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In crisis? Contact North Shore Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT). Call: 1 (888) 261-7228 or Text: (778) 839-1831

Placements into supportive housing

Placements into CMHA Supportive Housing are made by Community Psychiatric Services at the HOpe Centre in consultation with CMHA NWV and are part of the overall mental health strategy of the Health Authority for the North Shore. Inquiries into supportive housing should be directed to the HOpe Centre.

Recovery looks different for each individual

With the support and direction of the clinical team of Vancouver Coastal Health, CMHA NWV staff help residents focus on their recovery goals. Some residents suffer with significant physical ailments that impact their mobility, while others benefit from being able to engage in regular physical exercise through North Vancouver’s recreation system. While some residents are stabilized on their medications and symptoms of their mental illness are well managed, others struggle with achieving mental well-being. Staff support residents wherever they are in their recovery journey.

Circle of Care Housing Program

Circle of Care is an innovative model of supportive housing that incorporates a holistic view of health and wellness. The program not only offers housing to marginalized populations experiencing hardships but also a circle of care support for residents that helps maintain and improve their overall well-being. This includes access to mental, physical, and spiritual health care as well as the opportunity to develop meaningful community connections.

The Circle of Care program aims to provide a stable and secure home for residents to be themselves and be accepted for who they are, receive opportunities to improve their well-being and have support available when they need it. It aims to look beyond their immediate survival needs and start to work on both short and long-term goals.

16 individuals are housed across three homes, two homes for single men and one home for women and sometimes couples too.

Program goals
  • Provide individuals with mental health conditions and those who have experienced challenges with addictions in the past with stable and secure housing that builds community
  • Engage community partners in action around housing, encouraging relationship building and mutual understanding
  • Demonstrate a housing solution built on compassion and centered on the individual that successfully houses marginalized people, offers holistic services, and allows individuals to thrive
Program origins

The program resulted from a need to address the housing crisis on the North Shore. Decent, stable, and affordable housing is one of the most important factors affecting mental health. Inadequate housing—too expensive, run-down, or over-crowded—can lead to poor overall health and can make recovery from mental health and substance use conditions much more difficult. Housing is not just about a house—it is part of a path to security, security, connectedness, acceptance, and belonging.

How Circle of Care works

CMHA NWV identifies residents through our Homeless Outreach Program, and we accept referrals from community organizations who believe they have clients that would fit our eligibility criteria. Residents live in one of three homes cooperatively and independently but with plenty of support. An outreach worker from CMHA helps create cohesion, and community connection and maintains the home while building residents’ life skills.

Vancouver Coastal Health’s Health Connections Clinic also provides primary care support for residents who are connected to the clinic.

Community partners

The Circle of Care program works with various North Shore community partners. These include Vancouver Coastal Health’s Health Connections Clinic, North Shore Alliance Church, and Capilano Christian Community.