SUPPORT SERVICES

Through our support services, we help clients build on their strengths, access existing government and community resources, manage their health, and live richer lives.

While many of our support services are wrapped up in our housing-first approach, we operate two “hubs” for community-based support services: the Clubhouse and the Resource Centre. Both offer a wide range of social, health and well-being, and employment and education opportunities. Other support services include our financial Trust Program, Street Outreach Program, Peer Support Program and our Art Room.

Clubhouse

Each day, Coast clients  and staff work together to ensure the smooth running of Coast’s Mount Pleasant Clubhouse.  To be part of the Clubhouse, clients must become members and have the opportunity to work with an employment counselor to develop a Clubhouse Goal Plan. This plan is the blueprint for how the member will contribute to the Clubhouse community while developing workplace and social skills.

Members can choose from three employment units: food services; environment; communication. While at the Clubhouse, they can also enjoy a low-cost nutritious meal, participate in a variety of recreational activities, and use the free laundry facilities.

Two employment programs are also run from the Clubhouse: the Transitional Employment Program; and Landscaping with Heart. Educational opportunities available onsite include the Coast Adult Learning Centre and English for Life ESL classes. Anyone who receives services from Coast can also apply for assistance from the organization’s Education Assistance Fund.

The Coast Clubhouse is located at 293 East 11th Avenue in Vancouver and is open Hours of operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Wednesday 8 a.m. to 5:45 P.M. If you would like to become a member, please call 604-675-2357 for more information or drop by in person.

Click on the calendar below to find out what activities are happening with the Clubhouse in December 2024. The Clubhouse is now open with daily programming, social activities, and a lunch service. 

DOWNLOAD: DECEMBER 2024 COAST CLUBHOUSE ACTIVITIES & DETAILS

Resource Centre

Coast’s Resource Centre is a place to come by for a meal, to do laundry, have a shower, shop in a low-cost canteen store, and socialize. The Resource Centre meets people where they’re at and focuses on building relationships, trust and help people improve their health and pursue recovery. In addition to offering low-cost  breakfast, lunch and snacks, it’s home to some of Coast’s most popular and successful support programs, such as the member-run art room, community health nurses, community garden, peer support worker program and the homeless outreach program. Other regular programs include running groups, yoga, music classes, and music and games afternoons. 

Breakfast: $1.00
Lunch: $2.00
Afternoon snack: No charge

Serving more than 500 active members, the Resource Centre is located at 1225 Seymour Street in Vancouver and has resumed its day programming. This includes the Art Room, gardening club and honourarium work opportunities. 

Review the calendar below to find out what activities are happening at the Resource Centre during December 2024. We offer daily programming, social activities, and a lunch service. 

DOWNLOAD: DECEMBER 2024 COAST RESOURCE CENTRE ACTIVITIES & DETAILS

Trust Program

Living with a mental illness can leave you vulnerable, both to mistakes you make yourself and to situations where others take advantage of you. Coast Mental Health’s disability trust program helps clients protect and manage their financial assets.

What is a trust?

In simple terms, a trust is where someone (the Trustee) holds money or other assets for someone else (the Beneficiary). British Columbians with “persons with disability” (PWD) status have a restriction on the amount of assets they can hold. However, a disability trust (also known as a Henson trust) allows persons with a disability to manage the benefit of a lump-sum payment (such as an inheritance) and improve their quality of life without losing their PWD benefits. 

Coast is authorized under the provincial regulation to administer trust funds of up to $500,000 within British Columbia. Currently, we have approximately 300 trust clients and $13 million under management.  While most Coast trust clients receive PWD benefits, it is not a requirement for participation in the trust program, as some clients receive CPP or private insurance benefits.

How the funds in trust can be used

Funds may be used for disability-related purposes, including anything that promotes the independence of the beneficiary.

Eligibility

Coast’s disability trust program is generally for people with a mental illness. However, Coast makes exceptions in certain situations for individuals with other disabilities.

For more information on disability assistance and trusts, click on the following links:

• Coast Mental Health Trust Program 
• Disability Assistance and Trusts – Ministry of Social Development & Social Innovation

Key trust client documents:

Requesting Money From Your Trust
Trust Cheque Requisition Form
Direct Deposit Form

Street Outreach Program

The Coast Outreach Program provides services to individuals 19 years and older who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Services include providing immediate help such as shelter, food, or housing support. For individuals who require more help, the outreach team can assist with subsidies and housing applications, taxes, healthcare services and other ongoing supports.

The Coast Outreach Program is run out of the Coast Mental Health Resource Centre in Downtown Vancouver. In Maple Ridge, it is also run out of two housing facilities as well as the Community Resource HUB. A Youth Outreach Program also provides support to individuals ages 19-30 in Maple Ridge.

For questions or referrals, please contact:

• Maple Ridge Outreach Team: AlouetteOutreach@coastmentalhealth.com
• Maple Ridge Youth Outreach Team: MRCoastYouth@CoastMentalHealth.com
• Maple Ridge Community Resource HUB: mapleridgehub@coastmentalhealth.com
• Vancouver Outreach Team: OutreachResourceCentre@coastmentalhealth.com

Peer Support Program

The Peer Support Program is a community service operating out of Coast Mental Health’s Resource Centre. The program taps into people’s lived/living experience of mental health challenges and trains them to use their firsthand understanding of the recovery process to support other clients.

Individuals who are ready to share their life experiences can apply for training, which is usually offered twice a year. Successful applicants receive 90 hours of class time followed by a 30-hour practicum. Graduates of the program are equipped with the skills to apply for a variety of support worker roles.

Please contact us at peersupport@coastmentalhealth.com for more information.

Art Room

The Resource Centre’s Art Room has been serving Coast’s clients since the Centre’s doors opened in 2000. It’s a place where clients discover their creative potential while developing new ways of expressing emotions, healing pain and growing their self-esteem and self-awareness.  Supported by volunteers – including clients and professional artists and art instructors – who give their time, feedback and encouragement clients are able to work in a number of media including paint and sculpture; supplies are provided.

An annual art show brings together the artists, other Resource Centre members, and Coast clients, family and friends and the general public to celebrate their work and their journey towards recovery. In 2019, members of the Art Room were featured as part of Coast Mental Health’s Art Project Roadshow, which ran from May-October 2019.