Panel Speaker, BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services

Sharing your health care experience with leaders can inform, create understanding and promote change for the better with future patients and families. The BC Centre for Mental Health and Addictions is trying a talking circle with leaders from across the organization to highlight the importance of the patients’ experience and are seeking three patient partners to join them in this inaugural event.

Open to: Patient partners in Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley communities who can travel to the Coquitlam/Burnaby area

Lead Organization or Department

Burnaby Centre for Mental Health & Addictions, Patient Experience - Interprofessional Practice

Aim

• To bring the patient and family voice to all BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services Leadership
• The patient partners will share their perspective and experience, focusing on one concrete example of something that went well or had a positive impact, one example of something that could have been done differently (better) and possibly one thing that they would like to see changed at BC Mental Health and Substance Use.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

Patient partners from Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley Communities who can travel to the Coquitlam/Burnaby area. This engagement is ideal for Patient Partners who: • Have experience with Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, Heartwood Centre for Women and/or Forensic Psychiatric Hospital (as a patient or family member) • Feel comfortable sharing their experiences (while sitting down with others) and in front of 40-60 people Please note: If you would like to share their story but don't want to participate in this type of live discussion, please RSVP and we can work to prepare a way to share your experience. If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 3
• Date/time: April 12, 9am-11am
• Location: Burnaby/Coquitlam, exact location TBD
• Commitment: One-time event

Reimbursement

Preapproved expenses related to travel to in person meetings will be reimbursed according to BC Mental Health and Substance Use Health Travel policy (including mileage, parking and public transit). Honorarium will be discussed directly with those participating. Pre-payment of expenses is possible if needed.

Background

BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services is embarking on a patient- and family-centred care strategy and wants to engage the leaders of the organization in the experiences of patients and families. There will be 40-60 leaders in the room witnessing the talking circle. The Director of Patient Experience and Community Engagement will work with the patient partners to prepare for the event and will facilitate the discussion. Sharing circles are a unique small-group discussion process in which participants (including the leader) share their feelings, experiences, and insights in response to specific, assigned topics. People who would like to share their story but don't want to participate in this type of live discussion can also apply and we can work to prepare a way to share their experience.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jami Brown
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Fraser Valley
604.510.0449
jbrown@bcpsqc.ca