New View Society - New Building

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The new building is very close to completion with only a few minor finishing touches to be made. We are in the process of raising funds to carpet the basement so that the rest of New View Society employees can move into the building. The main floor Clubhouse has already begun it’s programming and the industrial kitchen is already being used. The top floor (Iris House) which has housing for 10 individuals is also completed. We are expecting our new tenants to move in on the 25th July.

Our new Wellness Centre provides community services to support individuals, families and businesses impacted by mental illness, as well semi-independent housing for 10 individuals. The site of the new building is 2050 Mary Hill Road, Port Coquitlam, BC.

Building Update Link

Vision

There is an urgent need in the TriCities for an accessible centre that focuses on sustainable mental health, educating families, individuals and businesses on how to strengthen the factors that increase well-being.

The New View Centre will serve as a hub or resource centre for the TriCities for a variety of clients and needs, including public education on the issues of mental health.

Potential clients to be served by such a wellness centre include: homeless and at-risk of homeless individuals; those with a mental illness and/or addiction (including employed adults whose work is impacted by their mental health); those who are living with bereavement or social isolation; local employers; community groups and agencies; families impacted by mental illness; youth with mental health issues who are transitioning into adulthood and seniors who are going through major changes or dislocation.

Such a centre would provide services which contribute to the reduction of poverty and homelessness in the TriCities, as well as reducing the demand on acute care health facilities.

Services provided by this centre will include: counseling and monitoring, housing and employment supports, vocational and recreational services, a library and resources to assist with growth and recovery, outreach services to schools and social service agencies; facilities for use by the general population, including employers who want to create healthy workplaces.

Specifically With Respect to Mental Health

The proposed Centre will provide services that contribute to the reduction of poverty and homelessness in the TriCities, as well as reduce the demand on acute health care facilities.

The demand for in-community support is expanding beyond the current capacity of New View Society. Without funding for the proposed Centre, we will be unable to meet the growing need for an accessible centre or hub that services a wide variety of client groups including individuals, families and businesses to strengthen their mental health and to ensure their continuing participation in community life.

There is an urgent need to ensure that fewer adults with mental illness join the growing number of homeless individuals in the TriCities. It is essential that we provide effective in-community support to individuals with mental health challenges. It costs approximately $200,000 per year to keep a patient with mental illness in the hospital, whereas it costs about $34,000 a year to support that same individual with mental illness in the community. Community living is not only healthier, but it provides a five-fold economic savings.

The conceptual design provides a generous space for our vision, including a hub for community wellness. We have the opportunity to be more inclusive, therefore the goal is to use our existing brand (36 years of services) to launch the next stages of young adult involvement and innovative community inclusion.

The needs of younger people with mental illness are different from those who have been ill for the past 20 - 30 years, and are an under-served group in the Tri-Cities. They tend to be more involved in employment and education, and therefore services need to fit around their schedules: this includes evening and weekend activities, online planning, and community centred events.

Peer support is central to the transformation to a recovery-based culture. Peers can transform both the individuals they are helping and those around them. It will be important for survivor/consumers to take the lead because they have the greatest commitment to real change.

Concurrently, the community needs a centre that focuses on educating families, individuals and businesses on living well, and how to strengthen the factors that increase mental well-being. The New View Society, with a new and distinct building, will be uniquely positioned to provide services to the community in this field and thereby blur the boundaries between average individuals with ordinary struggles and average individuals with extraordinary struggles.

The comprehensive services are aimed at: