Safe Harbour House

Sometimes all any of us need is a Safe Harbour to rest in – a refuge of shelter and support. Safe Harbour House strives to offer just that, to people who are moving towards wellness.

Safe Harbour House provides 5 assisted living/crisis stabilization beds. It offers safe housing and psychosocial support to people experiencing a mental health or substance-use related crisis. The program has a recovery focus and referrals are triaged and managed by Island Health’s Community Outreach Response Team. Services are directed towards adults with serious and persistent mental health issues who may also have problems with substance use.

Often people experiencing this kind of crisis slip quickly into a need for hospitalisation, which may make their situations to deteriorate further. Safe Harbour provides an alternative to that path, giving space for recovery in a more home-like environment, with friendly staff and home cooked meals – small things that can make a world of difference.

In addition to providing alternatives to unnecessary hospitalisation, beds at Safe Harbour can also offer transitions to housing for Island Health clients after a stay in the hospital, as temporary respite, or to provide a safe place for monitoring and recovery. Stays at Safe Harbour are from overnight to 2 weeks – and sometimes longer – reflecting the program focus on bridging the gaps between health services.