Work on parts of P.E.I. mental health, addictions campus begins soon, but main hospital to be later, smaller

P.E.I.'s health minister says work will begin in a couple of weeks on the first phase of a new mental health and addictions campus in Charlottetown.

"We are planning to have shovels in the ground for these first two buildings this fall," James Aylward told CBC News.

One of those two buildings is a residential facility for women recovering from addictions. It will replace the current aging Lacey House, doubling the number of beds from six to 12. This facility will house those making the transition from in-patient detox to the community, and will support people struggling to stay substance-free. 

The second building will be an eight-bed facility with day programs for 12 clients. It will be for those who need a "supportive, highly structured living environment," according to a submission to Charlottetown City Council by Fathom Studios, a consulting firm hired by the province. The submission was part of the province's application in May to rezone the property.

This building will help those making the transition from Hillsborough Hospital to the community, including teaching life skills.

City council approved the rezoning and the two building permits this fall.

Hospital replacement 3 years away

However, the cornerstone  — and perhaps the most anticipated feature — of the new campus is a replacement for the Hillsborough Hospital. The current hospital was built in 1957 and is described in several government reports as aging and outdated in design and function. The need to replace it has been discussed for years.

The new hospital will be the largest building on the campus, but is still in the design process. 

"We're hoping that we can stay on target in the three-year period," said Aylward.

"I still have my foot on the gas pedal."

Although still in the design phase, the plan is for the hospital to be a two-storey structure offering long-term treatment and rehabilitation for those with "acute and enduring mental illness, cognitive disabilities or psycho-geriatric conditions," according to the Fathom Studio submission.

While the current hospital has 69 psychiatric beds, the new one will have 64, said Aylward. Of those 64 beds, 16 will be used for detox, which is currently offered at the Provincial Addictions Treatment Facility in Mount Herbert.

Although there will be fewer hospital beds, Aylward said the province is in the process of putting more supports into the community. He cited the mobile mental health crisis units and psychiatric telehealth as examples.

"We want to be able to treat people with respect, with dignity, and all evidence points to the fact that if we can provide care in their home, or close to home in the community, it's a much better outcome," said Aylward.

The minister said the province is also exploring partnerships with Veterans Affairs Canada, and with Newfoundland and Labrador on accessing that province's mental health app, called Bridge the gApp.

"We want to ensure that … we're reaching people early, before they get to a level of psychosis or mental health crisis where they need to be hospitalized, because that's the last outcome that we really want," said Aylward.

Part of community

The new mental health and addictions campus would encompass about 79 acres and feature a cluster of buildings and surrounding green space.

There is no timeline in the master plan for additional buildings on the site beyond the first two. However, in addition to replacing the hospital, plans include another residential building for 36 people who are moving from in-patient care into the community. 

According to the province, about half the beds at the current Hillsborough Hospital are being used by patients who don't need acute care in a hospital, but do need community housing. They include clients with developmental disabilities.

Also in the future plans: a new 24-space addictions transition program facility, with 12 of those spaces for residential stays of three months, with what is described as "intensive programming."

The overall vision is to "transform the site from a stigmatized institutional 'island' to a more community integrated, interconnected, de-stigmatized campus," according to the Fathom Studio submission.

That's why in the long-term development of the site, there are plans for up to 10 other buildings, which will include a mix of residential, office and commercial space. These would be four- to six-storey buildings totalling up to 550 units ranging in size from one to three bedrooms, aimed at addressing affordable housing shortages and other housing needs of the community.

"The stigmas are starting to break down and they're seeking help in a way that I think they may not have done before. And it's not a dirty secret anymore. If you need help, it actually shows maturity and insight to seek help," said Dr. Heather Keizer, chief of mental health and addictions on P.E.I.

"We really just want to have really met the patients' needs where the patients are," said Keizer.

She said she'd also like to see the campus support vocational training.

Once the new hospital is built, the old one will be demolished and converted to green space. According to the Fathom Studio submission, that could happen in 2025. There are plans for a waterfront park, floating dock, and walking trails along the Hillsborough River for the use of residents on campus and the general public.

'New future'

While the new hospital is important, Keizer is also focussing on hiring staff and designing new programming.

"It really in the end isn't about the building," said Keizer. "It is really about the programming we deliver and about the quality of the people that we have and how we invest in them and the integration of our teams." 

Only 13.6 of the 20.8 psychiatric positions allotted for the province are filled at the moment.

Aylward announced in the P.E.I. Legislature Thursday that two new psychiatrists will be starting in early 2021, with one of them dedicated to the Unit 9 psychiatric ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Keizer is recruiting others and she's looking for staff who can do longer-term follow-ups with patients via Zoom.

She calls it a "new future for mental health and addictions," adding: "I'm very excited about where we're going."

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