MLAs on hand to launch Bridging Care program at Royal Jubilee Hospital

Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Murray Rankin and Jennifer Whiteside, the minister responsible for mental health and addiction were both on hand on Monday to celebrate the official launch of the Bridging Care day mental-health program at Victoria’s Royal Jubilee Hospital.

The day program offers support for those who otherwise may have been admitted to the hospital for psychiatric care.

The program aligns with the aspirations of the mental health and addictions ministry’s 2019 Pathway to Hope, a 10-year vision to improve mental-health care and the establishment of effective prevention, treatment, and recovery systems in the province. It could also help meet intersecting challenges, in the CRD, of growing client need and timely access to care.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, half of Canadians will have had or will develop a mental-health problem by the time they reach 40.

Between 19.6% and 26.2% of British Columbians—approximately one million people—will experience a mental illness each year, the association says.

“When you’re facing serious mental-health challenges, getting the right help at the right time is crucial,” said Island Health Board chair Leah Hollins, who also spoke at the event.

Schizophrenia, delusional disorders more prevalent in Greater Victoria than elsewhere in the province

A 2019 report titled Greater Victoria Local Health Profile suggests that although many chronic diseases are less prevalent in Greater Victoria in comparison with the rest of the province, conditions related to mental health have higher prevalence rates here than anywhere else. The report goes on to identify schizophrenia and delusional disorders as having much higher prevalence in Greater Victoria than the rest of BC, overall. People living with either of these conditions may be candidates to participate in the program.

Since the report was published four years ago, the transition into and out the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on many people. Whiteside acknowledged those impacts and said “the last few years have been challenging for everyone’s mental health, but particularly for the most vulnerable populations in the city.”

The new program provides short-term, skills-based, and transitional support for people who might otherwise need to be admitted to hospital for psychiatric care. It connects them with other services outside of the program, through tailored, self-determined continuums of care.

Run by an interdisciplinary team that includes occupational recreational therapists, nurses, mental-health clinicians, peer supporters and psychiatrists, Bridging Care has been operating in Victoria for roughly six months out of the Eric Martin Pavillion on the Royal Jubilee campus.

So far, 120 people have already used the services

The program can accommodate up to 24 people per four-week session and is currently serving 15. Since January 2023, 120 participants have completed it. Bridging Care is referral-based and voluntary, however, its eligibility criteria stipulate participants must be safe in the community without needing 24-hour supervision and must be able to participate in a meaningful way in a group setting.

The program provides a range of supports, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), art and movement therapy, and life-skills building that people need to learn about and to help manage their illness. “Really,” Whiteside said, “the whole point is about providing people with a sense of trust, community, and stability so that they can be more secure and stable in their lives.”

Program lead says patients leave feeling 'empowered'

Jennifer Sandberg, the program team lead, says she’s seen discernible changes in people who’ve come through the program. “Our clients arrive at the program experiencing a personal mental-health crisis. They leave feeling empowered, more hopeful, and with skills to cope more effectively.”

The outcome focus for individuals is recovery and long-term wellness, but from a systems wellness perspective, it takes some pressure off an already squeezed Island Health system by enabling people to receive care without being admitted out to hospital.

When asked how Island Health planned to manage growing demographic pressures and the acute need for the expansion of mental-health services in the region, Whiteside said “We have a very robust human resource plan developed by our minister of health that is focusing on recruiting, not only for acute care systems but also for mental health systems.”

Part of the ministry strategy is to work with regulatory bodies to eliminate barriers to employment for internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs).

“The program wasn’t mandated by any ministry, it’s really innovative,” said Dr. Wei Song, executive medical director of mental health and substance use for Island Health.  “We just saw the gap and the need in the community and responded to it.”

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If you or someone you know is struggling, call the provincial suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-suicide (1-800-784-2433), or visit crisislines.bc.ca to find local mental-health and crisis resources.