Ontario has revealed plans for four new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs in Belleville, Brockville, and Pembroke, along with an additional site in Ottawa.
Last summer, the province prohibited supervised drug consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care facilities, claiming they weren’t effectively guiding clients into treatment programs.
Instead, the focus is shifting to a hub model that aims to provide shelter beds, addiction support, primary care, housing assistance, employment services, and more. These hubs won’t offer “safer” supply methods, supervised drug use spaces, or needle exchanges.
Health organizations needed to apply to establish these hubs. The initial group of nine hubs included the Somerset West Community Health Centre located in Ottawa’s Chinatown, which has a supervised site facing closure.
On Monday, Ontario announced another 18 HART Hubs. All 27 hubs announced so far are expected to be operational by April 1, according to the province’s news release.
In its bid against fentanyl, one Ontario town is taking its fight to the streets
When you are a town of just 14,000 people, every opioid overdose is personal. CBC’s Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco visited Pembroke which is trying a new solution to combat the rising drug crisis. CBC went behind the scenes with paramedics during life-or-death calls and saw firsthand how their approach works.
Ottawa’s second site has been approved under the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre which stated it was applying. The proposal there includes “low-barrier personalized care” designed to help clients navigate services while finding or keeping homes. It’s also intended to ease pressure on local emergency departments.
All hubs propose some form of supportive housing along with employment assistance; all but Belleville’s mention peer support.
Ottawa Morning8:38Ontario approves four more homelessness and addiction hubs in eastern Ontario
Two additional hubs are planned for Belleville and Brockville. We ask those mayors what these hubs mean for their communities.
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The proposed details
Belleville’s hub will cater to Hastings and Prince Edward counties and will aim to “rapidly and significantly enhance access to supportive, culturally safe/relevant addictions services that support recovery,” as stated by the province. The John Howard Society of Belleville shared with CBC on Tuesday that it collaborated on the application with 11 other local organizations. Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis mentioned that this initiative will greatly help tackle the city’s mental health and addiction challenges. The hub designated for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties will be established in Brockville. According to its mayor, this center will centralize services under one roof for better management of clients with complex needs. Mayor Matt Wren expressed gratitude towards the province for “demonstrating it recognizes that the challenges of mental health, addictions, and homelessness extend beyond large urban centres.” The hub planned for Renfrew County will be based in Pembroke according to a spokesperson from the surrounding area. It’s part of a larger initiative aimed at addressing overdoses. WATCH | CBC follows the mesa project:
In its bid against fentanyl, one Ontario town is taking its fight to the streets
When you are a town of just 14,000 people, every opioid overdose is personal. CBC’s Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco visited Pembroke which is trying a new solution to combat the rising drug crisis. CBC went behind the scenes with paramedics during life-or-death calls and saw firsthand how their approach works.
Ottawa’s second site has been approved under the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre which stated it was applying. The proposal there includes “low-barrier personalized care” designed to help clients navigate services while finding or keeping homes. It’s also intended to ease pressure on local emergency departments.
All hubs propose some form of supportive housing along with employment assistance; all but Belleville’s mention peer support.
Ottawa Morning8:38Ontario approves four more homelessness and addiction hubs in eastern Ontario
Two additional hubs are planned for Belleville and Brockville. We ask those mayors what these hubs mean for their communities.Source link
