By Trevor Greenway
A new short-term mental health unit in Gatineau is getting people get the help they need when they are in a crisis and it doesn’t matter what language they speak.
The new L’unité d’intervention brève en psychiatrie (UIBP) brief psychiatric intervention unit at the Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais offers stays up to 72 hours for “any person aged 18 and over who is in a crisis situation with psychiatric components,” and whose daily life is affected to the point where “an episode of inpatient care is necessary to stabilize his or her state of health.”
The new service was launched in September last year, and 68 patients have already come through the program.
“Services are offered in both French and English,” said CISSS de l’Outaouais communications officer Quern Boua. “In addition, an interpreter can be called in if needed in another language.”
Boua said the new unit is “not linked to an increase in mental health calls/visits but rather to an initiative stemming from the interdepartmental mental health action plan.”
The new program is part of the Professional and Technical Health and Social Services Personnel Alliance’s (APTS) interministerial mental health action plan and aims to provide an alternative to lengthy hospital stays for those dealing with mental health issues. Boua said that those who are in crisis still need to first see an ER doctor at a hospital, who can then refer them to an on-call psychologist. This psychologist can then refer the patient to the UIBP, and they will be transferred to the mental health unit immediately, where they will receive care from a team of up to eight caregivers, including psychiatrists, nurses, psychiatric intervention officers and social workers.
“The person does not need to have a regular psychiatrist beforehand, but must be seen by a psychiatrist at the emergency level,” explained Boua.
She added that the program aims to “reduce the ‘revolving door’ phenomenon” around mental health treatment.
“The unit aims to overcome the limitations of traditional psychiatric hospitalization while reducing the length of hospital stay,” she said. “The expected length of hospitalization is around 48 to 72 hours.” She added that the unit’s objectives are to “stabilize the crisis, confirm or make a diagnosis, initiate treatment, strengthen coping skills for recovery in the community and ensure continuity of care after discharge.”
The program also includes support for families and at-home caregivers to “equip loved ones to facilitate their role with the patient.”
The new UIBP unit is located inside the Gatineau Hospital. For more information on the program, visit the CISSS de l’Outaouais at www.cisss-outaouais.gouv.qc.ca.