Members of the PHSA Board of Directors toured the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction mock-up facility and the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital last week to learn more about the BCMHSUS continuum of programs and services.
Board members Lorianna Bennet, Don Brooks, Pauline Rafferty, Allan Ritchie and Sharon Stromdahl were on the tour along with PHSA CEO Carl Roy and senior leaders from BCMHSUS.
“It was a great opportunity for the board members to see firsthand the facilities that we operate out of and the services that we provide,” said Lynn Pelletier, Vice President, Mental Health and Substance Use Services.
The group travelled by bus from Vancouver to their first stop at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. Angela Draude, Provincial Executive Director for Forensic Psychiatric Services, Dr. George Wiehahn, Medical Director, and Dr. Johann Brink, VP, Medical Affairs and Research showed them some of the units and shared information about the patient population and the services provided on site and through the regional clinics.
The group then toured the Riverview lands. They drove past the construction site of the new 105-bed Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, the two buildings that house the 40-bed Rehabilitation and Recovery program and some of the cottages used by the Forensic Community Transitional Care Program.
Next stop was the warehouse housing the three-dimensional mock-ups of key components of the new centre. The board was introduced to the mock-ups with a video now available on the BCMHSUS website. Amir Rasheed, Director, Clinical Lead and Capital Projects, then explained the extensive process of clinical input that has gone into the facility design and led the board members on a tour of the proposed concierge desk, care team station, medication room, client bedroom with ensuite bathroom and secure room. Board members were very engaged, listening intently and asking lots of questions.
“I was impressed with the questions they asked,” said Connie Coniglio, Provincial Executive Director, Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Services. “They seemed really interested in the design of the new centre and in learning more about our trauma-informed approach to care.”
More information on the PHSA Board is on the PHSA
website.
