Enhanced services coming to Niagara for mental health
Mental Health Program Director Heather Scott, pointing, reviews design details for the new mental health centre as part of the NHS project team’s in-depth planning and development process for the new health complex. Directly behind Heather is Cindee Barrow, Clinical Manager at the Welland Site, and to her right Ilona Yungblut, Clinical Manager at Greater Niagara General Site. Partially hidden is Greater Niagara General Charge Nurse Erminia Sirianni.
Services to be provided at new complex
Ambulatory mental healthcare
Care to clients who are receiving treatment on an outpatient basis or in hospital-funded programs in the community
Acute mental healthcare
- Refers to inpatient care provided to adults who require short-term treatment
- Provides observation, stabilization, assessment and short-term treatment for acutely ill patients
- The Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit will include beds providing intensive care and observation
Longer-term mental healthcare
Provides care to clients who require inpatient treatment over an extended period of time, in order to be stabilized, to reach their goals and to function within the community
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, statistics show that one in every five Canadians will have a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Yet, in spite of the fact that every Canadian knows someone who has been, or will be, affected by mental illness, few people know very much about it.
Mental illnesses account for a large percentage of hospital stays every year.
“Currently, the Niagara Health System’s mental health services program offers acute mental health and ambulatory care programs at the St. Catharines General, Welland Hospital and Greater Niagara General sites,” says Regional Director Heather Scott.
Comprised of 60 inpatient mental health beds, the mental health services program sees approximately 2,000 inpatients and close to 18,000 outpatient visits each year.
At the current time, patients requiring specialized or longer-term inpatient mental healthcare must access programs based in Hamilton, London or Toronto.
To better care for the needs of patients requiring mental healthcare service in Niagara, a new longer-term program will be introduced at the healthcare complex under construction in St. Catharines.
“This means there will be opportunity for many patients to stay in Niagara if they require longer-term care, for example up to 90 days,” explains Heather. “Planning work is underway to determine the best way to organize and deliver these services.”
“The mental health centre being constructed at the new health complex is actually the largest department in the building, with 84 beds on the main level,” says Vice President of Patient Services Linda Boich. “This represents the consolidation of all current acute care mental health beds at one site, along with the new longer-term services.”
“The program has been developed with a focus on a holistic model of care, designed to be respectful and sensitive to the physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural and social needs of patients,” adds Linda.
The acute care mental health services will include a new 10-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, which will better serve the needs of patients who are more acutely ill and require higher levels of observation. The consolidation of the three large mental health units at one site will allow for a new way of caring for these patients by creating a designated unit specifically for them.
The new health complex will also include four mental health beds designated in the pediatric unit for children. Patients over 14 years of age will continue to be admitted to the adult unit.
Ambulatory children’s and adult services will continue to operate at the Greater Niagara and Welland sites, as well as at the new St. Catharines site. «
