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Long-Term Mental Health Services
Centracare
414 Bay Street
Saint John, NB
E2M 7L4
Tel: (506) 649-2550
In February, 1998, the 100 staff and 48 patients remaining in the 150 year old landmark
overlooking the Reversing Falls moved to the modern newly constructed tertiary facility
at the Ridgewood site in South Bay. Centracare is a $4.8 million, 50 bed facility
providing an integral part of an institutional-community continuum of mental health care
services.
Patient privacy and comfort is emphasized with large and mostly private rooms. Natural
light is maximized with skylights and windows. Courtyards are accessible from the patient
units and recreation areas. Other features include a chapel, meeting room, quiet room,
library, family lounge, and physician and staff offices.
Long-term Mental Health Services consist of:
Outreach Program
Purpose: To provide support to individuals who requires long-term care
and their care providers. To provide a consultation service for
assessment/treatment recommendations for individuals.
Behavioural Treatment Unit
This 18-bed Behavioural Unit focuses on programs for individuals who demonstrate
a high level of risk to self and /or others and who have needs for care that
exceed what is currently available in the community. An interdisciplinary team
assesses individuals and develops/evaluates individualized programs to manage
behaviours and address skill deficits. Currently the population served is
primarily individuals with Developmental Delay often with concurrent mental
illness and Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
Sustained Care Unit
The Sustained Care Unit is a 16-bed unit that provides care
primarily to an aging population with mental illnesses who demonstrate high
levels of challenging behaviours and care needs. The interdisciplinary team
(psychiatry, general medicine, psychology, speech language pathology, nursing,
recreation, occupational therapy, social work, dietetics and physiotherapy)
provides individualized care that optimizes the level of functioning, maintains
the existing skills, and contributes to quality of life.
Rehabilitation Unit
The Rehabilitation unit at Centracare is a 16 bed open unit, which provides
short-term (up to 18 months) psychosocial rehabilitation based intervention on
an inpatient basis. An interdisciplinary team of professionals services the unit
including: psychiatry, general medicine, psychology, speech language pathology,
nursing, recreation, occupational therapy, social work, dietetics and
physiotherapy. These professionals work together as a team to provide client
centered intervention that focuses on assisting the individual clients to reach
an optimal level of functioning and successfully reintegrate into the community.
Intervention programs may be discipline specific or may be provided through an
interdisciplinary approach. Clients receive both individual and group
interventions.
Vocational Training Program
Manager - Brian Bonner
Tel: 649-2759
Email: Bonbr@reg2.health.nb.ca
Currently we offer five vocational programs, the main program being the woodworking shop,
while staining and varnishing of finished products, recycling paper, and the store front
operation to sell the finished products are also offered. A fifth program is the Hospital
Industries Program (HIP) for patients unable to leave the unit on a regular basis. H. I. P.
offers a wage stipend by assisting unit staff with on-unit jobs. Vocational training is
staffed by a Vocational Training Manager and four health care attendants. This service is
accessed by referral through the Community Mental Health Service - Saint John.
The Vocational Training Program operates: Shop Two Eleven - Monday to Friday from
8:00am to 4:00 pm. The storefront operation is located at 21 Lower Cove Loop, Saint John, NB
 
Occupational Therapy Services
Long term care occupational therapy services are presently based at Centracare. All clients admitted
to any part of the long-term care program at Centracare are screened to determine their suitability
for and interest in occupational therapy services. If appropriate clients begin the occupational
therapy process of – assessment, goal setting, intervention planning, intervention, re-assessment,
and discharge. Occupational Therapy services may occur over a short period of time or may continue
throughout and following the duration of a client’s admission to Centracare.
The focus of occupational therapy services in the long term care mental health program is skill
development and access to supports which will enhance the clients ability to live and enjoy life
in the community. Although the focus of occupational therapy is habilitation and rehabilitation,
occupational therapy programs are also provided to clients in the psycho-geriatric (sustained care)
program at Centracare. The focus of this program is the maintenance of existing skills as well
as the development of compensatory strategies to maintain independence, safety, and a satisfying
quality of life.
To ensure the needs of the long term mental health clients are met, the occupational therapy department
has developed programs which are offered on a regular and ongoing basis to clients living at Centracare.
These programs address areas, which are typically difficult for mental health clients. One of the
programs (Individual Programs) also allows for very specific, individualized treatment plans to be
created to address individual clients whose needs are unique or do not fall in the realm of the other
programs. The programs are adapted regularly to meet the functional levels of the clients being served.
Present programs being offered through the occupational therapy department are:
- Social Skills program Coping
- Skills program
- Structured Daily Living Skills program
- Productivity program
- Eating Skills program
- Relaxation program
- Individual program
Occupational Therapy Services also provides assistance with The Card Cupboard.
This is a Mental Health Consumer Business inititative offering handmade cards, invitation, gift tags and more.
Recreation Therapy Services
Recreation Therapy at Centracare has adopted the philosophy of the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association.
“We recognize leisure, recreation and play as integral components of quality of life…Interventions are
directed toward treatment, leisure education and participation opportunities. These interventions support
the goal of assisting the individual to maximize independence in leisure, optimal health and the highest
possible quality of life.”
We currently employ 3 full time staff:
- Recreation Therapist
- Human Service Counselors
A blanket referral system is in place for all new admissions. Each patient
has an assessment completed which may include:
- Chart review
- Initial interview
- Contact family (if applicable)
- Standardized and non-standardized testing
- Documentation of results
- Developing and individualized TX plan
Then, the TX-Oriented Programming (Peterson & Geun, 1984) may include one or more of the following:
- TREATMENT
- Physical activity
- Stimulation
- LEISURE EDUCATION
- Leisure skills development
- Community integration
- Leisure counseling
- RECREATION PARTICIPATION
- Diversion and daily structure for maintenance
- Social 5 (Dances, Pubs, Bingos, Movies, etc.)
We also provide outreach and transitional follow-up for clients living in the community.
For more information please contact Patti Darling at darpa@reg2.health.nb.ca
or call (506) 649-2617
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