Program Overview

The Adult Mental Health Emergency Psychiatry Program operates at the Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface General Hospital.  This service offers psychiatric consultations to Emergency Physicians and collaboratively with Psychiatric Emergency Nurses (PENs).

The service offeres a rich learning environment for many mental health providers.  Attending psychiatists are contracted to work weekdays in Emergency providing consultation as part of their overall contract with the Department.  They develop expertise in crisis intervention and management.  Medical students, Residents, Physician Assistants, and International Medical Graduates are often part of the team and learn how to assess and manage patients who are in crisis.

Complex cases involving mental and physical illness are prevalent, leading to frequent collaboration between the Emergenc and Psychiatry teams.  PENs, social workers and police are frequently involved, making the work interdisciplinary, as well as collaborative.  Patients on Mental Health Act form often present to the Emergency departments with police or RCMP, which adds a further layer of complexity to patient care.

The back door of psychiatric emergency opens onto many community and hospital resources in Winnipeg and decisions regardng which patient will benefit from which resources is part of every disposition.  Shoudl a patiet require hospital admission a regional bed manager is involved, facilitating admission to any of the 5 hospitals in the cty that have psychiatric beds.

Residents in psychiatry are involved in the Emergency departments on a rotational basis during the day as well as overnight.  This opens up opportunities to learn about systemic process, interdepartmental relationships and management skill.

For more inforamtion contact Dr. Laura Calhoun at 204-787-3621 or Dr. Lisa Karvelas at 204-237-2074