Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital - Programs and Departments

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HOMES FOR SPECIAL CARE
Homes for Special Care provide home-like living arrangements in a supervised setting for psychiatric clients of HPH and are licensed under the Ministry of Health. Clients living in these homes usually have a long history of mental illness and are unable to earn their own living. HPH staff are specifically assigned to work with Homes for Special Care and provide supportive services to clients living in these environments. The leadership management of the HSC program within our catchment region is the responsibility of our Social Work Department. HPH has access to 149 residential beds in Central South (previously referred to as Central West)-Brant (1 bed) Haldimand (10 beds), Hamilton-Wentworth (67 beds), Niagara (71 beds). Village Manor, an HSC home in Halton, is in the process of closing, and as a result, the HSC clients living there have been relocated. A number of HSC operators have applied to increase their bed capacity in light of the loss of the beds resulting from the closure of the Village Manor.

In 1996/97 the Homes for Special Care Program developed an activity Centre for clients of Hamilton-Wentworth HSCs to provide daily recreational/vocational activities for this population. The program secured space in the basement of St. Giles Church and now operates programs five days a week.

In early 1998, the Homes for Special Care Program developed a similar activity centre in St. Catharines to service 75 clients living in homes in the Niagara region. In collaboration with the local Optimists Club, space was secured and recreational and vocational activities are offered five days a week. Both activity centres continue to play a vital role in the lives of our clients, and are dynamic places that contribute positively to their quality of life. There is an increasing emphasis on developing work opportunities for clients, and we are actively providing some of these, while examining progressive ways of fulfilling this growing need.

COMMUNITY HOUSING COORDINATION SERVICES
This program offers a supported living environment for persons with psychiatric disabilities through the Homes for Special Care Program of the Ministry of Health. Through the intervention of multidisciplinary teams, opportunities are offered and created in the community to enhance functioning and quality of living.