Caritas maintains 78 psychiatric beds and offers a range of programs and services at the Misericordia and Grey Nuns Community Hospitals.  The organization plays a significant role in efforts to restore and support the lives of people suffering from mental illness in Edmonton and beyond.

With 600 to 700 admissions per year, the Grey Nuns Mental Health Program is a major partner in the regional approach to mental health and a leader in acute psychiatric care.  In January 2002, the program opened 10 new beds for a total of 50 acute care beds to meet a growing need for inpatient psychiatric care in the region.

Offering compassionate care for those who suffer emotional and psychological pain is part of the Caritas tradition.  "Our mission is to care about the whole person—their body, mind and soul, " says Joan Campbell, Mental Health Patient Care Manager at the Grey Nuns.  "That means we work to provide a continuum of care to help our patients when they're acutely ill and when they're making transitions back into the community.  We are always focussed on building programs in response to the diverse needs of our patents."

This requires an integrated approach that encompasses crisis management, inpatient care, clinics, group programs, consultation, patent and community education, health promotion, and illness prevention.  The Grey Nuns program offers a comprehensive range of services, which augment and align with community mental health services.

Located in a bright, sunlit wing of the hospital, the Grey Nuns inpatient mental health units serve patients who require 24-hour care.  Ten beds form a specialized unit that meets the needs of patients requiring intensive psychiatric care.  Treatment can consist of any combination of medication, interventions, and individual and/or group therapy.

Patients who do not require 24-hour care can participate in the Psychiatric Partial Hospital Program (PPHP), a day program which provides counseling therapy, and medication tailored to meet the specific needs of the patient.

A Psychiatric Day Center serves as a bridge between the hospital and the community.  Grey Nuns psychiatric patients can participate in a variety of social and leisure programs arranged by a recreational therapist.  " They have the chance to develop basic social skills and participate in every day activities—going to movies, having coffee with friends, and visiting a wave pool, " says Joan.  "We're working to promote wellness and, as much as possible, encourage quality of life in the person's whole life.  Ideally, we want to see them reintegrate into the community."

The Psychiatric Outpatient Program (POP) offers a 12-week day therapy program to support people who maintain jobs, families and other responsibilities, but whose enjoyment of life is impeded by mental illness.  The group therapy process helps individuals gain an understanding of themselves and their patterns of interaction with others, and to test new approaches in a group setting.

The Mental Health team consists of physicians, dieticians, nurses, occupational therapists, spiritual care workers, pharmacists, psychologists, recreational therapists and social workers.  Serving an ethnically diverse population, the team also works with community multicultural health workers to ensure that each patient's beliefs, customs and language are addressed and respected in treatment.

"We are leading the way in terms of the comprehensiveness of our services, and our ability and willingness to leverage community resources on behalf of our patients," Joan explains.  "We hope the people who come here will get better.  Regardless, we believe in their right to the best care possible.  We believe in their potential to be involved in their own wellness.  We care about our patients while they're here and we care about them when they leave."