Prevention Services
Northern Health, Mental Health & Addictions offers a number of community/prevention services and supports by providing education and training to caregivers, schools, Parent Advisory Committees, Public Health Nursing, First Nations communities, and other community partners to develop mental health and addiction awareness, prevention strategies, and pathways for services.
Rehabilitation Services
Rehabilitation Services is a multidisciplinary service that includes Recreation Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Vocational Rehabilitation. The program goals are to assist individuals in increasing their independence by providing opportunities for skill building, community integration and socialization. Rehabilitation Services are a support service to other mental health and addiction services and are included in client care planning.
Recreation Therapy:
• Residential services: goal/action planning, activities, community outings, Peer support and volunteer program supervision.
• Community groups: recreation groups focusing on increasing socialization, community integration and leisure skills.
• Community needs assessment: goal/action planning and goal reviews
• Special events planning/implementation
Occupational Therapy (OT):
• OT assessments for life skills and functional abilities.
• Skills training and support
Vocational Rehabilitation:
• Needs assessment: goal/action planning and goal review.
• Support in finding/maintaining work/volunteer placements.
• Assistance with education goals.
Clubhouses and Activity Centers
Northern Health also partners with or provides clubhouses and activity centers in communities across the Northern region. These centers operate in a partnership model with members and staff working side by side as colleagues in an environment of support, acceptance, and commitment to the potential contribution and success of each individual.
The Clubhouse is based on a model of psychosocial rehabilitation providing a comprehensive program of support for people with severe mental illness. Clubhouses are places where people have a sense of belonging as contributing adults and offer a tiered employment program designed to integrate interested members back into meaningful, gainful employment in communities.
Clubhouses generally offer a wide array of other member services, including housing support and placement, advocacy, financial planning, evening and weekend social programs and continuing education support.
Activity Centers are also based on a psychosocial rehabilitation model, and provide day activities and social skills training, including basic living skills in a safe environment to promote the opportunities for self determination and well being. Activities may include crafts and art programs such as painting, mosaics, card making, weaving, stone carving, and pottery. Activity Centre models vary in terms of services and program design in communities.
Supportive Independent Living
NH MHA provides housing subsidy allowance for eligible Mental Health & Addiction clients under the Supportive Independent Living Program (SILP).
Supportive Living / Supportive Recovery Beds
Northern Health also provides a number of residential care options for various levels of supportive living, as well as supportive recovery beds (through contracted services with a variety of community agencies) to assist clients who are seeking addiction treatment with housing options while enrolled in an addiction treatment program.
Adult Residential Services
Adult residential services are available at a number of locations and provide a varying level of care for adults with mental health or substance use issues. (Additional residential resources are provided through contracted agencies, however are not included in the resources noted here).
Tertiary resources provide 24/7 rehabilitation and residential care for adults with severe or persistent mental illness. Psychogeriatric tertiary residential services provide 24/7 elderly tertiary rehabilitation and residential care.
In collaboration with Mental Health & Addictions team leads, the resources are managed through a Northern Health Mental Health &
Addiction Tertiary Resource Utilization Coordinator which provides a system of bed management across Northern Health.
Northern Health sites and resources include:
Northwest Health Service Delivery Area:
- Terrace - Seven Sisters Adult Tertiary – 14 beds rehab / 6 beds residential
- Terrace – Birchwood Place – 5 beds short stay / 3 beds residential
- Smithers – Bulkley Valley Lodge Geriatric Tertiary – 10 beds rehab / 4 beds residential
Northeast Health Service Delivery Area:
- Fort St John - North Peace Care Centre Geriatric Tertiary – 4 beds rehab / 4 beds residential
- Dawson Creek – Tertiary Acute
- Dawson Creek – Tertiary Care Home Adult – 3 – 4 beds residential
Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area:
Provincial Resources
Northern Health utilizes Provincial Mental Health & Addiction resources which support the assessment, stabilization, and treatment of clients in Northern Health Mental Health & Addiction Services. Referrals to these services are managed through a Northern Health Mental Health & Addiction Tertiary Resource Utilization Coordinator which provides a system of bed management ensuring tertiary clients across Northern Health are able to access the appropriate resource at the most appropriate time.
Provincial Tertiary Resources include:
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For additional information on other local, provincial, and national resources, below are links to HealthLink BC, the Ministry of Health Services, and BC Mental Health and Addiction Services.
  
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