Adult Mental Health Services Project with BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services

Do you have an interest in working to improve the highest level of bed-based mental health services for adults across the province? Your lived experience is valuable in helping improve tertiary mental health in BC.

Open to: Patient partners across the province

Lead Organization or Department

Provincial Health Services Authority – BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Strategic Mental Health and Substance Use Initiatives

Aim

Tertiary mental health services are the highest level of mental health inpatient services across the province, and provide care for patients/clients who require assessment, stabilization, treatment and rehabilitation and support beyond what is offered in community. The purpose of this project is the implementation of recommendations for adult tertiary mental health services in BC:

• Service evaluation
• Waitlist management
• Gaps in service

The purpose of engaging patient/client/family partners in this work is to have the perspective of those who have lived experience with these services so we can improve the way care is provided.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate (at a system-wide strategic leadership level) on the spectrum of engagement (IAP2 Spectrum of Engagement) . The promise to you is that the health care partner will look to you for advice in developing, implementing and evaluating national, provincial and regional policy and/or research to ensure the health care system is responsive to the patients’ experience as much as possible.

Eligibility

Adults with lived experience with mental health as a patient, client, family or significant support. We encourage applications from all interested individuals, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 4-6
• Format: Working Group – Most working group meetings will be conducted remotely, using teleconference and web conferencing or in person if located in lower mainland
• Commitment: Meetings approximately twice per month for 7 months to a year. There will be some flexibility in meeting frequency given project needs.First Meeting: Early June 2017

Reimbursement

BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services will cover expenses including travel (mileage, etc.) although most of this work is expected to be conducted by teleconference. Any charges relating to long distance phone calls will also be covered.

Background

In May 2016, the office of the Auditor General of BC released a report focused on adult tertiary mental health in BC. BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services will be working on these recommendations over the next two years. In spring 2017, the focus will be on:

• Developing standardized guidelines and plans around waitlist management for all tertiary mental health programs;
• Developing standardized ways of collecting and sharing data & feedback about the programs to ensure they are meeting the needs of patients/clients/families.

The role of the patient/client/family partner is to participate in working group meetings and provide their perspectives when developing plans for waitlists management and the collection of data & feedback about the programs, including public reporting on tertiary adult mental health. The patient/client/family partners will be interacting with adult mental health leaders, doctors and other mental health staff from all of the health authorities across British Columbia. They will also be interacting with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services employees, including leaders and project managers.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jacquelyne Foidart
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Thompson Cariboo
250.879.1077
jfoidart@bcpsqc.ca