CHILD AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS ACUTE CARE UNIT
A new, dedicated Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions Acute Care Unit is being developed to ensure young Islanders have access to age-appropriate mental health, addiction and substance care that supports their journey to achieving overall well-being.
Background
The province of PEI has a growing number of mental health, addiction and substance use services and programs for children and youth, including a small acute in-patient unit adjacent to adult services at the current Hillsborough Hospital.
More space is needed – space that is dedicated, purpose-built and ensures age-appropriate recreation, play and programming space. Planning will ensure individuals under the age of 18 in need of acute mental health, addiction and substance use care have access to appropriate accommodations and program delivery spaces that align to support their cognitive, behavioural, psychosocial, and educational needs. This service will be co-located at the QEH in Charlottetown, adjacent to the pediatric medical unit (Unit 5).
The planning work includes:
- creating age appropriate, welcoming and inclusive environments based on best practices and evidence-based research
- age-appropriate play/recreation/exercise space for those accessing acute mental health, addiction and substance use care
- addressing issues of stigma in the built environment
- improving patient safety, accessibility and privacy
- increasing opportunities for supported learning and wellness development for clients and patients
- increasing opportunities for local and regional research and professional education
Service
The child and youth mental health and addictions acute care services will support patients with serious mental illness, addition and/or substance use that require a higher level of acute care services than can be provided within a community-based care setting. Strategies to transition patients to the community will be the primary objective for most patients, around which the care plans will be structured. While in the acute care unit, patients will receive assessment, treatment and rehabilitative services, and will be supported by an interprofessional care team providing consultation and specialty services to meet the needs of patients. Programs and spaces will be available to support in-patients within the context of their family (e.g., visiting spaces, technologies to virtually connect patients and their families or community care providers). This service will acknowledge and honour diverse cultural, social, and gender backgrounds and experiences.
Result
- A new, fully accessible Child and Youth Mental Health and Addiction Acute Care Unit
- A secure, outdoor, age-appropriate play area
Benefits
- A new, modern, fully accessible Child and Youth Mental Health and Addiction Acute Care unit that provides:
- an interdisciplinary care delivery model
- a space enabled by supporting technologies
- optimally designed programming spaces to allow the right care with access to both indoor and outdoor recreation and healing opportunities
- A built environment for children and youth designed to support age and developmental appropriate medical, cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial, and educational needs
- Improves access to care and reduces wait times
- Improves patient and client privacy and accessibility
- Supports the use of virtual medicine by implementing state-of-the-art technology
- Allows teams to work more collaboratively on patient care
- Provides a modern, state-of-the-art facility for health professionals to work in and care for patients and clients while improving the capacity to recruit and retain mental health, addiction and substance use professionals
Project Status and Programming Information
The Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions Acute Care Unit is in the pre-design phase with construction expected to begin in early 2025.
Who Services Are For
Children and youth less than 18 years of age who require an acute care stay due to serious mental illness, addiction or substance use.
How to Access Services
A referral from a health care provider will be required.