The Child, Youth and Reproductive Mental Health programs at BC Children’s Hospital are pleased to announce the launch of the Mental Health Act Video for Youth – Being Certified:  bcyouthmentalhealthact.ca

Through collaboration with experts in mental health at BC Children’s Hospital, other acute care sites in BC, Child Health BC, Simon Fraser University, and with input from patients and families with lived experience, this resource was developed for service providers certifying youth under the Mental Health Act, and youth who are certified.  

We know this can be a scary and chaotic time for youth and families so we wanted to find ways to help and support the process.  Having information about the 5 W’s (What, Why, When, Where, Who) can really help youth know what to expect and give them some hope.  The video encourages youth to talk to someone they trust about what they may be experiencing, and lets them know that their voice matters.  Service providers were also interested in finding ways to ensure youth being certified and admitted to the hospital involuntarily were hearing information about their rights from a third party source.  They wanted to be able to work with certified youth in more of a ‘team approach’ way, and have shared conversations about things that would happen during a youth’s hospital stay for mental health treatment.

The video explains the certification process and patient rights at a level that youth can understand.  It can also be good for parents and family members so they can support their youth in receiving mental health treatment for their illness.  It helps when everyone ‘speaks the same language,’ know more about the process, and youth have ways to make their voice heard!  

There are also useful resources that can be printed out on the website, such as a glossary of words, the criteria for certification, numbers to contact, and activities that may help while in hospital.  Information is presented in a hopeful, patient-centered manner, where youth are reminded to speak up and ask their nurse or doctor questions. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please email Angela Olsen at aolsen@cw.bc.ca.