RBC gifts hospital.
RBC partnered with St. Joseph’s Health Centre to help kids with mental illness by presenting a donation at the June 3 barbecue to help patients overcome language barriers. From left to right: Dr. Nhagi Ghabbour, medical director, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, St. Joseph's Health Centre; Jamie Amaral, patient care manager, Mental Health and Addiction Program, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, St. Joseph's Health Centre; Curtis Hitsman, regional vice president, Toronto West area office, RBC; Patrick Walsh, Board member, St. Joseph's Health Centre Foundation; and Alex Chicon, RBC Branch Manager, 179 Roncesvalles.
Courtesy photo
RBC is making it easier for families who have children suffering from mental illnesses to get the care and support they need at St. Joseph's Health Centre.
RBC presented the hospital with a cheque for $20,000 earlier this month to make it possible for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit to produce two booklets - one for patients and one for families - about the program and what to expect when a child is admitted for treatment. The booklets will be translated from English into the five top languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian and Chinese) spoken at St. Joseph's.
Dr. Jose Silveira, psychiatrist-in-chief and medial director of the Mental Health and Addiction Programs says having the booklets translated will ease the stress on families during a difficult time.
"It's overwhelming when a child is admitted to hospital and having a language barrier adds to that stress," he said in a statement. "RBC's donation to support these two booklets will help our families better understand the steps we are taking to help their children so we can move quickly to begin treatment."
The 'Information for Parents' and 'Information for Patients' booklets will be distributed in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, which is both an inpatient and outpatient service, which receives about 1,200 visits each year. The booklets will also be available in the emergency department and other outpatient clinics across the health centre.
"St. Joseph's relationship with RBC spans over three decades," says Maria Dyck, president of the St. Joseph's Health Centre Foundation, in a statement. "In our last campaign, RBC made it possible for us to greatly enhance and expand our mental health services. This latest gift helps us better communicate with our patients and their families. We are so fortunate to have such strong support right here in our community."