Work is officially complete on the third of four phases of a major redevelopment project at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

The construction consortium led by design builders PCL Constructors turned over the Crisis & Critical Care Building and the McCain Complex Care & Recovery Building in September. CAMH officials threw open the doors to the new buildings on November 25.

“These new buildings will revolutionize mental health care by offering dignified spaces for CAMH patients to heal and recover, and provide a safe and generative space for CAMH staff to work,” said CAMH CEO Dr. Catherine Zahn. “They reflect a bold vision and are also a powerful symbol of CAMH’s move away from institutionalization towards community integration for the people we serve.”

The two new buildings, with a combined 600,000 square feet of space, will feature 235 inpatient beds, a simulation learning centre for staff, the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, a publicly accessible mental health library, and a therapeutic neighbourhood to support skills building, including a commercial grade teaching kitchen, an exercise room, a computer training room, and music and art studio space.

Also significant is the facility’s new, state-of-the-art Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kacham Emergency Department. The department is the only one in the province devoted exclusively to mental health treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Emergency visits to CAMH having increased by more than 70 percent in the past decade. The centre says the need for a modern ED that is equipped to meet the rising demand for urgent mental health care was critical. Twice the size of the previous emergency department, it will reduce wait times and provide improved intake, assessment and triage procedures for patients.

The buildings have also been designed with enhanced therapeutic recovery and healing environments—both inside and out.

The new buildings were designed and built to meet LEED Gold standards. Some of the projects’ LEED features include: landscaped green roofs, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and products that meet or exceed Canadian Standards Association and LEED requirements, the use of low-emitting materials, such as adhesives, sealants, paints and flooring, and a program that called for three new trees planted for every tree removed for the project.

“The McCain Complex Care & Recovery Building and the Crisis & Critical Care Building will transform mental health care by providing patients and families access to an emergency department devoted to mental health and spaces that promote community integration in a connected and coordinated system of care,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Investing in innovative projects like these two new buildings are an important part of our government’s plan to build a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions system that works for all Ontarians. Congratulations CAMH and everyone who has come together to make this project a reality.”

The Plenary Health CAMH team consists of developers Plenary, architects Stantec; facilities managers ENGIE, and PCL. Construction began in October 2017 and ended in September. The total project budget was $685 million.