Regional Youth Mental Health Program Exceeds Expectations in First Year
RVH Staff Marking Program's One Year Anniversary
Royal Victoria Hospital marking a banner anniversary today, after setting the bar higher than expected.
Health Care officials there are marking the one year anniversary of the Regional Child and Youth Mental Health Program.
Since the service began a year ago, 409 young people facing mental health crises were admitted to the unit, while when it first started, the program was only expected to help 300 a year.
Here’s what one family had to say about the program: “Recently our child was a patient on the Child and Youth Mental Health Inpatient unit at RVH. It was probably one of the most difficult times for our family. We cannot even imagine what this experience would have looked like if this unit did not exist at RVH. Having access to the care that our child needed so close to home made the impact of this situation on our family that much more bearable.”
“Seventy per cent of mental health issues emerge in childhood or adolescence. Youth in our region suffering acute mental health issues, such as suicidal behaviour, psychosis and severe depression, now have quick access to specialized inpatient services for stabilization and treatment,” says Dr. Eric Mulder, RVH chief of Psychiatry.
