Vancouver Sun – March 21, 2013

Largest single donation to mental health in BC history has created the foundation for a brand new building at Vancouver General Hospital

He was in his 50s, a professional man on the verge of suicide. Police officers had brought him to Vancouver General Hospital. In the midst of his mental health crisis, he looked around at his surroundings in the hospital’s mental health unit and said, “This is what I deserve.”

By ‘this,’ he meant the rundown surroundings of the facility, where shared small bedrooms with up to four patients were the norm. He was also sharing a bathroom and shower with other people on the floor, and there was little privacy for conversations with doctors or staff. There were no quiet spaces to have a moment to himself.

“The Health Centre was built in the 40’s to be a maternity ward at VGH,” explains Laura Case, Director of Mental Health and Addictions at VGH and UBC Hospital. “It’s an old, old building. Our wonderful staff do what they can, but their environment is working against them.”

“Their job is made harder by the current set-up. Anyone newly diagnosed as being suicidal needs to have a sense of hope,” says Case, “rather than be overwhelmed by rundown surroundings. People with depression are anxious – they need rest and quiet. That’s not always possible because of the lack of space in the facility.” Add in the fact that two out of three people with mental illness don’t come in for treatment at all — because of the stigma associated with doing so — and mental health professionals say it’s obvious changes are needed.

“Mental illness is still very much pushed under the carpet. It’s been underfunded for far too long,” Barbara Grantham states matter of factly. The Interim President and CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation says this is changing, thanks to the visionary philanthropy of Joe and Rosalie Segal.

“Joe and Rosalie are such prominent leaders—when people like them step up and make a significant gift ($12 million, the largest single donation to mental health in BC history), it’s clear we all have to do everything we can about an issue affecting so many people.”

That generosity combined with other significant gifts from donors and funding from the provincial government of $57 million has created the foundation for a brand new building — the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre — to replace the current 70-yr old structure. Early demolition work on the new site will begin at VGH this summer with completion expected in 2017.

Case can’t contain her enthusiasm for the new facility.

“There will be secure outdoor spaces that people can get to, to feel the sun on their face, to be around earth and trees and gardens. They’ll have room to practice meditation and ‘living in the moment’ studies show those skills can be just as effective as medication for people having manic episodes. They tend to be high-functioning people, like doctors and lawyers.”

The plans also call for individual bedrooms and bathrooms, so that patients can feel secure and get unbroken periods of sleep. Patients can read about different courses of treatment in resource centres, or work out at exercise facilities.

Research shows that fitness routines help people recover more quickly from mental health crises. Family members will be able to stay overnight in the building with someone receiving in-patient services.

“Mental health is not like any other area of medicine,” points out Dr. Soma Ganesan, Medical Director, Department of Psychiatry at VGH and UBC Hospital, and Director of VGH’s Cross Cultural Program. “It’s not about technology and electronic instruments, it’s about creating the right environment for treatment.”

He is looking forward to having the Cross Cultural Clinic set up on the first floor of the new building. Ganesan says in certain communities where having mental illness is seen as ‘shameful’, there is clear resistance for people to get assistance.

They will refuse to accept referrals from family physicians, refuse appointments for treatment, or cancel appointments that have been made. They don’t get help until they’re at a breaking point.

He is hoping that the expanded capacity for cross cultural services will encourage people to get the treatment they need before it’s too late.

At VGH, excitement is rising amongst doctors and staff. The end of the fundraising goal is in sight. Total project costs for the new Centre is approximately $82 million, and VGH & UBC Hospital
Foundation needs to raise the last $10 million.

“That sounds like a big number, but we are nearly there,” says Barbara Grantham. We hope people and corporations will come forward. Every donation makes a difference.”

Case acknowledges it can be a struggle to obtain donations for mental health initiatives.

“People are often concerned about what it will look like, that a donation will create some kind of tie between them and mental illness. The fact of the matter is, one in five people will suffer from some kind of mental illness in their lifetime. Not only is it time to talk more openly about mental health, I feel it’s time to be proud that we’re finding ways to address and overcome it.”