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Young adults with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges can now access housing services and tailored supports in Richmond.

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Young adults in Richmond get expanded support for complex mental-health needs

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 3:07 PST, Fri January 26, 2024

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More young adults with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges can now access housing services and tailored supports in Richmond.

The expanded Transitioning Out Program has ten new spaces for adults between 19 and 30 with complex needs. In addition to existing services, the enhanced program also provides people with housing and health supports, such as a nurse and four dedicated outreach workers. These workers provide one-on-one assistance to promote independent living and individual care.

“Young people living with serious mental-health and addictions challenges need access to tailored supports,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Their complex needs often result in a cycle of housing insecurity, emergency room visits or worse. Through this partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health, we are connecting young people with vital services that will help them find a brighter future.”

The province is investing $1.57 million over three years to expand the complex-care housing program in Richmond for young adults with complex-care needs. The expanded program opened in April 2023 and reached full capacity in October 2023.

“The expanded program offers an opportunity for additional young adults with significant mental-health and/or substance-use issues to live independently,” said Andrew Neale, housing occupational therapist, Mental Health and Substance Use, Vancouver Coastal Health. “This fills a gap in our mental-health housing programs. Clients report they really appreciate this unique opportunity to transition from a less-than-ideal living situation into their own home.”

With this expansion, the program now serves as many as 70 people at a time. The program provides market-housing subsidies and support services, such as administering medications, attending appointments, developing grocery lists, managing bank accounts, housekeeping and life-skills training. A key goal is to enable people to exit the program and live independently. People can access this program through a referral from a mental-health or substance-use clinician in the community.

Complex-care housing provides voluntary services to people who face mental-health and addiction challenges that overlap, often with other complex health issues, such as brain injuries.

Budget 2022 invested $164 million over three years to create complex-care housing services for 500 people in the province. Budget 2023 builds on that investment by committing an additional $266 million to fund these services, such as $169 million in capital funding to build new homes.

Enhancing supports for specifically youth living with mental-health and substance-use needs is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s road map for building the comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care for everyone in British Columbia.