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The Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in longer admission times for Acute Inpatient Psychiatry patients due to closure of treatment centres and difficulty in securing housing options in the community. This has made maintaining a safe social distance increasingly challenging for inpatients and staff, and has led to an increased need to relocate patients out of higher risk hospital setting. A need for surge planning for a potential Mental Health and Addictions crisis was identified.
The Solution
- Due to COVID-19, Monarch closed their 14 bed residential treatment home and offered the beds to HSN.
- Staff were leveraged from both organizations to create a new staffing model that could support patients transitioning from hospital to residential setting.
- Virtual supports were developed for patients to continue to receive Psychiatrist and GP care.
- This Flex-Unit allowed us to bridge and support needs of patients that were waiting for housing, treatment beds or were approaching discharge requiring some final stabilization of symptoms.
The Process
- Need for surge planning identified
- Worked with Partners to identify space
- Developed community coalitions
- Developed Processes, Protocols and Pathways
- Launched Service
Contact
For more information on Health Sciences North (HSN) and Monarch Recovery Services Flex-Bed Unit, contact:
- Natalie Aubin naubin@hsnsudbury.ca
- Russell Landry rlandry@hsnsudbury.ca
- Meckenzie Warrington mw@srmonarchrs.ca
- Anne Sprack asprack@hsnsudbury.ca
- Roxane Zuck rz@srmonarchrs.ca
