New involuntary care beds are now open at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, providing people in custody who are in crisis and have overlapping mental-health and addiction challenges, as well as brain injuries due to toxic-drug overdoses, with specialized involuntary care.

“When someone’s severe mental-health and addictions care needs are not met, it often leads to a revolving door of crime and jail,” said Premier David Eby. “We’re taking action to break this cycle by adding new beds to help more people get the intensive care they need — to keep them safe and keep our communities safe.”

Ten new beds will be available at the designated mental-health unit at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, with the majority open now. Care will be provided to men in provincial custody who meet the criteria under the Mental Health Act (the Act). This service will help people who are incarcerated access care so they can stabilize on their pathway to recovery and improve overall long-term health outcomes.

“As the toxic-drug crisis has changed, we’re seeing a small but growing group of people with severe mental-health and addictions challenges, coupled with brain injuries from toxic-drug overdoses,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These beds will improve access to specialized mental-health and addiction care for people in provincial custody who have complex care needs and are part of our work to build services that work for everyone.”

Provincial Health Services Authority will operate the designated mental-health unit. A permanent, dedicated space is being renovated and is expected to be operational in late fall or early winter 2025. In the meantime, as many as 10 beds are available now in the segregation unit while renovations are being completed.

“By improving access to specialized care for people struggling with severe mental-health and addictions challenges, including those with brain injuries, we’re supporting both individuals and public safety,” said Terry Yung, minister of state for community safety and integrated services. “People will get the help they need while in custody, which can reduce the risk of repeat offences and improve outcomes when and if they are able to return to the community.”

In addition to this measure, involuntary care beds at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge will open in spring 2025. Work continues on more than 400 mental-health care beds at new and expanded hospitals in B.C., all of which can provide involuntary care under the act.

The creation of new designated mental-health and substance-use treatment services under the act is a key recommendation from Dr. Daniel Vigo, who was appointed B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders in June 2024.

He was tasked with working with the health authorities, Indigenous partners and people with lived experience to analyze existing mental-health and addictions treatment services in B.C., review data and best practices, and look to other jurisdictions for proven solutions that can be implemented in the province.

This is one part of the government’s work, which includes a focus on expanding voluntary supports and building mental-health and addiction services that work for everyone. The Province is increasing early intervention and prevention, treatment and recovery services, supportive and complex-care housing, overdose prevention and more.

Quotes:

Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.’s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders —

“Through this new mental-health unit, our incarcerated patients will receive the level of psychiatric care they need the moment they need it. This will prevent the harms resulting from weeks of untreated agitation and psychosis, and allows the implementation of a care plan that will be sustained throughout their time in corrections. By integrating with community services when correctional supervision ends, this will both improve mental-health and substance-use outcomes and increase community safety.”

Jennifer Duff, chief operating officer, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services —

“This unit is an important step in providing urgent psychiatric, medical and substance-use care to incarcerated people. It will help stabilize individuals experiencing acute mental-health concerns or withdrawal symptoms and connect them to care. We will learn from this and potentially replicate the model in other areas of B.C. We will work with regional health authorities to ensure clients who are released from a provincial correctional centre have a team, and a care plan, to provide ongoing support.”

Learn More:

To learn how government is working to keep people and communities safe, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/

To learn about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C., visit: https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/