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By Brock Weir Addiction Services for York
Region set out this past winter to make inroads into many of our community's
hotspots, working with youth and adults dealing with substance use challenges
without the means to seek help with the launch of their mobile unit. Now, thanks to a significant
cash infusion by the Provincial Government, the Aurora-based organization is
preparing to double down in making a difference. Addiction Services for York
Region (ASYR) was one of eight local organizations to benefit from $2.97
million in Provincial Funding announced by Health Minister – and
Newmarket-Aurora MPP – Christine Elliott on Wednesday at the Canadian Mental Health
Association – York Region & South Simcoe's Aurora headquarters. Ms. Elliott was joined by
Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MPP Michael Parsa, York Simcoe MPP Caroline
Mulroney, King MPP Stephen Lecce and a host of other dignitaries at the
announcement, which will see ASYR receive $1.315 million of the allocation. In addition, Kinark Child and
Family Services will receive $1.05 million, Lance Krasman Memorial Centre for
Community Mental Health $160,700, York Support Services Network $150,000,
Family Services of York Region $148,752, CMHA York Region $123,915, and Bethany
Lodge $22,000. In a statement, the Province
said Ontario's mental health care system is “disconnected, making it difficult
for patients and families to get the care and services they need,” leaving many
vulnerable Ontarians having to navigate a “confusing” system on their own and
access timely mental health care only when in crisis. “Our government is keeping
our promise to make mental health and addictions a priority,” said Ms. Elliott.
“This additional funding will go directly towards services for patients and
families and reduce wait times, enhance opioids and addictions services, create
additional housing and build capacity in youth mental health right here in our
community. “These investments are part
of our government's commitment to invest $3.8 billion over the next 10 years to
develop and implement a comprehensive and connected mental health and
addictions strategy. Together, we will create a connected system of care with
comprehensive wrap-around services to ensure that every Ontarian is fully
supported in their journey towards mental wellness.” Added Mr. Parsa: “This
announcement is a clear indication of our government's commitment to protecting
what matters most by ensuring that the residents of York Region, and Ontario,
have the supports they need, when they need them.” Ensuring the residents of
York Region, South Simcoe and beyond had the supports they need when they
needed them was a driving force behind the launch of ASYR's Rapid Access
Addition Medicine Clinics, or RAAMs. With their significant
funding infusion, Penny Marrett, Executive Director of ASYR, says youth will be
a primary demographic to benefit. “Our focus is providing
supports and treatments for people living with addictions, and their loved
ones,” says Ms. Marrett. “We are going to be looking at supporting youth in a
more targeted way in some areas, and we're going to be supporting their loved
ones also. We're going to expand some of the services we currently offer and
expanding the RAAM clinics we run. We currently run five of them and next month
we will be starting our sixth one. [This funding] will enable us to expand them
for individuals who are experiencing some substance use disorder, whether it is
opioid, alcohol or another substance. They can walk into one of these clinics
without an appointment, low barrier, talk to one of our nurses, who will
connect them with an addictions medicine specialist. “With the addictions medicine
specialists will determine whether some sort of pharmacal therapy would assist
them with their substance use disorder. That is a very exciting for us to be
able to expand that piece. Part of this will enable us to go into more
under-served communities. This funding will enable us to look at how we can
actually continue that because if you don't have your own transportation, it is
challenging at times for public transit to be able to make it to our clinics
because our clinics are not open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Clinics are currently located
in hospitals throughout York Region, including Southlake Regional Health Centre
and Stevenson Memorial. ASYR's goal is to move it out further into the
community to enable people to get services outside of the hospital. Their vision is to continue
collaborative work with their partners as it related to the Provincial Opioid
Strategy to see how they can come up with additional publicly-funded
residential treatment beds, all of which in York Region are, at the moment,
privately-funded. “You have to pay and it is
not cheap,” says Ms. Marrett. “We want to be able provide some of our partners
who provide residential treatment with some funding so that individuals who
really are in need who might not be able to afford it can participate and can
actually begin to address some of the concerns they have related to their
substance use.”
Excerpt: Addiction Services for York Region set out this past winter to make inroads into many of our community’s hotspots, working with youth and adults dealing with substance use challenges without the means to seek help with the launch of their mobile unit.
Post date: 2019-05-31 13:08:16
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