Mental Health Services

Yesterday was Bell Let's Talk Day.  A great fund raiser for a great charity.  Depression is a horrible place to be.  For anyone whose suffered depression you know what I mean.  Men are much less likely to seek professional help.  Stigma for men is even greater than for women.  Two devoted men from UBC have set up a fantastic website.  Should you know anyone who needs help, please pass on this great resource.

www.HeadsUpGuys.org

Today was a good day for some awesome news from our government on much needed help for people in Surrey/White Rock:

Fraser Health has just announced it will be creating a new Mental Health and Substance Use Urgent Care Response Centre in Surrey. It will be a “welcoming, therapeutic environment” located on the Surrey Memorial Hospital campus, according to a release.  The health authority says the centre will “streamline access to mental health and substance use services and create clear pathways to care, including community appointments, short-stay community residential stabilization and hospital services, and substance use treatment.”

Surrey Memorial Hospital’s Mental Health and Substance Use Zone saw more than 11,000 visits in 2016/17, which is a 16 per cent increase over the previous year. Up to 75 percent of these patients could be better served in the new centre, according to Fraser Health, leaving the Zone available for the most acute individuals.

Planning is already underway for the new centre with plans for it to open in summer 2019 next to the hospital, across from the Creekside Withdrawal Management Centre on 94A Avenue.

“We are committed to reshaping the way that mental health services are delivered in every region across the province,” said Judy Darcy, Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. “Making it easier for people who are struggling with urgent mental health or substance use issues to access services in one place means they can get the support they need faster and start their healing journey sooner.” Surrey Councillor Vera LeFranc said “she almost cried” when she heard the “long overdue” news. “I was thrilled,” she told the Now-Leader. “For so long this extremely vulnerable population in Surrey has been under-served, with a patchwork of solutions that were often hard to navigate. I applaud Fraser Health for mobilizing so quickly once resources were made available by the new government.” LeFranc said “this is the first time in years we are seeing a real commitment, supported by funding, to address this health care crisis.”

Fraser Health says the centre will target people who need urgent care, but not hospitalization, eliminating the need for them to go to an emergency department. People can access the centre directly themselves, by referral from their family physician or if they are brought in by police or other first responders.

Once built, Fraser Health says the new Surrey centre will provide “rapid access” to care by increasing access to psychiatrists, expanding community assessments to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as reducing wait times through same-day appointments. It will also provide psychiatric assessments, in addition to crisis stabilization and support.