Letter to the Editor
Kingston Whig-Standard
February 21, 2003
New Providence centre step forward in mental health
The Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office congratulates Providence Continuing Care Centre Mental Health Services on the recent opening of the Empowerment Centre. The Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office, an arms' length program of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided independent advocacy and rights advice services at Providence Continuing Care Centre - Mental Health Services since 1983, first when it was a provincial psychiatric hospital and now as part of PCCC.
The Empowerment Centre, a new initiative, will work to improve linkages between families; consumers and caregivers from an empowerment perspective, giving a voice to the people who utilize PCCC -MHS services. The Empowerment Centre is an illustration of how far mental health care has come when hospitals seek to establish mechanisms to empower clients to be more involved in all decisions that affect their life, care and treatment. Such mechanisms are both encouraged and supported by the PPAO as a way to give patients a greater voice in how service is provided in making the delivery of mental health care more accountable to the people it serves. The Centre will supplement and complement the work of the PPAO, an independent program that provides services to patients at Providence Continuing Care Centre - Mental Health Services.
The PPAO is very pleased that Providence Continuing Care Centre - Mental Health Services has recognized the importance of providing independent advocacy services for its' clients and has demonstrated this commitment by continuing to designate the PPAO to provide advocacy and rights advice services at its' facility. This is truly a win-win situation for patients and families, the hospital and the community at large.
Congratulations to the Providence Continuing Care Centre for its forward thinking and for taking such a positive step forward for patients.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
__________________________
Vahe Kehyayan
Director
