Updated on March 10, 2023

Hello participants in the ACT Website Development Engagement,

We are pleased to share the engagement report. We would like to express our appreciation for your time and participation in the engagement. Your input has informed the development of the website for the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Services across BC. The following website improvements have been made in light of the engagement's findings:

• The ACT-AP website has been structured to provide information to clients and families about ACT services with information that has been identified as most useful;
• Less content and more visual elements were incorporated on the website;
• The communications departments from multiple health authorities engaged in “plain language reviews” of the website to ensure easy readability;
• Most common questions have been added to the FAQs;
• “Team Specific” pages were added to the website to clearly identify information that participants ranked as most valuable;
• Increased Indigenous presence on the website, including imagery and information on how an Indigenous client might seek cultural relevant services;
• Increased accessibility, wherever possible, for English as a Second Language Users (ESL).

The website is available to the public, and the ACT-AP will continue to monitor participant feedback on the website and will provide mechanisms for feedback that will be checked on a regular basis.

A summary of this report is also shared here.

If you have any questions, please contact us at ce@vch.ca

Register for one of the two engagement sessions in ASL with Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing clients and families and staff on the provincial ACT website.

Engagement with Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing clients and families and staff on the provincial ACT website

What is ACT? ACT or Assertive Community Treatment is a provincial program that provides professional outreach services to clients living complex MHSU challenges.

Vancouver Coastal Health is developing a provincial website to help clients with mental health and substance use (MHSU) and their families easily access important information about ACT.

We want to get feedback from:

• Deaf, Deaf-Blind and hard of hearing clients, families /caregivers and staff of ACT services, awaiting ACT services and who have "graduated" from ACT services.
• Family/Caregivers of clients who are receiving Tertiary services (inpatient specialized services for clients with complex mental health and substance use).

Sessions in American Sign Language (ASL):

Register for two engagement sessions in ASL at engage.vch.ca/act

- March 23^rd, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

- March 25^th, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Honorarium: Participants will receive a $30 honorarium. If you have any questions, please contact us at ce@vch.ca

Thank you to everyone who has participated thus far; your feedback is greatly appreciated and will directly influence the website's design. We are currently recruiting for the ASL focus group interviews and will begin work on the report shortly.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Navigating information about mental health and substance use (MHSU) services is critical when you or someone you care for is in crisis. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is working to create a website that helps MSHU clients, their families and friends to quickly find important information about Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).

We’re looking for individuals who have experience with the MHSU environment, members of the public, and health care professionals to provide essential input into building a site that will meet the needs of clients and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND

The website will be part of an overall project to develop a Provincial Advanced Practice for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) – a MHSU service delivery model.

ACT is a community-based, patient-centered, service delivery model that includes a team of health care professionals in a range of disciplines. ACT facilitates community living, psychosocial rehabilitation, and recovery for individuals living with serious and persistent MHSU, challenges who haven’t benefited from traditional outpatient programs.

The ACT Team members work closely with the person along with the person’s family or other supports identified by the person, to create a plan to improve their quality of life and decrease time spent in hospital, and with emergency services.

This evidence-based model of care is consistent with the B.C. Ministry of Health’s goal of creating an integrated system of primary and community care to more effectively meet the needs of individuals with chronic conditions, including complex MHSU challenges.

WE WANT TO GET FEEDBACK FROM:

We want to hear from individuals across the province in a survey, a focus group, and individual interviews for the development of the ACT website. Ideally, you are:

• Family/caregivers of people currently receiving ACT services in all health authorities
• ACT or tertiary staff and Leadership in all health authorities
• People currently receiving services, awaiting services, or who have "graduated" from ACT services across the province
• Family/Caregivers of clients who have/are receiving tertiary services
• Community organizations and partners who have frequent interactions with ACT clients (e.g. housing/shelter providers, justice system, etc)
• Other health/medical staff who may have frequent interactions with ACT clients, (e.g. Emergency Dept. staff, Acute/Tertiary MHSU Staff, and mobile crisis teams/first responders)

If you’re interested in participating in a focus group or individual interview, please answer the survey below and complete the form. Those who express interest (staff included) will be entered into a raffle for an amazon echo, smart speaker, or kindle.

Honorarium: Client and Family Participants will receive a $30 honorarium. The engagement sessions are expected to be around 1.5 to two hours and will likely be held over Zoom.

HOW WILL YOUR INPUT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

We hope to develop a website that meets the needs of ACT clients, family, and staff. Ultimately, we aim to have an accessible, user-friendly website containing information which is comprehensive and relevant to our stakeholders.