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Fixing mental health care
Dr. John Higenbottam, chair of the Douglas College Psychology Department, chats with two students. As a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Higenbottam is seeking better housing and service systems for people with mental illness.
Dr. John Higenbottam is cautiously optimistic that the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is on the right road to improving Canada's mental health care system.
"There's a philosophical shift to a recovery-oriented system where there are the services and supports in place so people with living with mental illness can live a full life," says the chair of the Psychology Department at Douglas College. Higenbottam was appointed to the MHCC's advisory committee last year, reviewing how service systems can be improved.
Higenbottam's optimism is tempered with caution because ultimately, it is up to the provincial governments to implement mental health care services and supports.
Housing is a significant factor affecting people with mental illness. Early next year, the MHCC is launching a study on how to improve housing and community services to people with mental illness.
Vancouver is also one of five cities that will be participating in a homelessness project, which will include services for people with co-occurring mental health and addictions problems.
"Providing housing and support with intensive follow-up in the community is shown to greatly reduce the psychiatric hospitalization rate. It decreases it by 50 percent," says Higenbottam.
Other MHCC advisory committee priorities include: an anti-stigma campaign; creating a national strategy for mental health care; providing up-to-date information for stakeholders; and supporting primary caregivers, namely family doctors and nurse practitioners, so they can better support people with mental illness.
Higenbottam speaks from extensive experience. A clinical psychologist, he has served in senior administrative positions at Riverview Hospital, and the Vancouver General Hospital and Health Sciences Centre.
"Society has a choice to make. We can invest in providing a supportive community or continue what we're doing now, which is pay for emergency services when people break down in the community.
I have worked in acute care. I think it's better to keep people out of the hospital in the first place."
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