Ways to Get Involved

We need you to help us achieve the best health care possible.

Become a patient and family partner

Become a patient and family partner
Fill out an application to volunteer in a non-clinical area at θəqiʔ ɫəwʔənəq leləm’ (Red Fish Healing Centre)
Apply for a student placement
Participate in research
Donate
Visit a loved one who is receiving treatment, and stay involved in their treatment. Look for visitor information on the relevant service’s page

Patient and family partners

Do you have lived or living experience of mental health, substance use, and/or involvement with the criminal justice system?
Do you have a family member with this kind of experience?
Can you share insights and information about your own health care experiences?
Are you eager to help us improve health care?

Become a patient and family partner at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Find out more:

BCMHSUS Patient and Family Partner Handbook (PDF)
Patient and Family Engagement
Email: engage_bcmhsus@phsa.ca. A member of our patient experience and community engagement team will contact you with more information

We provide training and support to patient and family partners. They then work with staff, physicians, and researchers to help design and plan our services, programs, projects, and policies.

The partnership work can include:

Taking part in working groups and committees
Sharing your story to improve training for new care providers and leaders
Interviewing new staff to make sure we are hiring the right people to serve patients and families
Giving feedback on policies, resources and handbooks
Participating in focus groups or one-on-one conversations

Benefits of becoming a patient and family partner

Access training, education and support to build your skills (for example communication skills)
Help improve care and research at BCMHSUS by sharing your experiences, knowledge and ideas
Connect with other patients and families who also want to change things for the better

Patient and family advisory committees

Patient and family advisory committees (PFAC) are program-specific. There are committees for both Forensic Psychiatric Services and Adult Mental Health and Substance Use Services. There is also an overarching patient and family experience council for the whole organization.

Committee members share their unique perspectives with health care professionals. It is an important way for BCMHSUS staff, leaders, and researchers to obtain ideas and insights. They use these insights to guide and develop services and projects.

Each committee addresses different priorities and projects. However, they all have the following things in common:

At least 50% of members are patient and family partners
Patient and/or family partner as co-chair
Clear terms of reference (for example, here are the terms of reference for the Patient and Family Experience Council (PDF))
Regular meetings, usually one per month
Annual goals
A balance between projects initiated by committee members, and projects initiated by staff

Compensation

We provide an hourly payment to patient and family partners for their time and contributions. We also reimburse expenses, such as parking and transit.

Compensating Patient and Family Partners Playbook (PDF)

Testimonials

"My experience as a member of the Patient and Family Partner Network has been truly rewarding. I have an opportunity to assist in improving the patient and family experience by sharing from my own. It's a very special opportunity. I feel valued as a partner and am treated as a respected colleague."

Chris

"For me, being a patient partner is rewarding. It allows me to apply my lived experience with both mental health and addictions challenges to provide input into policy decisions and programs that address the needs of recovering patients and their families. I also gain the satisfaction that my recovery experience is valued in contributing to these patient care policies and PHSA.”

Mark

"Being a patient and family partner has been so uplifting. I feel so grateful that I am able to share my lived experience to help someone else have a better health care experience."

Pam

"The power of partnerships with patients and families is having lived experience driving future patient care. The result is the delivery of outstanding patient experience in people’s healing journey."

Ron

Contact us

Learn more about patient and family experience at BCMHSUS and the Patient and Family Network.

Email: engage_bcmhsus@phsa.ca

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We are grateful to all the First Nations who have cared for and nurtured the lands and waters around us for all time, including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) on whose unceded and ancestral territory our head office is located.

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