Over the past three years, there has been a change in health care between North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) and a community partner which has benefited more than 500 people needing crisis help. The hospital, in partnership with the North East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN) and North Bay’s People for Equal Partnership in Mental Health (PEP), has implemented the concept of peer support navigation and crisis intervention as a complement to the emergency department’s clinical care. Peer Support Navigators from North Bay’s PEP, who are individuals with lived experience of mental health and addictions, are available in the hospital’s emergency department to offer ‘soft’ supports to those in crisis. This new way of delivering care is one local initiative that has helped to reduce the rate of NBRHC’s repeat emergency visits from people with mental health issues.
For more information on this local initiative, visit the NE LHIN website.