News Archives - Homewood Ravensview

We're in This Together: Thoughts on COVID-19

By Alexis Winter - Director of Nursing at Homewood Ravensview

While there is a lot of negativity, fear mongering, and general panic being widely broadcast during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of positivity that has come out of it as well. While some people are hoarding goods and looking out only for themselves, others are lending a helping hand, sharing with their neighbours, and generally looking out for one another. Daily we are inundated with statistics of new cases and new deaths and it is easy to get overwhelmed and start to believe that everything is bleak; but sometimes focusing on the positives can change our outlook and help us feel better about our fellow humans. Focusing on problems and deficits and trying to find solutions can sometimes be counterproductive and hinder social constructivism (Cooperrider & Srivstva, 1987). For those of us that are problem solvers, trying to solve the unsolvable can be very detrimental for our mental health. What we pay attention to becomes our reality and grows in our consciousness, while what we pay less attention to becomes less powerful. In other words, focusing on strengths begets strengths (Bushe, 2011). So in this time of the unknown, it can help to honor those that are working hard to help one another. There are many examples of people stepping up in selfless ways to help those that are unable to do for themselves.

Thousands of people have come forward to volunteer to do things like pick up and deliver groceries to those that cannot leave their homes. Some grocery stores have changed their hours to ensure vulnerable members of society are able to get what they need during less crowded times. Grass roots Facebook and other social media groups have been set up to connect those that need help with those that are willing to give help and many people are offering their time, resources, and money. We have seen videos of musicians in Spain and Italy, as well as China, Lebanon, and Israel playing and singing from their balconies to give the gift of music to those stuck in their homes. Computer experts are remotely lending a helping hand to those that suddenly find themselves in need of a home office and don’t have the skill or expertise to set it up themselves.

Addiction workers, therapists, and physicians have set up remote access applications so they can still see their patients and clients without the fear of spreading the virus. Local distilleries have focused their energy and resources on creating hand sanitizer rather than producing their regular products and making them available to disenfranchised people and health care workers. Restaurants that have had to close their doors are offering free food to employees that no longer have an income. Radio stations have set up virtual sing-alongs and dance parties for those cooped up at home. NBA players have donated money to help arena workers who suddenly find themselves out of work. Large companies are donating money to support people in their communities that do not have the means to see them through a period of unemployment.

As the virus passes through China and on to other countries, Chinese officials are donating medical supplies and other goods to countries in need, while sharing their knowledge, expertise, and scientific discoveries with the world in an effortto help the rest of us prepare. Police officers continue to work in order to serve and protect. And closest to home for me, nurses, doctors, and medical support staff are taking a very big step forward as the rest of the world takes a step back in order to ensure people continue to get the care they need.

This global pandemic has caused a lot of stress for a lot of people. We feel stress in direct relation to our coping strategies and our belief about our ability to affect outcome (Lazarus, 1991). While a lot of what is going on is outside of our control and therefore, very stressful, some is within our control such as our attitude and our response. So as we are inundated with scary statistics and bad news, don’t forget that the world continues to be a place full of altruism and kindness. People continue to help each other and pull through a crisis together with an attitude of caring and cooperation.

References

Bushe, G.R. (2011). Appreciative Inquiry: Theory and Critique. In Boje, D., Burnes, B., & Hassard, J. (eds.) The Routldedge companion to organization change (pp. 87-103). Oxford, UK: Routledge.

Cooperrider, D., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. In Woodman, R.W. & Passmore, W.A. (eds). Research in Organizational Change and Development, Vol. 1 (129-169). Stamford, CT: JAI Press.

Lazarus, R.S. (1991). Emotion and adaption. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

March 25, 2020

Official Opening Ceremony for Homewood Ravensview

Last week was a big one for us here at Ravensview. Not only did we open our doors to our first clients on Monday, but we welcomed over 90 guests to Ravensview on Tuesday for our official grand opening ceremony.

I had the honor of hosting the ceremony with an exceptional group of speakers including former Governor General of Canada, the Right Honorable David Johnston as well as the Honorable Bob Rae, Regional BC Chief Terry Teegee, Shelagh Rogers, CBC Host and University of Victoria Chancellor, Chief Rebecca David of the Pauquachin First Nation and Jagoda Pike, President and CEO of Homewood Health.

The ceremony also included talks from former Homewood alumni, and local community representatives, Adam Olsen (MLA) and Geoff Orr (Mayor of North Saanich).

Situated in our third floor relaxation lounge, the vista that stretched before all of us was a stunning reminder of how connected we are to the land that Ravensview sits upon. Pauquachin elder Curtis Henry brought this to life telling the story of the great flood from thousands of years ago where our mountain was a place of refuge, as it continues to be today, with Homewood helping those in need.

Described by many of those that attended the ceremony as being “magical”, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Chief Rebecca presented Jagoda Pike with a hand carved canoe, a symbol from the story of the mountain and representing our four years of partnership and collaboration.

As we begin this great new chapter, I’m thankful for all the truly amazing people we have working at Ravensview. I’ve been doing this a long time and the 50 staff we have onsite here are dedicated, passionate and not to mention, the absolute best in their fields. I can’t tell you the number of clients that have already commented on how welcome they feel as well as well taken care of – from our chef to our therapists.

After two solid years bringing Ravensview to life, last week was full of the reasons why we’ve been working so hard – seeing clients ready to get better, the relief from family members knowing we’re here to help and being able to explain to people why what we do is so different from anywhere else.

Robert de Clark

General Manager, Homewood Ravensview

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Re-introducing Homewood Ravensview

Re-Introducing Homewood Ravensview

We are pleased to announce the opening of Homewood Ravensview on May 22, 2019. Ravensview will bring Western Canada its newest, private inpatient treatment facility for adults, including young adults (19+) who need immediate support for mental health and addictive behaviours (including substance use disorders and/or ‘behavioural addictions,’ like gambling addiction, gaming addiction, and sex addiction, etc.). In fact, it’s the first and only private inpatient mental health facility in Western Canada. The site on Vancouver Island, the specialized programming, and the unparalleled expertise of Ravensview’s caring staff creates an innovative therapy and healing experience for those seeking help.

Homewood Ravensview sits within the territory of the WSÁNEĆ people, atop a mountain known as ȽÁU,WELNEW or ‘place of refuge’. It’s wrapped in the beauty and serenity of the forest, with vistas that look out to the ocean. It’s a sacred place. Saanich elders tell the story of their ancestors, who sought refuge on top of the mountain, during a great flood. They tied their canoes to a tree at the mountaintop, to escape the flood. After being stranded for many days, they saw a raven that carried a twig. The people recognized this as a symbol of hope: it showed that the flood had ended. Emerging from their sanctuary, the people gave thanks to the mountain for helping them survive and providing them with a new beginning. Ravensview honours this WSÁNEĆ history, and it forms the inspiration for everything we are doing at the facility to help people in need.

With Ravensview, Homewood has taken its 135 years of clinical experience with proven therapy programs and innovative treatment practices along with therapeutically designed physical spaces and integrated structures to create a unique treatment experience. Clients in recovery live at Ravensview as part of the healing community for periods of six to eight weeks. With all of our programs, family members and significant others are included as part of the treatment process to help bridge understanding and ensure recovery supports are in place during and after a stay. We provide family education workshops as well, and communicate with the client’s family (if the client wishes) to support a complete and lasting recovery.

The treatment programs at Ravensview have been developed in a novel format. Each client is assigned into a specific group based on demographic and lifestyle factors. There are four core streams of programming within Ravensview.

The Cornerstone Program helps adults over the age of 26 with a wide range of mental health and addiction disorders. Treatment is customized for each person’s unique needs, and the specific problems they want to address. The program is built on proven care philosophies, and evidence-based psychotherapy models, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Recovery focusses on both physical and emotional health – a wholistic approach to each client.
The Guardians Program focusses specifically on the needs of first responders, people serving in the military, and veterans of these groups. It recognizes that the experiences these individuals have had in their roles, and the exposure to traumatic situations they have often faced, creates unique challenges that require specifically designed, evidence-based treatment to facilitate the recovery process.
The My Path Program for young adults (aged 19-26) sets a course to help each client understand how their issues are affecting their lives, how they are not alone in their experiences. The program uses evidence-based practices to help each client develop the skills and tools they need to continue to maintain psychological health, as they move through adulthood. Treatment for anxiety and mental health disorders is complemented with work that helps with issues of identity, life direction, and healthy social relationships.
The Vanguard Program is designed for professionally-accomplished people who are facing specific challenges. Executives, professionals and entrepreneurs from both the private and public sector have many social and personal expectations and pressures that are unique and specific (including professional stress, burnout, and juggling the responsibilities of professional decision-making), which affect their ability to function over time. The program helps them address their challenges and issues that may be affecting their performance.

A day at Ravensview

At Ravensview, each client is recognized as an individual person, who has specific life goals and goals for treatment. Each client’s therapy program is customized for their specific treatment needs, with individual and group therapy sessions in the morning and afternoon. Care teams are always close at hand. Clients also participate in innovative programs including: expressive art therapy, music therapy, and horticultural therapy – which support their personal, social, emotional and physical well-being. The facilities are modern, spacious and relaxing. There are delicious meals to enjoy, and time for socializing with others, as part of the community. There are also many opportunities to explore and become immersed in the healing offered through the facility’s natural surroundings, through access to the extensive trails on Ravensview’s grounds, and the opportunity to participate in innovative recreational therapy offerings. Numerous studies have shown that the sensory experience of “taking in the forest…even a small amount time…can have an impact on our health” (Dr. Quin Li, 2018, TIME).

Why does a stay at Ravensview work so well?

Changes and recovery take dedicated time, focus and commitment. The intensive experience is a chance to step outside of the day-to-day obligations and live differently. Programs leverage proven techniques and provide clients the tools they will use throughout their recovery process. We also involve family members and significant others so they can understand how to best continue to support what’s been developed here after someone returns home.

How does someone come to Ravensview for treatment?

We are a new private treatment facility, we don’t currently have a waitlist. A doctor’s referral isn’t needed to attend a program. If you think that a stay with us could help, contact us to learn more.

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Building a Nursing Team

As Director of Nursing at Homewood Ravensview, I have the unique opportunity to build my nursing team from the ground up. I am lucky to be able to form a team around the vision and values of a health care company with over 135 years of experience in the field of mental health and addictions. My leadership philosophy is built on the foundations of servant leadership and appreciative inquiry. As a servant leader, I strongly believe that my role as nurse leader is to serve and support the people I supervise. Our nursing team will only be strong if they have everything they need for success and it is my job to ensure those tools are provided. Additionally, as an appreciative inquiry practitioner, I subscribe to the belief that everyone has strengths and abilities that can be nurtured to grow. Additionally, I subscribe to the belief that ‘words create worlds’. As such, I am careful to use positive language and work to find the good in every situation. Highly effective teams use six times more positive language than negative.

Before coming to Homewood Ravensview, I managed an Assertive Community Treatment Team. My clientele were the most disenfranchised patients in the Victoria area. Most had severe addictions, severe and persistent mental health issues, homelessness and criminality. Although my team worked diligently to help this patient population, there were many barriers to success and hope was often low. That’s one of the reasons I am enthusiastically working with Homewood Ravensview. I look forward to seeing the other side of recovery and working with patients who are eagerly pursuing self-betterment.

I am excited to work with an excellent team of leaders, Robert De Clark, GM; Lyn MacBeath, Medical Director; and Michael Berry, Clinical Director. We look forward to opening our doors to welcome our first cohort of patients in late May. We will be working with a variety of patients with substance use issues, trauma, process addictions, anxiety, and depression, as well as many other co-morbid mental health conditions. We will grow and learn along with our patients with the excellent support of the Homewood family.

Alexis Winter, BA, RPN, MPN (c)

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Opening Homewood Ravensview

There are many exciting aspects involved in opening Homewood Ravensview. I spent the first 20 years of my career working in British Columbia in the inpatient addiction field and for the last year, I’ve reflected both personally and professionally on what I believe to be its successes and failures. This reflection has been crucial in the design of the treatment programs and client experience at Homewood Ravensview. For many years, I was lucky to be able to help many clients and their families become firmly entrenched in the recovery process. For these experiences I will always be grateful. However, as my taking the time to honour these experiences is important, it has also been important for me to reflect on client populations that could be better served.

From my experience, I will say that those who did not pick up on recovery the most were those with trauma in their background. The most exciting aspects of Homewood Ravensview for me are the ability to lean on Homewood Health’s vast experience treating trauma and concurrent disorders, as well as the opportunity to deliver of these treatment services in Western Canada. We offer private, highly effective treatments which are tailored to the unique needs of clients suffering with trauma and concurrent disorders. Treatment includes specialty programs, carefully designed by medical experts and all provided in a gorgeous, peaceful setting.

At Homewood Ravensview we organize treatment in a patient specific manner. The combination of treating addiction and mental health while developing demographic specific programming and working with the amazing Homewood Health team has made this last year the most engaging of my career. We offer specialized inpatient programs for adults, first responders, military, veterans, professionals and young adults. Each program is unique and has been meticulously crafted to serve each of these populations. These evidence-based, medically-led programs are some of the aspects that truly make Ravensview different and I’m very excited to bring them to Western Canada.

The Cornerstore Program for adults is for clients over the age of 26. It is our core program, based on the best available treatment evidence as well as Homewood Health’s 135 years of clinical excellence.
The Guardians Program is designed for first responders, military and veterans. We recognize that these individuals have specific needs which may include treatment for exposure to trauma, addiction challenges, depression and/or anxiety. The program aims to lay the foundation for lasting recovery.
The My Path Program is aimed at younger adults aged 19 years to their mid-twenties. Often these clients deal with issues including transition to adulthood, self-esteem, identity, sexuality and social dynamics. The program takes these challenges as well as anxiety and overall mental health challenges into account, while providing individualized and expert care.
The Vanguard Program is intended for the unique needs of executives and professionals. Research has shown that these clients face a number of burdens including bearing responsibility for employees and direct reports, the pressure of being in a high-impact, decision-making position and the expectation of long, arduous work schedules. We offer individualized treatment for each client in order to deliver the very highest level of care.

In treating any psychiatric condition, including addiction, there are two unarguable factors that lead to higher success rates: a therapeutic rapport with the clinical team and feelings of trust and safety. Our ability to bring people of similar demographic backgrounds together for their “heavier processing” time will allow clients to feel safe in their treatment community and therefore share in a more therapeutically significant fashion. Our experienced staff understands the importance of therapeutic rapport and we believe we have developed a dynamic treatment process that will serve our clients well. Homewood Ravensview is a unique and world-class treatment facility that I’m very excited to be a part of. Please reach out to us if you or someone you care about needs help. We are here for you.

Robert de Clark

General Manager, Homewood Ravensview

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Introducing Homewood Ravensview

Hello and welcome to the first of many blog posts from those of us at Homewood Ravensview.

First, let me introduce myself – I’m Dr. Michael Berry, the Clinical Director at Ravensview. In this role, I develop and implement Ravensview’s clinical programming, and supervise the work of Ravensview’s many mental health professionals including: psychologists, social workers, addictions counsellors, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, and creative therapy specialists with expertise in art therapy, music therapy and even poetry therapy. I also provide leadership and support to make sure that we deliver the highest possible standard of evidence-based care to our patients.

It is a privilege to be a psychologist. Every day, I get to know people authentically, hear their stories, and help them as they work through some of life’s biggest challenges. At Ravensview, I am part of an amazing team—made up of psychiatrists and other medical doctors, social workers, trauma therapists and addictions counsellors, and many more.

It is also a privilege to work with a superb, in-house leadership team. Along with myself, the leadership team at Ravensview includes:

Rob DeClark, our General Manager. Mr. DeClark is an expert in the treatment of addiction and mental health, and has led the development of our culture of care at Ravensview. He is the exceptional individual who was first recruited to help build the foundation for Ravensview and our team.
Lyn MacBeath, our Medical Director. Dr. MacBeath is a highly experienced psychiatrist with specialization in addiction medicine. Dr. MacBeath leads our medical services, and supervises the work of our team of specialist medical doctors. She is also one of the kindest and most down-to-earth care providers I have known—truly dedicated to patient care.
Alexis Winter, our Director of Nursing. Alexis is a skilled, dynamic Registered Psychiatric Nurse, with a wealth of experience in the field of mental health and addictions. Equally motivated by patient care, she leads our hands-on nursing team, which will provide on-site care 24-hours a day, 365 days per year.

I believe every member of our team would say the same thing: it’s easy to come to work every day, knowing we’ll have the chance to do some good and help people. Also, it doesn’t hurt that our facility is sits atop a beautiful mountain on Vancouver Island, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

When we open our doors later in 2019, we will welcome people from all walks of life, who are in need of care for a wide range of mental health problems and addictions. We will provide care for:

people who struggle with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, including first responders and military service members
people who struggle with the most difficult levels of addiction and require medically-supervised detox
executives and professionals who struggle from burnout, addiction, or other mental health concerns
young adults wrestling with addiction or mental health problems, and who may be struggling to ‘find their way’ in adult life
adults who have depression or severe anxiety

Essentially, our doors will be open to those who struggle with mental distress and addictions. We consider it our privilege to serve individuals and communities in need of care and support.

As my colleagues and I prepare to welcome our first guests, we are just beginning this new chapter of Homewood Ravensview and our story of providing help to individuals challenged by mental health and addiction issues. We hope that if you or someone you care about is in need of help, you will consider making Ravensview a part of your story too. We’re here to help.

Dr. Michael Berry

Clinical Director, Homewood Ravensview

Stay tuned for our next blog post with more information about Ravensview and an update from our general manger, Rob DeClark.

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