Staff Spotlight
Bahareh Bouzhmehrani, Counsellor Case Manager
May 2-8, 2022 is Mental Health Week as declared by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The campaign, in its 71st year, aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and promote mental health. At Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), we would also like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation for our team working within mental health.
Meet Bahareh Bouzhmehrani, a Counsellor Case Manager working at the Community Mental Health Team in the HOpe Centre.
In her role, Bahareh supports mental health and substance use clients within the community. She works within a multidisciplinary team, which consists of nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. Their work emphasizes the stabilization, recovery and returns to the patients’ previous activities of daily living. “Teamwork is imperative to ensure we can maintain a high quality of life for our patients. And being able to seek my colleague’s experience and knowledge is invaluable for everyday tasks.”
Having seen the impacts of mental health within her own family, Bahareh wanted to work in community to help those around her. Moreover, with her fluency in Farsi, Bahareh felt empowered to help patients and families overcome language barriers. Her ability to communicate fluently ensures accuracy, which may not have occurred otherwise.
Bahareh enjoys the many facets of her role, as she can assist her patients in a variety of tasks, which may even include fixing plumbing issues. “I enjoy this work as I can help my clients. I am grateful that I can make a difference in people’s lives, and seeing the joy they experience is very rewarding.”
The VCH values are We Care for Everyone, We Are Always Learning, and We Strive for Better Results. Bahareh says, “I believe those who work within the mental health field have an innate ability to self-reflect and adapt to the environment around them.” Supporting clients and keeping their best interests and needs at heart helps the team provide exceptional care. By constantly learning, the team can better adapt to unique situations, and provide better results for patients’ needs.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health challenges have increased tremendously. “It shows the importance of health care and the work that we do. This has really put into perspective what caregiver burnout means, and helped me understand how to take care of ourselves during these times.”
Fun fact: Bahareh had the opportunity to participate in the new Car 22 program, in collaboration with the RCMP. This pilot program supports vulnerable clients within the community.
Join our team
Explore the current career opportunities for mental health jobs at Vancouver Coastal Health.