2022-2023 Highlights
Coast Mental Health’s outcomes and impact in fiscal 2022-2023
On June 10, 2022, we celebrated 50 years of making ‘The Difference’ in the communities we serve. Through the support of our many partners, donors and allies, Coast Mental Health continues to be a leader in providing community-based mental health services across Greater Vancouver.
Supported Housing
As we moved through the pandemic, our team improved vital operational infrastructure to better support front-line workers across its 53 facilities and programs. We also partnered with the City of Maple Ridge to open a desperately needed Emergency Weather Shelter (EWS). This shelter provides 30 beds and a meals during the coldest months of the year. Coast Eagle community home was also opened, providing 14 clients with more independent living options. With the support of local government and community partners, we successfully added a total of 44 temporary and permanent spaces to our housing inventory for people in need.
Step into Watson House in Vancouver’s Mile Hill community where lives like Osman’s are being transformed through supported housing.
1,084 homes + 251 rent subsidies provided at
53 facilities operated by Coast Mental Health
2 new facilities offer
44 additional spaces (temporary/permanent) to people in need
~5000 people served through housing, psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery,
employment and education programming
We continue to advocate for affordable housing with in-house clinical supports. Our goal is to raise awareness and establish more housing to support underserved communities.
Join us in our campaign: Yes, In My Backyard
Employment & Education
For many of us, our jobs are what define us. They give us purpose, social connection, and the financial independence that allow us to live full lives. It is no different for people with mental illness. Indeed, the benefits that work can give a person are vital in supporting a stable recovery. Most people experiencing mental illness want to work and can make important contributions to the workforce if they are properly supported.
207 clients/tenants/members employed across Coast Mental Health’s facilities
147 student placements (nurses, social workers, community health workers)
were completed in 2022/2023.
26 people completed training in the Peer Support Worker Program with
92% graduating to work contracts within Coast Mental Health
Coast Mental Health’s Transitional Employment Program offers temporary paid-work contracts in entry-level positions. This program allows clients and members to try various jobs in a supportive environment without the stress of interviews, being trained by strangers, or losing a job because of health-related absenteeism. Our goal is to support clients as they re-enter the workforce with assistance from employment counsellors.
Read about Justin’s “beautiful life” since joining our Transitional Employment Program in our 2022/2023 Annual Report.
Enriched Support Services
Thanks to donors and community partners, more services are made available across the organization each year. These programs are vital in providing daily supports to people where they live, so they can thrive and contribute within their communities.
In fiscal 2022/2023, this included a transformational $2-million grant from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to support young adults. This significant investment has allowed Coast Mental Health to expand its young adult programming (19-30 years of age) across its facilities.
94 lives saved through overdose reversals and
first aid provided on site
26% increase in the number of meal programs in 2022/2023.
Currently, we offer 38 meal programs across Coast Mental Health
169 participants accessed the Cognitive Remediation Program
241 members participated in the Young Adults Programs
These initiatives were made possible thanks to the generosity of donors to Coast Mental Health Foundation.
Visit our 2022/2023 Annual Report to learn more about our youth programming and more.
Listen to personal stories of mental health recovery, which sheds light on stigma and challenges within the mental health systems. This initiative is presented by Coast Mental Health’s Rabble Rousers.
Philanthropy
45 programs supported
by philanthropy
Many of Coast Mental Health’s programs would not be possible without the generosity of our donors through Coast Mental Health Foundation. Thanks to them, Coast Mental Health offered 45 innovative programs last year, spanning the breadth of the organization. These include peer support training, young adult services, meal programs, and offerings such as therapeutic gardening, art, adventure therapy and music therapy.
One new program is the Young Adult Outreach Program in Maple Ridge, which provides early diagnosis and intervention, and gives youth vulnerable to mental illness access to support.
Read in the Coast Mental Health Foundation Gratitude Report how Bridgid’s Outreach worker is helping her find stable housing. Bridgid is also learning new life skills like budgeting, as well as planning for her future.
“Working with Coast is great. I’m not on my own,” says Bridgid.