The public often asks about our mental health and substance use programs for British Columbians. Read our most frequently asked questions.
We provide specialized treatment to people with the most
severe and complex mental health and substance use disorders in B.C.
As provincial leaders, we also participate in transformative
research,
knowledge exchange, and
systems change, and provide resources
to health professionals across the province.
Our services require a referral from a health professional. Learn more in
Our Services.
Visit one of these pages to get help or find resources:
To find out when a BC Review Board hearing for a specific client will take place,
visit the BC Review Board website.
To learn more about the BC Review Board's role with our clients, visit our
BC Review Board page or the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital page.
Some patients and clients at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital participate in community visits as part of their treatment, which is mandated by the BC Review Board. You can learn more about community visits on the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital page and in this video.
Public safety is paramount. Patients and clients may only leave for a day pass after a careful risk assessment. We make every effort to keep the public safe while our clients and patients are on day passes.
After the treatment and support they receive, our patients and clients are
far less likely to re-offend than people who have been found guilty of a crime.
We believe that whole-person addiction treatment that addresses the reasons people use substances is vital to preventing overdose. Mental illness, trauma and more are often connected to severe substance use.
Our programs, which you can read about in Our Services, treat complex mental illness and substance use. We're also working to improve mental health and substance use systems across B.C. to ensure people can access the care they need.
We've scaled up opioid agonist treatment in many of our programs, including Correctional Health Services and the Forensic Psychiatric Regional Clinics.
We've also launched five
community transition teams throughout B.C. to help people with opioid use disorder who have recently been discharged from a correctional facility and are at
higher than average risk for fatal overdose.
To learn more about our response to the toxic drug crisis, contact us.