The purpose of community mental health centres (CMHC) is to promote positive mental health for all New Brunswickers. Community mental health centres provide access to a range of mental health services, including prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and support to residents of New Brunswick who have mental health problems.
CMHC programs target three client groups: children and adolescents, adults with short-term needs, and adults with long-term needs.
Community mental health services are available to all New Brunswickers either through a referral by a physician or other health professional. Anyone who is referred or who reports to a CMHC is entitled to an intake assessment.
Services are provided by an interdisciplinary team that includes:
Services include:
Intake Process: The intake process is designed to receive, assess, and refer clients who report to CMHCs. More specifically, it covers risk assessments (screening), needs identification, and referrals of persons with mental health issues (intake). During this process, the client’s needs for services are determined on a priority basis.
Requests for services must first go through the intake process before clients can access CMHC programs; this is to ensure that the client is referred to the CMHC program or community-based resource that is best suited to meet his or her needs.
Crisis Intervention: This service is designed for individuals with mental health problems who are experiencing a crisis. The objective is to get the situation quickly under control through professional assessment and intervention. Besides assessment and intervention, this service includes temporary housing options for clients who have to be removed from their surroundings.
Telephone hotlines are key elements in crisis intervention. The hotlines are free and provide bilingual services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Short-term Adult Program: This program is intended for adult clients with mental disorders or those in distress who need help in dealing with their situation and whose condition requires short-term intervention.
Child and Adolescent Program: This program provides mental health services to children and adolescents (from birth to eighteen years inclusive). Mental health services are designed to support the promotion, enhancement, and protection of mental health within the context of environmental factors; and the prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental health problems in relation to mental disorders, emotional disturbances or severe adjustment problems.
This program is important because it involves intervention with one of the most vulnerable groups in society. The program also provides screening and early intervention for children and adolescents at risk of developing more serious problems in adulthood. The program promotes the sharing of expertise through consultations with community resources that work with parents and guardians to ensure that they are equipped to provide an environment conducive to the optimal growth and development of their child or teenager.
Long-term Adult Program: This program is intended for adult clients suffering from or at risk of suffering from serious mental health problems and long-standing functional disorders. It aims to help people who require mental health services, treatment, and rehabilitation services, and who present a combination of factors related to diagnosis, duration of illness and level of disability.
Through a range of services, the program aims to reduce or eliminate the functional, interpersonal, and environmental barriers created by the client’s disabilities and to help them relearn how to live an independent and productive life in society.
Partners: Activity centres for mental health consumers are an important element to achieving positive mental health. Activities at these centres help to prevent social isolation and foster a sense of belonging. They also provide an opportunity for clients to take charge of their life. There are four activity centres in the Acadie-Bathurst region:
| Ideal Centre 1210 King Avenue Bathurst, New Brunswick Telephone: 506-548-6110 |
Le Contact Local 57 Place Caraquet Caraquet, New Brunswick Telephone: 506-727-3645 |
| L’Envol 170 10e Rue Shippagan, New Brunswick Telephone: 506-336-4566 |
L’Échange Académie Ste-Famille 399-104 Du Couvent Street Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick Telephone: 506-393-7460 |
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is also an essential component of mental health services. To reach the community worker in the region, dial 542-2604.
Various community committees are also in place.
CMHC programs and services provided by the ACADIE-BATHURST Health Authority can be accessed in four centres located in Bathurst, Caraquet, Shippagan, and Tracadie-Sheila. The centres are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
| Community Mental Health Centre | Community Mental Health Centre |
|
165 St. Andrew Street Bathurst, New Brunswick E2A 1C1 Telephone: 506-547-2110 Fax: 506-547-2978 |
295 St-Pierre Ouest Boulevard Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B7 Telephone: 506-726-2030 Fax: 506-726-2090 |
| Community Mental Health Centre | Community Mental Health Centre |
|
239A J. D. Gauthier Boulevard Shippagan, New Brunswick E8S 1N2 Telephone: 506-336-3367 Fax: 506-336-3366 |
3520 Principale Street Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick E1X 1C9 Telephone: 506-394-3760 Fax: 506-394-3770 |
Bathurst
Acadian Peninsula