Divestment of Beds and Related Ambulatory Services to Other Communities While Maintaining a Patient- and Family-Centred Approach.

Individuals living with serious mental illness who require acute and/or tertiary mental healthcare services represent one of the most complex patient groups in the healthcare service delivery system. Provincial mental health policy has been committed to providing services closer to home and in the community rather than an institution wherever possible for some time. This paper articulates the strategies used by one organization to ensure the successful transfer of beds and related ambulatory services to four separate communities. In addition a case study is also provided to describe in more detail the complex changes that took place in order to accomplish the divestments of beds and related ambulatory services to one of the partner hospitals.