Family Involvement

Vancouver Coastal Health has a Family Support and Involvement Team.  This team assists families with resources, education, information, and support, as well with facilitating the inclusion of family in the care of their loved ones.  The team also works on including families in important decisions that are taken by Vancouver Coastal Health, for example the design and planning of the new mental health hospital, the Joseph and Rosalie Segal & Family Health Center.  Team members are:

• Isabella Mori
  Isabella supports “Community” – families of people with mental health or substance use concerns who live in the community (i.e. are not in Acute or Tertiary – see below).
  isabella.mori@vch.ca
  604-314-9032
• Tao-Yee Lau
  Tao-Yee supports “Tertiary” – families of people with mental health or substance use concerns in longer-term facilities (e.g. Willow Pavilion, Sumac).
  taoyee.lau@vch.ca
  236-885-8169
• Sean Ford
  Sean supports “Acute” – families of people with mental health or substance use concerns currently in hospital at the Segal Centre
  sean.ford@vch.ca
  604-290-3817 
• Jennifer Glasgow (jennifer.glasgow@vch.ca) – Manager

If your loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the Access and Assessment Centre at 604-675-3700 or go to their web site.

Here is some information you might find useful.

1. An introductory general article on Family Involvement.
2. The Vancouver Coastal Health Family Involvement Policy, as well as a shorter version of it used in staff education
3. Our Family Involvement Newsletter can be accessed here. You can sign up for the newsletter and other related news by going to our front page. Scroll down, and you will find the sign-up form in the bottom right corner.
4. The FSI team facilitates the Family Connections Support group for families/supporters of people with mental health/substance difficulties. It is drop-in – no need for signup.
   • Meets every 1st Thursday and 3rd Monday of the month from 6-8pm. The dates until June 2023 are Jan 5 and 16, Feb 2 and 20, March 2 and 20, Apr 6 and 17, May 4 and 15, June 1 and 19
   • Location: UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THESE SUPPORT GROUPS WILL BE DONE ONLINE VIA ZOOM. Please contact  familyconnections@vch.ca for a zoom invitation
   • Physical location once the COVID19 crisis is over: Joseph & Rosalie Segal & Family Health Center, 803 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver.  803 West 12th is in the center of the VGH campus. You can access it from Willow & West 10th, or from Willow & West 12th.  It is right behind the Blusson Spinal Center.  A map is here.
   • For more information, contact familyconnections@vch.ca 
   • More support groups, not facilitated by VCH staff, can be found  in the latest newsletter.
5. For an overview over the services we most frequently provide to families, please see our October 2020 newsletter
6. Communication Protocol for Individuals Receiving Services at VCH, an article about the details of VCH mental health professionals communicating among themselves, and with patients, families and family physicians
7. A Journey Through the Vancouver Coastal Health Mental Health “System”
8. A brochure for families of VCH’s “community” mental health and substance use services (aka mental health teams)
9. A brochure for families of VCH’s emergency, urgent and inpatient mental health and addiction services 
10. A PDF of the most up-to-date Resource Guide. This includes support and educational groups, web sites, and places where you can receive one-on-one counselling, often at a reduced rate.
11. Families often hear us talk about a Xavier Amador’s book “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help”.  Here is a link to it, as well as a short version of it.
12. In terms of alcohol/substance use, one of the books we recommend is Beyond Addiction by Jeffrey Foote and colleagues. Click here for examples from the book of approaches families can take to substance use
13. Families often ask about the difference between supporting and enabling. Here’s an article.

Vancouver Family Advisory Committee