Correctional Health Services (CHS)

A province-wide specialized program providing care for clients who are incarcerated in one of BC's 10 provincial correctional facilities. Provides health care services including medical and nursing care, primary care, mental health and substance use treatment support, basic emergency response services, opioid antagonist treatments and care, dentistry, and post-discharge supports. Works with BC Corrections as partners in client care. While the Correctional Health Services team provides care, correctional officers keep both staff and clients safe. Correctional Health Services provides care only to people in custody, who are referred by the courts. Community Transition Teams offer support services to improve health outcomes for individual with an opioid use disorder following release from British Columbia Corrections. Includes social workers, nurses, peer support workers, and Indigenous patient navigators, who provide short-term substance-use or mental-health treatment, medication-assisted treatment and motivational interviewing, and connect people to psychiatric, clinical, and social supports, among other services. To access the program, participants must be incarcerated in one of the provincial correctional facilities. There is a centralized hub team to provide specialized clinical support and program co-ordination to all 10 teams. CHS is part of the BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS) program under the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).