/red-fish-healing-centre

Stop Overdose: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca/

A Pathway to Hope: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCMentalHealthRoadmap_2019.pdf