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Caring for people with complex mental health and substance use challenges

BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services provides specialized treatment, education, health promotion and more for British Columbians.


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Did you know?

In a year, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health or substance use issue.

We provide specialized care for people with the most complex mental illness and substance use disorders in the province through 620+ residential treatment and transitional housing beds and six outpatient clinics for forensic clients. We also care for approximately 18,000 clients per year in B.C.'s 10 provincial correctional centres.

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​What is complex mental health and substance use?

We treat the most ill, most vulnerable people in B.C., whose needs go beyond what they can access in their communities. One frequent example of the kind of complex illness we treat is a concurrent disorder, which is defined as a combination of a severe mental illness and substance use disorder.                           Learn about complex mental health and addiction 

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Challenging stigma through storytellingChallenging stigma through storytellingTo combat stigma around mental health and addiction, we must listen and learn from those who experience it directly. The UNITE mini-documentary series at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services is helping people do just that.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/challenging-stigma-through-storytelling2021-11-22T08:00:00Z
Supporting and affirming LGBTQIA2S+ clients living with mental illness and addictionSupporting and affirming LGBTQIA2S+ clients living with mental illness and addictionAll too often, members of the Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA community experience discrimination and stigma, which can exacerbate existing health issues. BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services is prioritizing safe, patient-centred and gender-affirming care.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/supporting-affirming-lgbtqia2s-clients-mental-illness-addiction2021-11-17T08:00:00Z
Province gets first look into new Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and AddictionProvince gets first look into new Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and AddictionLast week, members of the provincial government, Kwikwetlem First Nation and other partners of BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services celebrated the opening of a new, state-of-the-art treatment centre for mental health and substance use clients.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/province-gets-first-look-into-new-red-fish-healing-centre2021-11-02T07:00:00Z
People with mental illness, addictions benefit from new Red Fish Healing CentrePeople with mental illness, addictions benefit from new Red Fish Healing CentrePeople living with complex mental illness and addictions have access to a new purpose-built treatment centre with a model of care that is innovative and progressive — the first of its kind in North America.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/people-with-mental-illness-addictions-benefit-from-new-red-fish-centre2021-10-29T07:00:00Z
Then and now: Making advancements in hepatitis care within B.C. correctional settingsThen and now: Making advancements in hepatitis care within B.C. correctional settingsThe transfer of correctional health services to the public health system has led to positive changes in hepatitis C screening, according to new research by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services and BC Centre for Disease Control.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/making-advancements-in-hepatitis-care-within-bc-correctional-settings2021-10-28T07:00:00Z
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