CASA Mental Health is a big step closer to helping more kids and their families get access to critical mental health care where they need it, when they need it.
As part of our five-year strategic roadmap, CASA is expanding its CASA House and adolescent day treatment programs across Alberta and co-locating them in new facilities. This allows for a seamless continuum of care, where patients can transition to and from the two programs without disruption.
The expansion is happening in two stages. Facilities will be built in Fort McMurray and Calgary, and are planned to open in 2027, while a new building in Medicine Hat and an updated facility in Edmonton are slated to open in 2029.
Paula Colvin, director of the program management office and expansion project sponsor, says it has been very grounding working with team members who all share the same mission to bring timely and accessible mental health services to more kids and families across Alberta.
“It’s been incredible to be in a room full of construction professionals who are sharing their own stories with their connection to mental health, their own families, their own selves,” says Paula. “It’s just really been extremely inspiring, and everyone’s very driven to get services into these communities.”
Stage one of the project is currently at the validation phase, awaiting board approval in the spring.
Once approved, Paula anticipates construction will begin for the Fort McMurray facility later this year, with Calgary closely following.
“The piece of land in Fort McMurray is partially being gifted to us by a donor. Although we have to pay for a little bit because we needed a little extra room because of the size requirements, they’re gifting us more than half of it.”
Several engagement sessions have been conducted for the project with key community partners, or what the team calls “careholders.”
“We’ve invited careholders, not just CASA staff, but also patients and families, to come and talk about what it’s like to receive treatment in these buildings, what it’s like to navigate during crisis in these buildings, whether you’re a staff or a patient or a family member, etc.” says Paula. “The amount of engagement we’ve done has now helped us define what these buildings can become.”
The group has also met and had conversations with communities and their local service providers, with some city councillors offering help with development permits.
“We’re very ingrained in the communities,” says Paula. “Everyone is very excited that we’re coming. It’s starting to feel very real.”
To build these new facilities, CASA is using an integrated project delivery (IPD) approach. IPD is a lean construction method which joins the key parties in the build – from the owner and general contractor to the architect, key trades and engineers in mechanical, structural and electrical disciplines – to design and build the project to a pre-approved budget, and on time. The IPD process creates more collaboration and communication throughout the project, decreasing waste and increasing efficiency.
CASA’s values are at the forefront of everything we do as an organization, and the new facilities are being designed and built with our values firmly in mind.
“Much like CASA is a values-driven organization, the IPD methodology is that the whole construction project is driven by and every decision we make is based on the values of the project,” says Paula.
There are two levels of values – one set of values for project decision-making and one for how the construction team works together.
“Schedule is number one, because you’ve often heard CEO Bonnie Blakley say, ‘we’ve got to get to kids who are not getting care as soon as possible,’” says Paula.
Overarching to the entire project are CASA’s values, and the safety of all staff, patients and community partners is paramount. However, as a non-profit, CASA also needs to be responsible and accountable for funder and donor dollars, so making decisions that align with the project budget is also key. Other important considerations include the quality of clinical care, trauma-informed design and offering an inclusive environment.
“Our construction team has its values too that we agree to work by, which are trust, psychological safety, collaboration, respect and outcomes-based accountability,” says Paula.
Paula says according to the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society, the project is the first fully IPD construction project in the health care space in all of Canada.
“What I really love is, it’s just so indicative of CASA blazing trails. We seem to be blazing new trails wherever we go and it’s all about the kids,” she says.
Once the facilities are up and running, CASA will serve about 320 more severely-complex youth per year. The Government of Alberta has committed $75 million towards these facilities and CASA is working with donors and communities to raise matching dollars to fund the remaining portion of the project.
It’s all part of CASA’s vision to provide timely mental health care to as many children, youth and families across Alberta as possible, so they are empowered to thrive.
