Addiction and Mental Health Services
Calgary Zone
Presented by
Valerie Wiebe, ED Addiction and Mental Health Calgary Zone
Building Community Strategies for
Promoting Mental Health Service Use in
Ethno-cultural Communities
Outline
• What is Diversity?
• What is Mental Health?
• AHS commitment to Diversity
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Addiction and Mental Health Services Calgary
• Children and Mental Health
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Diversity :
all the ways we are unique and different
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AHS Dimensions of diversity include ethnicity and
cultural orientation.
Enhancing diversity competency Outcomes:
– Recognize and address health disparities and
services barriers
– improved health outcomes for diverse populations.
– Social, community, financial, and service benefits
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Demographics
• 2001-2006 Canada’s foreign-born population
increasing by 13.6% compared to a 3.3%
increase in the general population.
• In 2006 individuals of Asian descent comprised
58.3% of the immigrant population (Statistics
Canada).
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What is mental health?
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Ability to function normally
Desire and ability to seek happiness
Desire to love and to be loved, lasting friendships,
Ability to learn
Ability to earn a living
Ability to contribute
Emotional stability and the ability to overcome
stressors.
– Ability for effective parenting
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Mental Health and Diverse populations
• Mental Health of Immigrants = Non Immigrants at first.
• Increased likelihood to experience mental health problems,
post traumatic stress disorder, social isolations, family
separations, communication difficulties, low income,
homeless, employment challenges.
• Diverse populations underutilize mental health services.
• Barriers to utilization of MH Services
– Affordability (real /or perceived)
– Inadequate detection in primary care
– Lack of trust, shame stigma
– Low priority placed on mental health issues.
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Diversity Directional Document 2008 to 2012,
Goal: To become a proficient diversity competent
organization, and a model for other health
organizations.
• increase access,reduce barriers
• improve health system experiences for diverse
populations
• best and promising practices for diversity competency,
• strategies that make clear our commitment to
contributing to this growing evidence base.
• This is a living document that will be reviewed regularly
and updated as required.
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Cultural Competency and AHS
• Knowledge of the population: Engage in community consultations
to augment information systems and gain insights into cultural
norms, etc
• Diversity competencies are embedded in the AHS governance
structure and organizational policies,
• Provide staff recruitment /promotion to support diversity in the
workplace
• Develop services in collaboration with representatives from target
community
• Increasing the diversity of the workforce, as well as training all
members of the workforce to work competently with diverse
populations,
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Culturally Competent
Mental Health Services
• Positive therapeutic relationship most salient predictor
of treatment adherence and positive outcome
• Shared understanding of the mental health problem
and agreement on best course of treatment
• Ability of the clinician to understand the clients
perspective, gain trust ,address issues of diversity
• Assessment is an interpretive process where the client
and clinician arrive at shared understanding of the
problem and negotiate. (no stereotypes or
generalizations)
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Interpretive services
• Interpreter services should be engaged at the request of
the client, and offered whenever a client’s English
language proficiency is questionable
• Interpreters should be engaged, as necessary or
requested, at every stage of mental health care
delivery.
• Calgary employees have access to Certified Health
Care Interpreters 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• These interpreters have had some basic training in
interpreting in mental health
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Mental Health Patients Rights
Mental Health Act is now available in several languages
on the website of the Alberta Mental Health Patient
Advocate at www.mhpa.ab.ca under Quick Links
• Who is the Mental Health Patient Advocate?
• How can the Patient Advocate help me as a patient or
family member?
• What rights do I have under the Mental Health Act?
• How does the Patient Advocate handle concerns?
• How can I contact the Mental Health Patient Advocate?
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Diversity Liaisons
• Reach out to diverse populations to identify key stakeholders build
relationships and complete needs assessment to understand the
health needs as well as barriers in accessing health care services.
• Provide support and information regarding how to navigate the
health system.
• Provide information to Community organizations re Alberta Health
Services programs and services for their clients.
• Provide information to Alberta Health Services employees:
• to review the cultural appropriateness of health information
• explore ways that existing services can be adapted to meet
the unique needs of diverse populations.
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Health Services information
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Health Services Presentation 1.5 hours
Help navigate the health system.
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Topics
– Health Insurance System: Alberta Blue Cross Insurance, Alberta
Child Health Benefits, Low Income Eye and Dental Assistance
Program.
– Health Services in Calgary: An overview of health services that are
available in Calgary.
– Health Advice and Health Interpreting Services: This half an hour
presentation shows how to get health information and advice in your
own language and how to book a health care interpreter at no cost.
– Emotional Wellness: An overview of what is good health, what
affects health, how to identify and cope with stress/problems, what can
be done to stay emotionally healthy, where to get help if needed.
– Beat the Germs: An overview of how to wash hands properly and
how to prevent the spread of germs.
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Access Mental Health
Professional staff help people of all ages to get mental
health information:
-understand options for mental health support;
-connect with local community resources
connect to mental health services within Alberta Health
Services – Calgary.
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Access Mental Health
• Phone: 943-1500
• Extension 1 – Child and Adolescent Line
• Extension 2 – Adult and Senior Line
• Fax: 943-9044
• Email: mental.health@albertahealthservices.ca
• Hours: 8:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday
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Mobile Response team
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MRT is able to book interpreters to accompany them to
do an assessment in the client's home as well if they
are in crisis.
• Also refers to people in community agencies like
Calgary Family Services or Calgary Catholic
Immigration Society where there are known therapists
who speak different languages.
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Best Beginning Program
• Cantonese/Mandarin
• Women are assessed by the Social Worker and Nurse for depression,
postpartum depression, eating disorders and other mental health issues.
• Women are able to meet other women, increase their social support and get
new information.
• Referrals are made
– Food Bank for monthly prenatal hampers,
– Dental services
– Assistance is offered for donations for baby supplies, furniture and
clothes, car seats, cribs and strollers.
• Has a voluntary birth companion program in partnership with volunteer
services to provide birth support during labor as needed.
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Geriatric Mental Health Services
Community and CCC
• Mental health services for seniors who are living in the
community with moderate to severe age-related mental
health concerns.
• Multidisciplinary consultation service to continuing care
centres for residents with psychiatric/behavioral problems
secondary to a wide range of organic and functional mental
health disorders.
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Mental Health Services
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Hospital/Acute Care / Emergency Department
Urgent Health Centres
Police and Crisis Teams
Community Clinics (Mood Disorders, Anxiety, BiPolar,
Schizophrenia, Early Psychosis, Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Chinese Outreach team
Access Mental Health
Mobile Response Team
PCN Shared Mental Health , Depression Pathway
Geriatric Outreach Teams
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Mental Health and Children
• Critical aspects of brain architecture is built before and
soon after birth…does not just “ happen”
• Experiences in early childhood affects brain
development.
• Development of good mental health is affected
positively by good relationships, good food, good
environment, healthy habits of parents.
• After birth the new born relies on loving caring relations
for normal healthy brain development
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What babies need from adults
• Nurturing and stable relationships with caring adults
– associated with stronger cognitive skills in young
children and enhanced social competence and work
skills.
• Stable nurturing home environment (toys, food, activity
with family)
– Strongly related to cognitive and language
development
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Factors that impair brain development
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Family violence
Parents with mental illness
Maternal depression
Poor nutrition
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Mental Health and Children
• The future of society depends on its ability to foster the
health and well being of its children
• Today’s children will become tomorrows parents ,
workers and citizens
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Impact of troubled families on children
• Children living in seriously troubled families are at risk to develop:
– anxiety problems,
– violent behaviors,
– drug abuse,
– addiction, poor learning,
– depression, emotional problems,
– diabetes,
– cardiovascular disease.
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Child and Adolescent Addiction and Mental
services
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RRDTC Speciality Mental Health Clinics (MAD, ADHD, ODD/CD)
Neuropsychiatry
Adolescent Day Treatment Program
Eating Disorders Program
Young Adult Program
Acute Care and Emergency Services (Inpatient and Outpatient)
Child & Family Day Treatment Program
Transitional Youth Services
Community Mental Health Services
– NE, NW, South clinics
– Paediatric Behavioural Developmental Clinic
– Collaborative Mental Health Care
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Acknowledgements
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Delaney Johnson
Louise Behiel
Jean Leong
Jackie Herman
Yvonne Hau
Kim Frache
Thankyou
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