Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre

W hen looking back over the years of planning for the Car-

lile Youth Concurrent Disorders Cen-tre (CYCDC), Elizabeth Stanger, Direc-tor, Coastal Mental Health & Addic-tion, thinks of Dr. Steve Mathias and his vision to support youth with an integrated approach, involving family and health care professionals working together with clients.

Dr. Mathias is a VCH physician who works with street youth. He sees what happens when youth run out of op-tions and lose their connections to family and community.

His idea was to help youth sooner and avoid a crisis that can be life altering for everyone involved. This vision launched plans for the Carlile Centre.

As VCH prepares to open the Carlile Centre in April 2017, Elizabeth is quick to share this achievement with Dr. Mathias and others who have sup-ported this project.

“This has been such an amazing, col-laborative effort,” she said. “We have worked with clients and families, as well as mental health and substance use leaders across VCH and in the community to design the facility, de-velop the care model and confirm the referral protocols for the Carlile Cen-tre. This is an achievement we should all be proud of.”

Overcoming challenges of geography

VCH covers a complex geographic ar-

ea serving urban centres, rural and remote communities. As a regional service, the Carlile Centre supports youth from across VCH and staff at Carlile will maintain connections to local health teams to support continu-ity of care for clients and families, re-gardless of where they live. Tele-health will help support these rela-tionships and service access.

The Carlile Centre is for individuals who have exhausted other options in the community. No other program in BC, or Western Canada for that matter, supports youth with both

mental health and addiction issues. A centralized access model will encom-pass the full continuum of services available, so clients are directed to the most appropriate resource.

Serving a complex population

“Our population has grown and the issues youth are coping with have be-come more severe,” explains Eliza-beth. “Treating kids can be complicat-ed. We need to understand – is it be-haviour, is it illness, is it a combina-tion of things. Our interdisciplinary teams will get to the root of the prob-lem and develop a plan for that indi-vidual so they can reframe their fu-ture in a healthier context.”

Youth will come to the Carlile Centre on average for 21 days. During this time they will go through detox, as-sessment and stabilization. The goal is to then help them return to the com-munity with supports in place to help them live well, while giving their fami-lies hope.

(Since this article was written, Eliza-beth has moved into a new role as Executive Director CST— Coastal.)

Helping youth reframe their future

November 2016

Elizabeth Stanger, VCH Director -

Coastal.

“This is an achieve-

ment we should all be

proud of.” ̶̶ Elizabeth Stanger

VCH Director - Coastal

M ost of us have a “go-to” place where we relax, problem-solve, or

energize. For some it’s a room, for others it could be the forest, and for many it is a spot where others are gathered, providing a sense of community. The Carlile Centre is a place where youth will come to un-derstand and address their concurrent disorders and reframe their approach to living well. The environment will play a role in their recovery and its design must meet the needs of a unique and diverse client population.

Consultation sessions

A consultation session was held earlier this fall to gain insight from individuals with lived experience dealing with inpa-tient mental health care. Approximately 20 people, age 18 – 25 years, gathered to discuss how the environment/facility de-sign can contribute to health and wellbe-ing.

“Design has a function – it works at the emotional level and at the operational level,” explained Daniel Presnell, from Signals Design Group, the company devel-oping the environmental design elements for the Carlile Centre. “During the consul-tation session we asked questions to cre-ate a snapshot of what someone might feel, do and think in the space, and under-stand impact of design for young people who are likely anxious and marginalized.”

One individual described “white knuck-ling” – how people in care ball-up their fists and struggle to get through treat-

ment. To be productive, they need to unclench their fists and take time to lis-ten, think and act in a way that allows them to focus on recovery. The design strategy needs to help them relax and open up. This includes the physical design as well as the elements of sound and col-our.

Best practice evidence and feedback from the consultation session emphasized the value of connecting to nature, and cre-ating a flexible, non-institutional environ-ment. With this in mind, the design team is recommending feature walls that high-light scenes from the North Shore, where the Carlile Centre is located.

Signage & wayfinding

Signage and wayfinding features will also reflect elements from nature, such as birds, flowers and fish. Colour and design will define different areas for different purposes so people understand what to expect from a space. For example, blue is clinical, orange is community, so if you want to be alone, you wouldn’t go into an orange space.

Creating spaces to support recovery is a complex process. The input provided dur-ing the consultation session will help en-sure the Carlile Centre environment feels safe and welcoming for everyone who comes there.

Creating a healing environment — the power of design

This project was made possible by donors to Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.

For more information contact: Tanis Evans at Tanis.Evans@vch.ca or Dale Handley at Dale.Handley@vch.ca

Artwork at the CYCDC will feature

scenes from the North Shore,

including Lighthouse Park.

Sandra Cameron (left) and

Karen Gardner from the

Whistler Health Centre

Foundation toured the

new unit in October. The

comfort room in the

Carlile Centre will be

named to honour their

donation of $25,000.