Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute is looking for ideas on how to improve care.

Staff will host a community conversation next week for the public to pitch in on how addiction, learning disability and mental health services can be enhanced.

Morrisa Rogers, MWI Allied Health Supervisor, said: “We hope there will be a wide variety of perspectives — this is the unique value of this type of community conversation.

Ms Rogers, who chairs the MWI Engagement Committee organising the event, added: “We have gathered ideas for improvements from community and staff, but to fully appreciate the scope of a project and ensure it reaches its full potential we need service users and providers, concerned residents and families talking with and listening to each other at the very start of a project.”

The event aims to encourage conversation about a number of service improvements, some of which came from ideas raised in Bermuda Hospitals Board’s community engagement event last February.

Projects to be discussed include a strategy to reduce stigma, establishing a ‘club house’ in Hamilton, supervised community homes for mental health service users, teen life skills programmes in Bermuda, expanding outreach services to schools, learning disability engagement opportunities, and an outreach and education programme for addiction services.

R Scott Pearman, BHB Chief Operating Officer, said: “This event will delve deeper into the purpose and potential of specific projects across all MWI services, making service improvement a truly collaborative effort.

“We will share what has been achieved since February’s BHB event, but the majority of our time will be listening to people who may not always be at the table, or may not always be talking together, to influence service improvements.”

Venetta Symonds, BHB Chief Executive Officer, added: “In February, we asked the community generally how can we get it right and nearly 100 people came, raising conversations that were important to them.

“I’m excited to see community conversations continue as I believe that opening up to community involvement in improvements gives us the best chance of making positive changes.

“If the community values this deep engagement in improving services, we will have similar events for other hospital services.

“My vision is that we collectively find a new way of evolving, creating change in conversation with the people we serve.”

The event will be hosted at Pier Six on January 18.

Anyone interested in improving MWI services is invited to participate, whether a provider of services, a user of services, a family member or a concerned community member.

Light refreshments will be provided. Doors open at 5pm and the event starts at 5.30pm.

Spaces are limited to 80 people and those interested in attending can RSVP by e-mailing bettertogether@bhb.bm