Photo: BC Gov Flickr
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister for Mental Health and Addictions.
The first complex care homes in Kelowna and Kamloops will open in the “coming weeks”.
The model provides housing alongside on-site health care and social support for people with significant mental health and addiction problems that impact a person’s ability to maintain housing.
The provincial government and Interior Health are funding 20 beds in each town. The sites will be small, just five to eight apartments each, and will be staffed 24/7.
“Everyone deserves a home where they can feel safe and live in dignity,” Jennifer Whiteside, minister for mental health and addictions, said in a media release.
“The opening of comprehensive housing services in Kamloops and Kelowna means that people with complex mental health and substance use issues will be able to access housing or maintain their existing housing with additional support tailored to their individual needs.”
Interior Health will provide on-site nursing staff, occupational therapy and social workers.
A Cultural Worker (Indigenous) and a Support Worker will join the teams to provide experiential support and offer additional assistance once the homes are up and running. Access to additional primary care resources will also be provided to ensure residents have access to ongoing general care.
The location of the homes in each city has not been revealed at this stage.
“The comprehensive model of care is new to our region and is a first step towards improving the overall health and well-being of vulnerable individuals in Kelowna and Kamloops. This new service ensures that residents have direct and ongoing access to services and support from healthcare teams who know their needs,” said Susan Brown, President and CEO of IH.
Contract provider Active Care Youth and Adult Services will provide life skills training and support, which may include training in activities of daily living for things such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, psychosocial rehabilitation and more.
Interior Health says individual placements will be staggered to ensure each new resident has time to familiarize themselves with their surroundings and the care teams that support them.
The mayors of Kelowna and Kamloops issued similar statements applauding the program.
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