Investing in Critical Mental Health and Addictions Upgrades and Repairs in Hamilton
HAMILTON – Ontario is investing in critical upgrades and repairs in the province’s mental health and addictions system so community-based agencies can continue to deliver quality care to patients and their families.
Today, Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, was joined by Donna Skelly, MPP for Flamborough-Glanbook, at Wayside House of Hamilton to announce that Ontario is providing over $200,000 to support infrastructure upgrades to the facility.
“This funding will help ensure patients in Hamilton receive the care they need in a safe and comfortable setting,” said Tibollo. “This investment will help Wayside House of Hamilton continue to provide meaningful residential addictions treatment tailored to their patients’ unique needs.”
The government continues to work toward bringing Ontario’s world class health care system into the 21st century by investing in upgrades, repairs and maintenance to help modernize community-based agencies across the province. This funding will help Wayside House of Hamilton by supporting projects such as replacing fire safety equipment and installing security cameras and a back-up generator.
“Every year, more than one million people in Ontario experience a mental health or addictions challenge,” said Tibollo. “That’s why our government is continuing to fulfill on our promise of making mental health and addictions a priority. By supporting health infrastructure projects, we are making the necessary improvements to help people access community-based mental health and addictions services to ensure Ontarians receive the right care in the right place.”
Ontario continues to take a cross-government approach to build a better mental health and addictions system and will soon launch a new mental health and addictions plan that will meaningfully improve the care and services provided to Ontarians across the province.
“This investment will have a direct impact on the services provided by Wayside House of Hamilton,” said Regan Eric Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Wayside House of Hamilton. “Investing in residential addiction treatment for those living with substance use challenges and concurrent disorders is an essential contribution to ending hallway healthcare. Recovery is possible and this investment shows the value our government places on treatment.”
Ontario has a comprehensive plan to end hallway health care, which includes making investments and advancing new initiatives across four pillars:
- Prevention and health promotion: keeping patients as healthy as possible in their communities and out of hospitals, including increasing access to early-intervention mental health and addictions services.
- Providing the right care in the right place: when patients need care, ensure that they receive it in the most appropriate setting, not always the hospital. This includes expanding community-based mental health and addictions services to alleviate pressures on hospital emergency departments.
- Integration and improved patient flow: better integrate care providers to ensure patients spend less time waiting in hospitals when they are ready to be discharged.
- Building capacity: build new hospital and long-term care beds while increasing community-based services across Ontario, including upgrading community-based agencies and expanding community-based mental health and addictions services.
Quick Facts
- Wayside House of Hamilton is located at 15 Charlton Avenue West in Hamilton, Ontario and is within walking distance of St. Joseph’s Hospital and many Hamilton-based self-help groups. It provides integrated residential addictions treatment and supportive housing for men ages 18 and over.
- In addition, Ontario is investing $175 million in repairs and upgrades to 131 hospitals this year through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
- For 2019-20, the government is investing a total of $174 million more in annualized funding for mental health and addictions programs, to fill urgent gaps in care.
- Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to create new mental health and addictions services and expand existing programs.
- Ontario is investing $7.2 million to address ongoing urgent and/or emerging infrastructure renewal needs for community health service providers who met specific criteria on a priority basis, through the 2019-20 Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund.