Addressing Physical and Mental Health
Life on the street makes overcoming mental illness almost insurmountable. Homeless people often won’t go to traditional hospitals and don’t have the support to see that they take their medication. Poor access to care and lack of social assistance only compounds the issue. That’s why the Mission has implemented urban health services to treat mental and physical illness in homeless people.
Old Brewery Mission’s mobile health clinic
The Old Brewery Mission’s mobile health clinic, powered by TELUS Health, provides free health, living and reaffiliation support services to the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Montreal.
The intervention team from Mission Old Brewery is collaborating with Accueil Bonneau on the mobile health clinic to provide psychosocial support services to Montrealers in need.
Together with other partners, including the Itinerant Legal Clinic and the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University, we are offering services focused on three key priorities:
- Physical health care and psychosocial support, including preventive examinations, harm reduction services and referrals to other health services.
- Co-habitation and reintegration support services, including referrals to local support, legal services, and assistance with paperwork such as RAMQ enrollment.
- Rehousing-related support, including tax return preparation, access to identification documents and housing applications.
Projet de réaffiliation en itinérance et santé mentale (PRISM-Cogeco)
Since its launch in 2013, PRISM-Cogeco has served as an innovative model in the field of homelessness and mental health care. In the fall of 2015, the CHUM Hospital published an article highlighting its success, stating that in less than two years, 103 participants out of 140 left homelessness behind in less than six weeks.
– At a Glance:
- 13 beds for men at our Webster Pavilion
- 10 beds for women at our Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion
- Six-week intensive program
- Psychiatric, medical and psychosocial support
- Three nutritious meals a day
Suivi intensif en itinérance (SII)
A new multidisciplinary team of professionals overseen by the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal works on-site at the Mission to provide close follow-up to over 50 people in the community who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, and suffering from severe mental illness. Two Mission counsellors are an integral part of this team, adding hands-on knowledge as well as best practices.
Read Daniel’s story to learn more about the SII program.
Walk-in Medical Clinic
Since 2013, in partnership with the CIUSSS, the Mission operates a walk-in medical clinic adapted to the needs of homeless men and women in Montreal. Located just steps away from Café Mission Keurig®, the clinic is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PASS Program
Through our PASS program in partnership with CIUSSS, patients experiencing homelessness treated at CIUSSS for illnesses requiring close monitoring and rest are routinely transferred to the Old Brewery Mission. Since May 2014, at least 85 patients have been admitted to the program, which is housed on-site at our Webster Pavilion.
– At a Glance:
- 14 beds for men at our Webster Pavilion
- Intensive medical treatment that can last up to 12 months
- A doctor and a nurse from the CIUSSS, two Mission counsellors
- Therapeutic activities, such as art and cooking workshops
- Psychosocial support and counselling
- Three nutritious meals a day
- $450 Perseverance Grants awarded to patients who complete the program—thanks to GILEAD and ABBVIE
To support urban health initiatives like PRISM and our walk-in medical clinic, please consider making a donation.
