November 2016
Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre
Helping youth reframe their future
W
hen looking back over the
years of planning for the Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre (CYCDC), Elizabeth Stanger, Director, Coastal Mental Health & Addiction, 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.
“This is an achievement we should all be
proud of.”
̶ Elizabeth Stanger
VCH Director - Coastal
mental health and addiction issues. A
centralized access model will encompass the full continuum of services
available, so clients are directed to
the most appropriate resource.
Dr. Mathias is a VCH physician who
works with street youth. He sees what
happens when youth run out of options and lose their connections to
family and community.
Serving a complex population
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.
Elizabeth Stanger, VCH Director -
As VCH prepares to open the Carlile
Centre in April 2017, Elizabeth is quick Coastal.
to share this achievement with Dr.
ea serving urban centres, rural and
Mathias and others who have supremote communities. As a regional
ported this project.
service, the Carlile Centre supports
“This has been such an amazing, col- youth from across VCH and staff at
laborative effort,” she said. “We have Carlile will maintain connections to
worked with clients and families, as
local health teams to support continuwell as mental health and substance ity of care for clients and families, reuse leaders across VCH and in the
gardless of where they live. Telecommunity to design the facility, de- health will help support these relavelop the care model and confirm the tionships and service access.
referral protocols for the Carlile Centre. This is an achievement we should The Carlile Centre is for individuals
who have exhausted other options in
all be proud of.”
the community. No other program in
Overcoming challenges of geography BC, or Western Canada for that
VCH covers a complex geographic ar- matter, supports youth with both
“Our population has grown and the
issues youth are coping with have become more severe,” explains Elizabeth. “Treating kids can be complicated. We need to understand – is it behaviour, is it illness, is it a combination of things. Our interdisciplinary
teams will get to the root of the problem and develop a plan for that individual so they can reframe their future in a healthier context.”
Youth will come to the Carlile Centre
on average for 21 days. During this
time they will go through detox, assessment and stabilization. The goal is
to then help them return to the community with supports in place to help
them live well, while giving their families hope.
(Since this article was written, Elizabeth has moved into a new role as
Executive Director CST— Coastal.)
Creating a healing environment — the power of design
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 understand 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 inpatient mental health care. Approximately
20 people, age 18 – 25 years, gathered to
discuss how the environment/facility design can contribute to health and wellbeing.
“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- Artwork at the CYCDC will feature
oping the environmental design elements
scenes from the North Shore,
for the Carlile Centre. “During the consulincluding Lighthouse Park.
tation session we asked questions to create a snapshot of what someone might
One individual described “white knuckfeel, do and think in the space, and underling” – how people in care ball-up their
stand impact of design for young people
fists and struggle to get through treatwho are likely anxious and marginalized.”
ment. To be productive, they need to
unclench their fists and take time to listen, 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 colour.
Best practice evidence and feedback from
the consultation session emphasized the
value of connecting to nature, and creating a flexible, non-institutional environment. With this in mind, the design team
is recommending feature walls that highlight 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 during the consultation session will help ensure the Carlile Centre environment feels
safe and welcoming for everyone who
comes there.
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.
This project was made possible by donors to Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
For more information contact: Tanis Evans at [email protected] or Dale Handley at [email protected]