Tertiary Mental Health at VGH
August 28, 2012
The changing face of VGH
On June 25, 2012, Willow Pavilion’s team welcomed their first
clients to VGH.
Together with Willow Chest, Willow Pavilion provides specialty
care and rehabilitation for people with complex mental illnesses –
people who could be our neighbours, our friends and our family.
Our colleagues at Willow Pavilion take pride in helping people
manage their illness, achieve independence and reintegrate into
the community.
Supporting the Willow Pavilion team, we can take pride in making
a difference, too.
Questions & answers for staff
Q
Why is VGH caring for more tertiary mental health patients?
Is this really the right place for this population?
A
and best practices indicate that people who require long- and medium-stay
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mental health care respond better in smaller, more community-based settings closer to
home. Since patients began transferring from Riverview Hospital, Vancouver Coastal
Health has been proud to open beds in a number of locations, including Trout Lake,
Detwiller Pavilion at UBC and Willow Chest on the VGH campus. Willow Pavilion is our
next step in supporting the transfer of patients from Riverview — a facility that can’t
provide the kind of physical therapeutic environments needed for today’s best healing
practices.
Willow Pavilion provides a safe, healing environment purposefully renovated to meet the
unique needs of its patients and the staff who care for them. It offers the care and
services patients need to regain their independence and reintegrate into the community
they call home. As clients are able to be in the community, our goal is to reintegrate
them via local community resources, such as recreation centres, parks, volunteer
programs and more. When we think of the “right place” for our patients, we think beyond
the VGH campus —it’s about the community, too.
Regarding outdoor space, we recognize that VGH campus has limited green space
compared to Riverview; however, we’re exploring a number of options for clients.
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Tertiary Mental Health at VGH
August 28, 2012
Q
What exactly is “tertiary care”?
Is it just for former Riverview patients?
A
tertiary mental health care is not exclusively for former Riverview patients. This third
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— or tertiary — level of care is for those mental health clients who have complex,
serious and persistent mental illnesses.
These clients need longer term specialty assessment, care and rehabilitation than
delivered by primary care (family doctor and community health services) and secondary
care (inpatient psychiatric units, community mental health team services and homebased treatment services)
Tertiary mental health clients may be referred to Willow Pavilion from Riverview, but
they may also be referred from acute care units — such as the VGH Psychiatric
Assessment Unit — or from community care programs.
Q
A
What will be the average length of stay at Willow Pavilion?
Pavilion — like other tertiary mental health facilities — serves people with
AWillow
complex, serious and persistent mental illnesses. These clients need longer term
specialty care and rehabilitation that can be provided in a normal hospital stay, which is
why we expect client stays to range from six weeks to several years. Our ultimate goal
is recovery and community reintegration for all clients.
Q
A
How are we protecting staff and patient safety?
unlike some patients at VGH or our community health centres, some Willow Pavilion
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clients may display aggressive behavior at times. For that reason, we have taken
several steps to protect both staff and patient safety:
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clients are escorted outside the facility until assessments confirm clients can
make independent outings safely
Willow Pavilion staff wear personal duress alarms and have had extensive
training; a plan is in place to ensure new hires benefit from the same education
great care has been taken to ensure appropriate staff-to-client ratios on all
Willow Pavilion floors, at all times of the day, every day
the facility has been designed with safety in mind, including shatterproof
windows, video monitoring, secured access for outside doors and some units will
be secured at all times
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Tertiary Mental Health at VGH
August 28, 2012
Q
A
I don’t work at Willow Pavilion. What should I do if I encounter an aggressive
patient from that facility, or see behaviour that concerns me?
with all patient populations, it’s important to understand the individual in order to
AAs
know how — and if — you should approach him or her. In this case, because you are
unfamiliar with the patient, we recommend that you do not approach or confront the
person on your own. Instead, we advise you to:
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Q
A
Where can I expect to see Willow Pavilion patients?
aim is recovery and helping clients reintegrate into the community, which is why you
AOur
can expect to see Willow Pavilion clients:
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Q
A
inform staff accompanying the client (if relevant)
inform staff on the first floor of Willow Pavilion and/or call Chris Flynn, manager
of Willow Pavilion, at 604 802-9137
call security or other appropriate supports in the event of an immediate safety
concern
volunteering in local businesses, including the Willow Bean Café the first floor of
Willow Pavilion
in local shops and parks
moving in and out of our various buildings on the VGH campus
Is Willow Pavilion considered part of VGH Acute services?
because tertiary mental health patients have complex, serious and persistent
AYes,
mental illnesses, we consider all Willow Pavilion clients and staff to be part of the VGH
family.
Willow Pavilion’s services and staff expertise are available to support colleagues and
patients in other VGH facilities. And, when required, Willow Pavilion clients’ access to
lab, radiology, critical care and other services, should feel and look like access for any
other VGH patient. Our aim is to deliver seamless care and services across the VGH
campus — regardless of the client’s illness.
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Tertiary Mental Health at VGH
August 28, 2012
Q
What recreational/activity facilities and options are available for Willow Pavilion’s
clients?
A
keeping with our recovery model of care, Willow Pavilion features a community centre
AIn
on its first floor. Of service to all tertiary mental health patients in Vancouver, this “facility
within a facility” creates an inviting and open connection between clients, staff and our
surrounding community. The community centre includes:
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Willow Bean Café, a partnership with Sodexo offering work experience to clients
and quality coffee to all VGH campus staff, patients and visitors
exercise room
information resource centre
art room
multipurpose room
In addition, when clients are ready, they’ll have the opportunities to volunteer in local
businesses and shop and engage with others in the neighbourhood.
Q
A
Will more mental health patients be transferred to VGH?
we will welcome more patients to Willow Pavilion as we gradually phase clients into
AYes,
the facility. Of Willow Pavilion’s and Willow Chest’s 100 beds, about half are occupied at
this time.
It’s also important to note that VGH isn’t alone in opening new beds for mental health
patients. Vancouver Coastal Health is opening additional facilities to provide services
closer to patients’ home, including:
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a 28-bed facility opening in the Fall of 2012 in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast
Hope Centre, a mental health care and education facility at Lions Gate Hospital,
scheduled to open by the end of 2013
Of course, we also look forward to the construction of a new mental health centre at
VGH by 2015. This centre will consolidate adult inpatient and outpatient services and
replace our 70-year-old Health Centre slated for demolition.
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