Posted: January 27, 2016

From GRH mental health and addictions staff: how to support a loved one with a mental health need.

GRH staff members have marked Bell Let's Talk Day 2016 with suggestions on how to support loved ones experiencing a mental health need. Please take a look at the gallery above for the suggestions to help people of all ages, as well as comments for parents looking to support a child or youth with a mental health need.

Grand River Hospital is a regional leader in mental health care, with a wide range of programs covering all ages.Mental health accounts for more than 10 per cent of GRH’s annual operating budget, approximately 41,000 patient days of care and 115 inpatient beds.

Some of the hospital’s mental health care services include:

  • Safe and secure crisis care next to our emergency department to help people right in the midst of a mental health crisis;
  • Inpatient units for adults, children and adolescents at our KW Campus;
  • Specialized mental health at our Freeport Campus to support people with a serious and persistent mental illness;
  • Supports through the GRH Withdrawal Management Centre; and
  • A wide variety of supports and services for people living in the community both at GRH’s main campuses and satellite offices.

The hospital’s approach has been to instill hope and foster recovery as we advance exceptional care in mental health. Some of the ways we have reached out to the community include:

  • Annual events for the past three years to build understanding and reduce stigma related to mental care;
  • Community events such as the 2014 Clara Hughes Big Ride stop in Kitchener; and
  • On-going partnerships to support care in the community.