P.E.I. opens 'beautiful, bright' new transition space for mental health clients

A new facility in Charlottetown to support those with mental health challenges is being described as a welcoming space for people making the transition from the hospital to the community. 

"We have a residential area which is really beautiful, bright rooms with a lot of light, beautiful views as well. So it will give people that sense of peace," said Dr. Ida Pienaar, one of the psychologists who helped design the mental health structured programming that will be offered at the facility.

The new facility is part of a provincial mental health and addictions campus that began construction in 2020 and which will eventually include a replacement for the Hillsborough Hospital.  

This is the second building to open on the campus; the first was an addictions care facility for women opened in June 2022. 

The new 10,000-square-foot building, divided into spaces for day and residential clients, will offer a 28-day program for people who are psychiatrically stable, recently released from hospital and looking for help integrating into the community.

Staff at this new facility will include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, residential care workers and social workers.

The program was designed to be time-limited in order to allow as many people as possible to take advantage of it.

"We want people to flow through and, again, the big focus here would be to get people back into the community," said Pienaar.

"It doesn't mean people can't come back and do it, but with a 28-day program more people can benefit."

Making dinner, and cleaning up afterward

While there will not be a focus on addictions, there will be a recognition that addictions are part of the background of many of the clients, said Pienaar.

Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are expected to be the most common ailments clients will bring to the program.

Life skills will be a big part of what is offered, said Thane MacEwen, director of mental health and addictions for the province.

"Some of them need that structure, need that program, need those life skills," said MacEwen.

"Making your lunch, making your bed, knowing that stuff, taking your medication as prescribed. So we'll do a lot of teaching here."

Graduating clients will have a lot of say in how the program develops in the future, said Pienaar.

"We are going to take their feedback and we are going to make changes as needed," she said.

"The feedback from clients will tell us if this is successful or not."

The space has room for 20 clients in its day program, and eight in its residential program. The day program will take in its first clients on Monday.