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Vancouver Health & Wellness

Resources

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Aboriginal Patient Navigator

Offers in-hospital and community support to help Indigenous people and their families with accessing culturally safe health care services.

Patient navigators work directly with hospital staff and health care providers to help patients with health care and discharge planning, hospital stay information, completing forms, referrals to community services, and with navigating the health care system. 

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Aboriginal Wellness Program

Provides mental health wellness and substance use programs for members of the First Nations and Aboriginal community. Services include cultural support and teachings, counselling, group support, and workshops. Self-referrals accepted.

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Access and Assessment Centre

Provides drop-in and phone services to help individuals and families’ access mental health and or substance use services in Vancouver. Services include referral intake, on-site assessment, crisis intervention, and short-term treatment.

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Alano Club of Vancouver

A safe and accepting gathering place for those affected by addiction

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Alcohol and Drug Information Referral 

Free, confidential information and referral services to British Columbians in need of support with any kind of substance use issue. Toll-free at 1-800-663-1441 or in the lower mainland at 604 660-9382. Free, multilingual telephone assistance 24/7.

 

Arthritis Answers Line

The Arthritis Answers Line provides answers to your questions about arthritis

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  • Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-321-1433

  • Phone (Metro Vancouver): 604-875-5051

  • Phone (interpreter services, Toll Free): 1-877-228-2557

  • Phone (interpreter services, Greater Vancouver): 604-675-4099

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Avalon Women's Centre

Provides free, life-changing services to women in recovery from addiction. Services include: meetings, workshops, childminding, clothing closets, counselling, resources and drop-in support.

 

Bounce Back Program

A free program helping adults with depression, stress, and anxiety

 

Choose to Move

A free physical activity program for older adults, offered online, in-person, and over the phone

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Coast Mental Health

Extensive supports, including housing, employment, and education, for people living with mental health challenges

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Crisis Lines

Provides care for critical or life-threatening conditions

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Downtown Eastside Connections Clinic

Offers rapid access to oral opioid agonist treatments to help those with opioid use disorder who may find barriers using other addiction services. Clients are assessed and receiving treatment within hours of check-in. No appointment needed.


Referrals to other services including residential treatment programs, mental health and primary care are also provided.

 

Dr. Peter Centre

Provides clinical care for HIV/AIDS delivered daily with a stigma-free approach

 

First Nations Health Authority

A health service delivery organization responsible for administering a variety of health programs and service for First Nations people living in BC.

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If FNHA provides you services and you need to make a complaint or offer a compliment, you can contact their Quality Care and Safety Office at 1-844-935-1044 or quality@fnha.ca

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Get Checked Online

Test for STIs without visiting a healthcare provider

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Get Your Drugs Tested

A free service to test drugs

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HealthLink BC 8-1-1

Calling 8-1-1 connects you with a health service navigator who can put you in touch with a nurse, registered dietician, qualified exercise specialist, or pharmacist. Translation is available in more than 130 languages, and HealthLink BC’s website contains of wealth of information on various health topics.   

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Healthy Kids Program

Provides coverage for basic dental treatment, optical care, and hearing assistance to children in low-income families, who don’t receive income assistance, disability assistance, or hardship assistance.

 

HereToHelp

Info, resources, and strategies to prevent and manage mental health issues and addiction

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Here2Talk

Connects students with mental health support

 

HIM - Health Initiative for Men

Offers a full spectrum of health-based programming and services to meet the sexual, mental, physical and social health needs of communities of self-identified GBQ men and gender diverse people in BC 

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Hospitals

Provides care for critical or life-threatening conditions

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Kílala Lelum (Urban Indigenous Health and Healing Cooperative)

Partners Indigenous Elders with physicians and allied health professionals to provide physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care to the community in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

 

Looking Glass BC

Counselling, peer support, and more for people with eating disorders​

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Medimap

Find a nearby healthcare professional using this search tool

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Midwife Search

Find a midwife nearby

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Multicultural Victim and Women’s Support

Mosaic BC offers free support services for newcomers who have been victims of crime, and women who have experienced or are at risk of violence

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Nurse Practitioner Search

Find nearby nurse practitioners using this search tool​

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Options for Sexual Health

Sexual health clinics for people in BC who need to talk about sexuality or sexual health or access sexual and reproductive health care

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Patient Advocates

Provide support in navigating the health care system

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Patient Care Quality Office

Provides a process for patients to register complaints about the care they receive from their health authority. They also answer requests for assistance and information.

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Patient Care Quality Review Board

Reviews any concerns still outstanding after a patient care quality office response, including concerns about the response itself

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Peer Support Program

Provides one-to-one support to youth, adults and older adults who have serious and or persistent mental illness. Peer support workers are individuals with lived experience of mental illness who have graduated from a peer support worker training program.

 

Pregnancy Vancouver

Connects women to maternity doctors and information on pregnancy and newborn care

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Reduced Cost Dental Clinics

Vancouver clinics offering reduced cost dental services

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Sheway Pregnancy Outreach Program

Provides health and social service supports to pregnant women and women with infants, who are dealing with drug and alcohol issues. The focus of the program is to help women have healthy pregnancies and positive early parenting experiences.

 

Sisters Active Together in Recovery (STAR)

A variety of out-patient treatment options, free of charge, for women having problems related to the use of drugs or alcohol. Inclusive of all self-identified women. 

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Stigma Free Society

Combats stigma as a way to increase social inclusion and improve mental health

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The Kettle Society 

Provides advocacy, housing, employment, and community services to people facing mental illness and substance use challenges

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Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society

A not-for-profit healthcare and social services provider that strives to improve and promote the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of the urban Indigenous population

 

Vancouver ecoVillage

Dedicated to providing therapeutic services and mental health wellness for all. Includes therapy dog and food programs.

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Vancouver Recovery Club

A safe and drug-free 24-hour drop-in and referral centre that provides immediate support for clients seeking help with addiction and recovery

 

VANDU

A group of users and former users who work to improve the lives of people who use drugs through user-based peer support and education

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Urgent and Primary Care Centres

Provide care for unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns that require treatment within 12-24 hours. A UPCC’ not intended to replace family doctors or care providers as a person's first point of contact for health concerns, nor will it replace Emergency Departments for life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

Housing Resorces

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Food's so expensive - what can I do?

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  • In addition to food banks, programs offering free or low-cost meals and groceries are often available at neighbourhood houses, community centres, friendship centres, shelters, and religious organizations. A list of some of these programs is available here.

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Should I go to the emergency or an urgent and primary care centre?

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  • Cases for which should go to an emergency room include but aren’t limited to:

    • Trouble breathing

    • Severe abdominal or chest pain

    • Weakness or tingling on one side of your body

    • Loss of consciousness

    • Heavy bleeding

    • Suicidal thinking

    • Self-harm

    • Overdose

 

  • Cases for which should go to an urgent and primary care centre include but aren’t limited to:

    • High fever

    • Infections

    • Low mood, anxiety, or depression

    • Sprains and strains

    • Asthma attacks

    • Dehydration or constipation

    • Cuts not involving heavy bleeding

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How do I find a doctor?

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  • For medical questions, consider calling 8-1-1 to speak with a nurse.

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  • TELUS also has a MyCare app that lets you see a doctor, counsellor, or dietician straight from your phone

 

  • Find doctors accepting new patients by visiting Pathways Medical. You can also call 8-1-1 for help finding a doctor.

 

  • Visit MediMap to locate the nearest walk-in clinic and their wait times

 

  • If you are expecting and have no delivery plan, visit Pregnancy Vancouver or phone 604-569-2010

 

  • Urgent and primary care centres are available with extended hours for same-day, non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses who are unable to see a family doctor or health care provider.

 

  • The British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals also has a directory of nurse practitioners. Search the directory for nurse practitioners in your community by visiting registry.bccnp.ca or calling 604-742-6200.

 

  • Note that visiting the same doctor at a walk-in clinic multiple times increases your chance of establishing a relationship with this doctor that can function like that you may have with a family doctor. Walk-in clinics often have schedules of their doctors’ shifts available, so you can schedule appointments with them on an ongoing basis.

FAQ
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