The Northern Gulf Islands & Gold River Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Project is a Shared Care initiative to enhance MHSU care provided in the rural communities of Hornby, Denman, Quadra and Cortes Islands, and the village of Gold River.

Conducted in partnership with the Campbell River and District, Comox Valley, and Rural and Remote Divisions of Family Practice, the project is focused on increasing patient and provider access to services, improving coordination of services and building system capacity inclusive of prevention, early intervention, crisis response and ongoing care.

The project has been underway since 2017 with a goal of re-aligning delivery of rural MHSU care.  As one part of this project, a team of clinicians (family physician, psychiatrist and MHSU clinician) piloted a shared MHSU care model using telehealth in Gold River and Tahsis.  With the use of telehealth, a patient was able to have a psychiatric consultation with a psychiatrist, MHSU clinician and GP.  In some instances, the patient would be in Gold River with the MHSU clinician while the GP would be in Tahsis and the psychiatrist was in Campbell River. 

This technology-enabled wrap-around care helps make the patient see that a team is working together for their health, better supports team members who are often working in isolation and provides a professional development opportunity for the team. 

Video #1 - Project Highlights:  Relationship and Capacity Building

Video #2 - Implementing the Model of Care