Mental health unit opened at St. Paul’s Hospital
Posted March 19, 2014 4:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Six months after Vancouver’s mayor declared a mental health crisis, the province has introduced a couple of measures to help out.
St. Paul’s Hospital is opening a nine-bed Acute Behavioural Stabilization Unit built to help patients for an average of two days each. An assertive outreach team will also help people with mental illness connect with services.
BC Health Minister Terry Lake acknowledges this is only part of the solution. “No one should think this is a panacea. This is a challenge, not only in Vancouver, it’s a challenge all across Canada, in fact many places around the world.”
“Change doesn’t happen overnight, but unless you start, you don’t get to a better place. I think this is a tremendous start and I do think it’ll make a huge improvement in peoples lives,” adds Lake.
NDP MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert welcomes the additions but wonders when St. Paul’s will be redeveloped.
