Latest news with #AlouetteHomes
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Why B.C.'s secure involuntary treatment may be more ethical than the status quo
Eighteen beds are opening in Metro Vancouver, expanding of involuntary care for people with drug addiction, mental illness and brain injuries. The issue of secure and involuntary treatment for a small number of struggling British Columbians has been extremely controversial, but as the first batch of permanent housing for them is unveiled, it may be that the new approach is more ethical than the status quo. CTV News spoke with several service providers of the new Alouette Homes facility in Maple Ridge, where two vacant government-built group homes have been refurbished with secured doors, panic buttons, and heavy furniture with rounded edges to avoid self harm. They believe months of planning and careful consideration has culminated in a dignified, dorm-like setting, where those with specific overlapping needs can find some semblance of a normal life. Dr. Daniel Vigo, a scientific advisor hired by the premier to recommend a path forward on people grappling with drug use, mental illness, and brain injuries, told reporters that the 18 people who'd be living at the two houses have been in and out of treatment, 'stuck for years in a high security limbo of hospital units.' Later, he emphasized that the tenants of Alouette Homes – and future, similar secured facilities with wraparound services – were those with long-term and repeated interactions with the health-care system. Already locked up Vancouver Coastal Health's director of mental health and substance use told CTV News that while the rooms may appear sparse and spartan compared to a typical home, they'll be adding artwork and providing services for people who've essentially been living in locked hospital rooms. 'A hospital is not a place where you want to be living, per se,' said Dr. JJ Sidhu. 'This is a step in the right direction in terms of the environment being an upgrade.' Sidhu is a frontline clinician himself, and has often encountered patients who begin to lose hope after spending so much time in the hospital, but he says that time and appropriate treatment can greatly improve their health and well-being. While VCH is providing the clinical oversight, medical, and psychiatric treatment on-site, Connective Support Society is providing non-clinical supports to residents. 'That includes a constellation of supports, including things like art therapy, music therapy, connection to individuals' culture,' said the organization's chief operating officer, Liz Vick Sandha, who says her team has been meeting with the incoming residents. 'We're supporting them to make choices around what their room looks like and how they want to choose to spend their day,' she said. While the rooms are private, there are communal bathrooms and other common areas for socializing. A 'family room' provides a sequestered area for residents to visit with loved ones in an area separate from their bedroom and communal living space. The bigger picture While the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre saw the first batch of secured, involuntary treatment beds for inmates with the three concurrent disorders, those are for temporary stays for individuals facing criminal charges. The Alouette Homes are intended as long-term or even permanent housing for those who are deemed unable to safely live on their own. And while there are no bars on the windows and the homes are surrounded by trees and fresh landscaping, the high fences and locked doors are a reminder the residents cannot leave the property unescorted. When CTV News asked who was providing oversight of the use of the Mental Health Act and the implementation of involuntary care provisions – whether secured or not – Vigo insisted that there is a system of education and oversight in place. Read more: Involuntary treatment, insufficient support: Riverview patterns continue post-closure 'My office is working very closely with physicians across the province so that we use the Mental Health Act correctly in a therapeutic manner, which is what is intended,' he said. 'The province has a very robust system of safeguards to ensure that people are receiving care under the Act, have their rights protected and are not receiving care that is inappropriate or unwarranted.' Health Minister Josie Osborne says there are currently 21,000 beds staffed in B.C. for treatment of those with mental illnesses, and they're working to add more. 'We are continuing the work of voluntary treatment and recovery, the work of early intervention,' she said. 'The work of ensuring that people have access to the treatment and recovery service that they need to not be in a situation like this in the first place.'
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. to open 18 long-term involuntary care beds in Metro Vancouver
The British Columbia government has created 18 new beds dedicated to long-term involuntary care at a Metro Vancouver mental health facility. The new beds at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge, B.C., are designed for people who need involuntary care under the Mental Health Act outside the criminal justice system, Health Minister Josie Osborne told a news conference on Tuesday. "I want to be clear that while Alouette Homes is located next to the Alouette Correctional Centre, it is not the same as the involuntary care beds that were opened last month at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre," Osborne said. "Those were beds designed specifically for individuals in custody, but Alouette Homes is different. It's for people living with complex mental health disorders who need long-term therapeutic care in a supportive home-like environment." WATCH | The CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division discusses involuntary care: Who gets admitted to involuntary care spaces? Mental health advocate calls for transparency 2 hours ago Duration 2:38 B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the new 'home-like' involuntary care space at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge is designed for individuals who are certified for long-term involuntary care under B.C.'s Mental Health Act. Jonny Morris, the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division, tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot the province needs to be precise about who qualifies for this kind of care — whether it's people who are taken off the streets or those already in the system but need a more suitable alternative. Osborne said only those certified for long-term involuntary care are eligible to be placed into the new beds. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, said the care offered by Alouette Homes will be the first of its kind in the province. Vigo said the beds provide an alternative to the current setup, where patients are "stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately" because of a lack of options. When asked about how long a patient may stay in long-term involuntary care, Vigo said the time period is "indeterminate." "It takes as long as it takes for us to help that person," he said. "This is an approved home, meaning that it is a housing facility that will provide this service in an open-ended manner." The first people to use the new beds will move in as early as next week, Osborne said. The move comes after the province announced the opening of a 10-unit involuntary-care facility for people with addiction and mental health issues at the Surrey Pretrial Centre in April. The Surrey facility is meant to treat people in custody who have a combination of mental health challenges, brain injuries and addiction concerns. B.C. Premier David Eby said at the time that the unit was meant to stop people from continually cycling through the justice system without getting better. The topic of involuntary care for those suffering from drug addiction, mental illness and brain injuries has been contentiously debated due to its links to both the ongoing toxic drug crisis and public safety concerns. In addition to B.C., Ontario is also pursuing expanded involuntary treatment, while Alberta has introduced legislation that would allow family members, health workers and police to apply to order someone into addictions treatment. On Wednesday, the federal health minister, Marjorie Michel, said there is no evidence that forcing people into treatment is effective. But Michel did not weigh in on whether provinces should pursue such policies, saying every Canadian has the right to get treatment for addiction. Osborne said the B.C. government was reviewing the Mental Health Act to identify possible service gaps and potential solutions. Bonnie Wilson, a vice president with Vancouver Coastal Health, said, referrals would be considered for patients from outside the region to use the new beds. While Wilson could not share specific details about the patients who would be eligible for long-term involuntary care, she provided a "composite" of characteristics that would likely qualify. "Just think about a young individual who has been struggling with mental health for a number of years," Wilson said. During his final exams, he began to hear voices in his head encouraging him to end his life. After a suicide attempt, he had his first extended stay in hospital at the age of 19. "Between then and now, he went through many, many parts of our health-care system and also, like many people with mental illness, started to self-medicate with street drugs," she said. Wilson said the new beds would provide such a patient with "an opportunity to be in a more natural environment" after years spent in and out of hospital.
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
B.C. opens new long-term involuntary care beds in Metro Vancouver
British Columbia's government has created 18 new beds at a Metro Vancouver mental health facility dedicated to long-term involuntary care. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the new beds at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge, B.C., are designed for people needing involuntary care under the Mental Health Act outside the justice system. Osborne also says the government is now reviewing the act itself to identify possible service gaps and potential solutions. The announcement comes after the province announced in April the opening of a 10-unit involuntary-care facility for people with addiction and mental health issues at the Surrey Pretrial Centre. B.C. issues new guidance to doctors for involuntary care under Mental Health Act The Surrey facility is meant to treat people in jail who have a combination of mental health challenges, brain injuries and addiction concerns. B.C. Premier David Eby said at the time that the unit was meant to stop people continually cycling through the justice system without getting better. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, says the care offered by Alouette Homes will be the first of its kind in the province. Vigo says the new beds provide an alternative to the current setup, where patients are 'stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately' because of a lack of other options. Osborne says the first people to use the new beds will move in as early as next week.
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
B.C. opening 18 long-term involuntary care beds in Metro Vancouver
B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne in a file photo in Burnaby, B.C., on Monday, June 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck British Columbia's government has created 18 new beds at a Metro Vancouver mental health facility dedicated to long-term involuntary care. Health Minister Josie Osborne says the new beds at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge, B.C., are designed for people needing involuntary care under the Mental Health Act outside the justice system. Osborne also says the government is now reviewing the act itself to identify possible service gaps and potential solutions. The announcement comes after the province announced in April the opening of a 10-unit involuntary-care facility for people with addiction and mental health issues at the Surrey Pretrial Centre. The Surrey facility is meant to treat people in jail who have a combination of mental health challenges, brain injuries and addiction concerns. B.C. Premier David Eby said at the time that the unit was meant to stop people continually cycling through the justice system without getting better. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, says the care offered by Alouette Homes will be the first of its kind in the province. Vigo says the new beds provide an alternative to the current setup, where patients are 'stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately' because of a lack of other options. Osborne says the first people to use the new beds will move in as early as next week. This report by Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, was first published June 3, 2025.
