Each year, staff at Health Quality Ontario read the Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) submitted by Ontario hospitals, primary care organizations, long-term care homes, and local health integration networks (which administer home care). We identified some stand-out examples from the 2017/18 QIPs showcasing what some organizations have done to address health equity in the populations they serve, and reached out to the people involved to find out more about their experiences.
We had the opportunity to talk to Glenn A. Robitaille, D.Min., M.Div., RP, MPCC, Director, Ethics and Spiritual Care, and Sean Bisschop, Director, Strategic Project Management at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health about the Spiritual Care Program they described in their 2017/18 QIP.
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health is the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network's only specialty mental health hospital, and has the province's only high-security forensic mental health programs for clients served by both the mental health and justice systems.
Can you tell us about the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Spiritual Care Program?
It is important to link spiritually and culturally safe and ethical care together. Spiritual care needs to be delivered in an evidence-based manner, and recognized as a full clinical variable in supporting the well-being of patients. We accomplish this with patients by assuring that the cultural and religious supports they require to promote health and well-being are available to them while in hospital. We do not attempt to provide faith-specific spiritual care, but provide the resources and advocacy required for patients to be able to practice according to their wishes and needs.
What types of inequities does your population face?
Many of the clients have had lack of access to culturally appropriate practices, resources, and services due to lack of reflective practice around issues of risk and safety and human rights. There is an ongoing tension in balancing our duty to care and the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety and Mental Health Acts with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What type of tools do you use to support your program?
Our Provincial Forensic Program has patients from the entire province, representing many diverse populations. A thorough assessment is critical to the program’s success. We use a two-part FICA tool (which includes Faith or belief, Importance of spirituality, individual’s spiritual Community, and interventions to Address/assess spiritual needs). We have customized this tool by adding categories that address human rights and have tailored the tool to the mental health population. This assessment helps to determine specifics of needs and avoid stereotyping.
A total of 98% of eligible new admissions are being screened and assessed, and pertinent information is included in the SBAR (Situation Background Assessment Recommendations) notations to share with providers. All assessments are tracked according to these categories in a data collection tool created for this purpose and reported through the Quality and Professional Practice goals and initiatives as part of cultural competence.
We also use the Ontario Perception of Care Tool for Mental Health and Addictions (OPOC-MHA), developed at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with support from Health Canada’s Drug Treatment Funding Program and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (contact OPOC.MHA@camh.ca). This evidence-based tool standardizes how organizations that provide substance use, mental health, and concurrent disorders services obtain client perception of care feedback. The tool has a section of sociodemographic questions that are asked for improvement purposes to ensure services are non-discriminating and tailored to the population.
Can you comment on your population health focus?
One of the populations identified to require a focused initiative has been First Nations/Metis/Inuit (FNMI) patients. Waypoint serves seven First Nations Communities in the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN and receives Inuit patients through a contract with Nunavut, as well as providing care for a diverse forensic Indigenous population from the entire province.
We have a Spiritual Care Team that is made up of five multi-faith chaplains and an Indigenous Healer who help clients connect and express themselves spiritually. They facilitate opportunities for people of all faiths to observe their important celebrations and provide respectful guidance, active listening, and spiritual support.
Waypoint has formalized relationships with the Indigenous communities in our agencies, along with the Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist communities, and we are working on gaining similar support from the Hindu and Sikh communities.
Future work focuses on the development of a research project with our Indigenous community partners examining cultural safety for FNMI individuals within our system.
This picture shows the Healer and
members of the Spiritual Care Team building a sweat lodge in the Spiritual
Courtyard of the Atrium Building, on the grounds of Waypoint Centre for Mental
Health Care.
You may also be interested in:
Quorum’s Indicators & Change Ideas page. Find more information about QIP indicators and related change ideas.