CANADA, June 3 - New care beds at Alouette Homes will soon support more people requiring long-term involuntary care with a safe, home-like setting and specialized care that meets their unique needs.
“Alouette Homes will provide people who have severe mental-health challenges, often coupled with substance-use challenges and brain injuries, with housing that is safe and dignified, while they receive care,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “We want to ensure people are getting the right care, especially when they are unable to make that decision for themselves. These beds are a vital part of government’s work to build a continuum of care that works for everyone.”
Alouette Homes is a designated mental-health facility with 18 new involuntary care beds designed to support people who meet the criteria under the Mental Health Act. These are people who have severe and persistent mental-health disorders, often combined with other challenges, such as addictions and brain injuries, which may impact their behaviour and ability to interact safely with others.
“As a former police officer, I’ve seen first-hand the impacts on individuals and communities when people with complex mental-health and substance-use disorders don’t get the treatment they need,” said Terry Yung, Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services. “These new beds are about improving public safety by providing the right support at the right time because when people get the help they need, our communities are safer for everyone.”
The homes are in Maple Ridge outside the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region; however, they will be operated in partnership with VCH and Connective Support Society. The initial six clients will be transferred to the homes in early June 2025 from VCH.
“Alouette Homes is a first-of-its-kind service in B.C. that will provide patients with individualized care, psychosocial supports and housing in a home-like environment while being involuntary treated under the Mental Health Act,” said Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.’s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders. “Before these homes, there was no housing alternative for them, due to the extreme complexity of their mental and substance-use disorders, so they were stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately.”
The homes are adjacent to the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women. However, Alouette Homes is not for people in the correctional system. Referrals from outside VCH will be considered by way of Central Access Discharge for those already in long-term psychiatric care.
“Vancouver Coastal Health is pleased to provide the necessary care and a suitable home for people experiencing persistent and severe mental-health disorders with long-term supported housing that is safe, secure and dignified,” said Bonnie Wilson, vice-president, Vancouver Community of Care, VCH.
In addition to the beds at Alouette Homes, involuntary care beds opened at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre in April 2025 for individuals who are within the correctional system. Work continues to build or modernize more mental-health beds at new and expanded hospitals in B.C., all of which could provide involuntary care under the Mental Health Act.
The creation of new designated mental-health services under the act is a key recommendation from Vigo. Vigo was appointed B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders in June 2024.
This is one part of the government’s work to improve access to mental-health and substance-use care, which includes a focus on expanding voluntary supports and services that work for everyone. The Province continues to add and expand care, including early intervention and prevention, treatment and recovery services, supportive and complex-care housing, overdose prevention services and more.
Quotes:
Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for mental health and addictions –
“All people deserve access to the right care and a safe and dignified place to live. Alouette Homes will help people with complex mental-health disorders receive long-term care that fits their unique needs in a home-like environment.”
Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows –
“When people are struggling with mental-health challenges, they may not be able to seek help for themselves. Alouette Homes will help people get the right care in a safe space. This work is about ensuring no one is left behind and keeping people, families and communities safe.”
Liz Vick Sandha, chief operating officer, Connective Support Society –
“We are enthusiastic to co-create a new model of care, together with our partners at VCH, that will provide residents with a stable home with enhanced support to promote recovery, resilience and meaningful engagement in life. We are confident that our decades of experience filling gaps in service delivery to people with complex needs will allow us to bring an innovative and person-centred approach to this important new program.”
Learn More:
To learn how government is working to keep people and communities safe, visit:
https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/
Learn about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C.:
https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/
A backgrounder follows.
