Two buildings are being reopened

 Transcribed article from:  Page A6 Friday, September 12, 2014 Tri-City News

More Health help planned for Riverview

Hiring fair on Saturday for a program to help men, women

By Diane Strandberg, The Tri-City News

Riverview Hospital may have closed two years ago but discussion on the future of the 244- acre site is ongoing, with many suggesting it become a refuge for people with mental health and addiction issues.
It apparently is already, with a program about to launch on the Riverview grounds for people recovering from both mental illness and addiction.
The executive director of non-profit Coast Mental Health confirmed this week that three years of funding has been granted by the Provincial Health Services Authority for a program for 40 men and women to run out of the Hillside and Brookside buildings on the site.
Tomorrow (Saturday), a job fair is being held on the Riverview grounds to seek out people for more than 40 positions, including mental health practitioners, cooks, housekeepers and leisure therapists.
Darrell Burnham said the referrals will come from the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, with Coast Mental Health providing up to a year or more of support through a variety of counselling and clinic al programs, including 24-hour nursing care.
Denise Bradshaw, program director with BC Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said the money comes from a $5-million fund announced by the Ministry of Health this year to deal with people who have both mental health and addiction issues.”The goal is to allow people to have a longer stay in treatment and recovery before moving back to home communities, “she said.
Whatever the goals, members of the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society are welcoming the news as a sign that the former provincial mental health hosp ital is still regarded as a place to support people with mental illness.
“It’s such a place for healing,” said Norma Gillespie, who noted society volunteers will be cleaning up the creek next to the Hillside and Brookside buildings to make the area welcoming for the new residents.
The group has long championed Riverview as a centre for mental health excellence and Gillespie said the establishment of a new program, albeit relatively short-term, is a good sign.
“We are thrilled,” she said.
Burnham said the reuse of the two buildings was considered because they didn’t need much work except for some safety upgrades and paint, and could be open quickly. As for the longer term use of Riverview, Burnham said that would be decided through BC Housing’s ongoing vision and review.
Coast Mental Health also operates a cottage program at Riverview for approximately 41 men and women.
dstrundberg@tricitynews.com

NIALL WILLIAMS PHOTO

The Hillside building is one of two on the Riverview Hospital site that will be used for a new program aimed at helping people with mental health and addiction issues.

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Here is more information for the job seekers who want to work for Coastal Mental Health on this project.
 There is actually more job fairs this Thursday and Saturday.   Good Luck !

In a side bar in the above article Diane Strandberg also mentions the Rally at Colony Farm, which has now happened, and you can find out more HERE
And secondly mention is also made of the Third Renewing Riverview open houses

The signs of something happening at Hillside and Brookside did not go unnoticed, I mentioned it before

September news and Treefest

The report from the second RenewingRiverview planning exercise open house is now available; get it HERE ( PDF)

The second open house was named the:  Creating goals open house
Lots of reading there too, read the background information

Well TREEFEST is just about here  Saturday September 13, 11am - 4pm

 after a lot of run-around from the bureaucrats; no you cannot have it there, or there, or there, they relented after pressure was applied, and guess what? the usual site at the HEY building was okayed. The HEY building will NOT be opened though.  And Charles Chan AKA "Charlie Chan" insists that we leave the site in better condition than when we started, which we always did anyway. More information can also be acquired from the City of Coquitlam's webpage about Treefest

       Have a look at the Treefest 2014 poster (in Google doc viewer),
                   or view it as a PDF  or a smaller version PDF


      Apparently the Hillside building is being repainted inside, and the outside shrubbery, and plantings have been removed, ( some of which I myself donated and planted, along with many others ), the Brookside building is also being cleaned up apparently, something to do with the huge overflow of the multiple issue patients at the Willingdon facility.
Not that long ago the folks from Willingdon were using Leeside and Brookside, but the contract run out, and they decamped back to Willingdon. Unknown when the photo op with the bureaucrats will be stating how they are increasing health care beds for people with issues.  But still good news to see the buildings being used for what they were designed for in the near future.  Sadly the taxpayer as usual foots the bill for all of this; the building were being used, then emptied of everything, then later refurnished and used for patient care again; then the cycle repeats itself, classic government waste.

      And a distressed person drove into the Centre Lawn building at high speed, and  both the driver and the building live on.  See a short video clip  ( YouTube )

As Riverview is now closed the care previously done at Riverview, is now non-existant or severely lacking, and has fallen onto Vancouver's shoulders.  "Crisis' of dealing with the mentally ill continues unabated for Vancouver police

January 2012

Shenanigans at the Forensic Institute:
A Coquitlam link to Alberta crime spree?

Martin Chambers & Clayton Duquette, these two characters decided to go and visit Alberta.
Additional information

The program using the Brookside and Leeside buildings is being shut down. Downtown Eastside, next stop?
Riverview pilot for homeless will shut down

Another of the numerous examples of a broken system:

        B.C. hospital unable to release homeless woman
                   No specialized care facility available, health authority says.
same case reported in the Globe and Mail;
Patient waits in limbo as 500th day in hospital nears.

In the past these patients would have been taken care of at Riverview hospital.