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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.


Refer a client or patient to one of our programs


Did you know?

In Canada, one in three people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime and one in five will experience a substance use disorder. 

Mental illness and substance use can exacerbate each other.

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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Clients at the Red Fish Healing Centre reach new heights on the Grouse GrindClients at the Red Fish Healing Centre reach new heights on the Grouse GrindAt the Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, recreation therapy plays a big part in client recovery. As two determined clients tackled North Vancouver’s notorious Grouse Grind, we followed along to capture the experience.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/red-fish-rec-therapy-does-grouse-grind2022-07-20T07:00:00Z
Improvements to seclusion practices empower patients at Forensic Psychiatric HospitalImprovements to seclusion practices empower patients at Forensic Psychiatric HospitalThe use of seclusion in psychiatric settings has been a topic of discussion and debate for many years.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/improvements-to-seclusion-practices-fph2022-07-13T07:00:00Z
Words of wisdom and inspiration this Indigenous People’s DayWords of wisdom and inspiration this Indigenous People’s DayFor millennia, Indigenous traditions, knowledge and wisdom have endured, passing down through the generations despite years of colonial oppression. http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/words-of-wisdom-inspiration-indigenous-people’s-day2022-06-17T07:00:00Z
Reclaiming our voice: Indigenous Patient Experience Lead aims to bring Indigenous experience to the forefront of conversationReclaiming our voice: Indigenous Patient Experience Lead aims to bring Indigenous experience to the forefront of conversationCulturally safe care can be transformative to those who receive. In order to ensure Indigenous cultural safety is a requisite in our health care system, we need Indigenous leaders at the helm. http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/reclaiming-voices-indigenous-patient-experience-lead2022-06-01T07:00:00Z
BCMHSUS launches new provincial tool for concurrent disorders educationBCMHSUS launches new provincial tool for concurrent disorders educationBC Mental Health and Substance Use Services has launched a new, online toolkit to support people who provide services to those with serious mental health and substance use issues, including concurrent disorders.http://www.bcmhsus.ca/about/news-stories/stories/bcmhsus-launches-concurrent-disorders-toolkit2022-05-16T07:00:00Z
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