Provincial Assessment Centre Referral

If you are interested in being admitted to the Provincial Assessment Centre, or you would like an individual or patient to be admitted, follow the steps listed on this web page.

Admission criteria

Individuals are admitted to the Provincial Assessment Centre's (PAC) in-patient facility voluntarily or involuntarily under the Mental Health Act.
All admissions are planned in advance.
Individuals must be dually diagnosed with a developmental disability, psychiatric and/or behaviour issue and be eligible for BC Mental Health and Substance Use services.
Individuals must be 14 years of age or older.
A Community Living BC facilitator or analyst, or Ministry of Child and Family Services staff member in the case of youth, must be involved with the individual.
The individual's caregivers and support network must be in agreement about the referral.
A Personal Support Plan must be in place.
Individuals must be medically stable at the time of admission. If an individual has been stabilized in a hospital setting, they can be considered for admission with their community care team's commitment to ongoing care.
The length of admission is determined by PAC Clinical Team's assessment of the presenting concerns.
The length of admission may be two weeks to three months.
Part of the admission process includes having a plan for individuals to successfully return to their home and community.

When are individuals referred?

Individuals are referred to PAC's in-patient facility when the value of a broader interdisciplinary, intensive assessment is required to support the individual.

Who can refer?

Individuals who are eligible are referred by a Community Living BC facilitator or analyst, and for youth, by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Referrals form

For more information about the referral process and to discuss potential referrals, please contact us at:

604-660-0228 ext. 336525 or PACReferrals@phsa.ca.

Referrals process

Step 1

Please contact PAC directly at 604-660-0228 ext. 336525 or PACReferrals@phsa.ca before any referral package sections are filled out. After speaking with the PAC Intake Coordinator, you will receive a copy of the current referral package.

Step 2

After establishing eligibility, the PAC Intake Coordinator will provide a PAC Referral Package and request that the package be completed and forwarded as indicated.

Complete Referral Packages include the following sections:

Referral Application – To be completed by Community Living BC analyst/facilitator or Ministry of Children and Family Development worker
Psychiatric Information – To be completed by psychiatrist
Caregiver Information – To be completed by primary caregiver
Consent Forms – To be completed by referred individual/primary caregiver
Supporting collateral documentation and historical records as requested/required

Step 3

PAC's clinical team reviews the referral documents and comes to a decision on an admission. PAC's Intake Coordinator communicates this information to all parties involved with the referral.

Step 4

PAC Intake Coordinator sets up a Pre-Admission Care Planning Meeting between PAC and the client's support team.

Step 5

PAC Intake Coordinator communicates assigned admission date to all parties involved. Prior to admission, clients or their caregivers will be given information to help them prepare for the admission.

PAC Referral Package

Provincial Health Services Authority