BCNU Applauds New Mental Health and Wellness Centre at Riverview Lands

Acting President, Christine Sorensen says while a lot more still needs to happen in order to deal with the enormous challenge of treating those struggling with mental health and substance use, she is optimistic this is a step in the right direction.

"BCNU recently took part in a meeting with B.C. addictions minister Judy Darcy and other important stakeholder groups to discuss improvements to safe, quality mental health care for all British Columbians," says Sorensen. "We've also encouraged the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to learn from the experiences of nurses working on the front lines of the substance use crisis in BC."

The province's opioid crisis has been taking a major emotional and physical toll on nurses in a variety of health care settings. BCNU is a firm believer in harm reduction policies that provide support for people coping with the effects of substance use and recently partnered with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use to fund education and research needed to manage the opioid crisis.

"BCNU is committed to finding a solution to the ongoing and devastating public health emergency," says Sorensen. "The new health and wellness centre on the Riverview lands is hopefully just the beginning when it comes to stepping up the support needed for patients, family members and even health care workers."