Pubdate: Thu, 24 Aug 2006
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Dr. Anthony Barale
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

VIHA FAILING ADDICTED, MENTALLY ILL

Re: "Time for action on homelessness," editorial, Aug. 19.

The cogent and accurate editorial highlights the difficulties of 
helping the homeless and the addicted in Victoria.

I recently resigned as the Vancouver Island Health Authority's 
clinical director of psychiatric emergency services (based at the 
Archie Courtnall Centre) largely because of long-standing 
frustrations with a VIHA administration that has, as the editorial 
put it, "clearly failed" in providing adequate services for one of 
the most maligned and neglected sub-populations in our society.

The administrators of mental health and addictions are seriously out 
of touch with the clinical realities and needs of the addicted 
population and, especially, those patients who have both addictions 
and severe mental illness.

The staff of the psychiatric emergency service struggle daily to 
provide even the most basic medical and psychiatric care for this 
suffering population and they do so with little support and the 
pitiful resources provided by VIHA, resources which, even by 
so-called "Third World standards," are entirely inadequate.

The Archie Courtnall Centre, designed as a resource for all 
psychiatric patients in crisis, has become the default processing 
centre for addicted individuals seeking treatment. In many cases, 
this treatment is available only on the mainland. I find it a little 
odd that we get more support from detoxification and rehabilitation 
centres outside of VIHA than in it. It is also interesting to note 
that volunteer services in Victoria are far more helpful, insightful 
and reliable than the designated VIHA services.

VIHA officials will tell you that they have "plans." To this I say, 
"The emperor has no clothes." Having spent hundreds of thousands of 
dollars (VIHA will not divulge the exact amount) to have an American 
"expert" come and "educate" us about addictions, I have seen 
absolutely no improvement of consequence in our services.

The degree of obfuscation and frank incompetence is startling. I 
suggest that the public of Victoria, working with concerned community 
organizations, go about fundraising to establish resources for 
addictions, resources which would include halfway houses and 
residential treatment programs.

VIHA has no real will and no real resources to do so.

Dr. Anthony Barale,

Victoria.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman