Mental health and substance use continues to be a high-priority service delivery area for Island Health. The toxic drug crisis has not waned over the years, with 2023 exceeding 2,500 deaths – the highest number of suspected drug deaths in BC in a single year. Harms related to other substances, including alcohol, are also increasing. People with mental health and substance use care needs are seen within all areas of our health care system.
As a result of the growing need for substance use service provision, Island Health established the Addiction Medicine and Substance Use (AMSU) portfolio in June 2023 to provide a focused program to work alongside the Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) department and other Island Health programs. This strengthened service approach was endorsed by Island Health's Executive Leadership Team.
Over the past year, we have had the opportunity to reflect on the many strengths of our current system and review and plan for service enhancements, such as centralized access for substance use bed-based services and virtual care, funded through the provincial Road to Recovery initiative, which will support service enhancements and access to substance use services across the region.
To provide dedicated oversight of substance use and addiction medicine services, the realignment of services and Road to Recovery funding will support AMSU to maintain accountability for primary substance use services. AMSU will also continue supporting expanding clinical addiction medicine services across acute and community programs. MHSU will continue to be accountable for mental health and concurrent disorder services and planning across community, tertiary, and acute settings.
MHSU and AMSU leadership-level organizational charts are available:
Sequenced transitions of services and associated resources will be completed by early 2025, with support from leadership and HR.
To ensure the crucial connection between AMSU and MHSU remains, the leadership team will be developing collaborative structures to ensure patient care coordination, quality improvement, and ongoing education to best serve AMSU/MHSU clients.
Thank you to all staff and physicians who support this work. Your compassion and unwavering dedication to the people we serve are vital in fostering healing and resilience within our community.
An update from:
- Dr. Wei Song, Executive Medical Director, Mental Health & Substance Use;
- Dr. Ash Heaslip, Executive Medical Director, Addiction Medicine & Substance Use;
- Tasha Mckelvey, Executive Director, Mental Health & Substance Use, and
- Julie Lajeunesse, Executive Director, Addiction Medicine & Substance Use