At Showplace Efficiency Centre on January 27, 2025, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith introduced the Ontario authorities is investing $6.2 million in a Homelessness and Habit Restoration Therapy (HART) Hub in Peterborough, one in all 27 permitted throughout Ontario. (Picture courtesy of MPP Dave Smith’s workplace)
The Ontario authorities has introduced it’s investing $6.2 million in a Homelessness and Habit Restoration Therapy (HART) Hub in Peterborough, one in all 27 permitted throughout Ontario.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made the announcement on Monday (January 27) at Showplace Efficiency Centre in downtown Peterborough, at an occasion attended by Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough metropolis councillors Alex Bierk and Keith Riel, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Peterborough Regional Well being Centre president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, Canadian Psychological Well being Affiliation Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge CEO Ellen Watkins, Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Well being Unit medical officer of well being Dr. Thomas Piggott, and others.
“The Hart Hub is a fantastic approach,” MPP Smith stated in a media launch. “It means that we are crossing different sectors to ensure that we are providing the service where they need it, when they need it, and at the appropriate level. People can enter at any stage into the hub, wherever they are, and then progress through. It is the first time that any province has looked at the entire continuum for homelessness, addiction, and rehab.”
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The creation of HART Hubs comes from the province’s August 2024 “safer communities” announcement that banned supervised drug consumption websites inside 200 metres of colleges and baby care centres, which additionally resulted within the closure of 9 present provincially funded supervised drug consumption websites, together with 4 in Toronto in addition to websites in Guelph, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, and Kitchener-Waterloo.
Through the August announcement, the Ontario authorities inspired these 9 websites to submit proposals to transition to HART Hubs, and in addition introduced it will even be investing $379 million to create 18 new HART Hubs throughout Ontario and issued a province-wide name for proposals.
On January 5, the province introduced the 9 closed drug injection websites can be transitioned to HART Hubs by March 31 and, on January 27, introduced the 18 new hubs — for a complete of 27 HART Hubs. All of the hubs could have the aim of being operational by April 1.
Attendees at Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith’s announcement at Showplace Efficiency Centre on January 27, 2025 together with Peterborough metropolis councillors Keith Riel and Alex Bierk, Peterborough Regional Well being Centre president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Well being Unit medical officer of well being Dr. Thomas Piggott, and extra. (Picture courtesy of MPP Dave Smith’s workplace)
Led by 4 Counties Addictions Providers (Fourcast), Peterborough’s HART Hub will deliver collectively native service supply companions to offer a continuum of companies in Peterborough for folks with complicated service wants on their restoration journey from addictions and homelessness.
The objectives of the HART Hub are to extend system capability for major care, psychiatric care, and assessments for the homeless inhabitants that sometimes expertise boundaries to companies, enhance entry to housing helps and revenue helps, and enhance high quality of life.
“Today’s announcement is a huge step forward in addressing homelessness and addiction recovery in our community,” stated councillor Bierk, who co-chairs the town’s housing and homelessness portfolio with councillor Riel. “The HART Hub will provide much-needed supports and housing options for individuals with complex needs, helping them stabilize and rebuild their lives. We are grateful to MPP Smith for his advocacy and this critical investment in creating pathways to recovery and housing stability.”
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The Peterborough HART Hub would ship major and psychiatric care, psychological well being and addictions companies (together with case administration, Fast Entry Habit Medication (RAAM), withdrawal administration, bed-based addictions remedy, and aftercare), peer restoration coaches, psychological well being and addictions supportive housing (each transitional and everlasting) and twin prognosis supportive housing with 24/7 neighborhood wrap-around companies, occupational remedy, and vocational companies.
“The HART Hub investments are the right concept for the right time,” stated Fourcast government director Donna Rogers. “Our community, like others, is struggling with high rates of homelessness, chronic mental illness, substance use and addictions and poverty.”
“For people living this crisis, housing is the solution. The Peterborough HART Hub investment will offer housing alongside many of the other essential supports that can help people re-establish their lives through housing stability, addiction and mental health recovery, and good health. Our community is ready to maximize this opportunity and build on the strong foundations of housing from homelessness that has been established amongst our community partners.”
Like the entire HART Hubs funded by the province, the Peterborough hub won’t provide safer provide, supervised drug consumption, or needle alternate packages.
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The opposite 17 new HART Hubs which have been permitted by the province are listed under.
CMHA Peel Dufferin (Brampton)
Well being Sciences North/ Horizon Santé Nord (Higher Sudbury)
The HART of Simcoe (Barrie)
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (Windsor)
CMHA Hastings and Prince Edward County (Belleville)
Durham Group Well being Centre (Oshawa)
CMHA Thames Valley (London)
CMHA Algoma (Sault Ste. Marie)
Providers and Housing in Province (Dufferin County)
Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Psychological Well being (Lanark, Leeds and Grenville)
Oxford Ontario Well being Crew (Oxford County)
County of Renfrew (Renfrew County)
Gateway of Niagara (Niagara)
CMHA Lambton Kent Sarnia (Sarnia)
Pinecrest Queensway Group Well being Centre (Ottawa)
Kenora Chiefs Advisory (Kenora)
Maamwesying (Sault Ste. Marie)
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At Monday’s HART Hub announcement, MPP Smith additionally introduced a provincial funding to develop the psychological well being disaster unit at Peterborough Regional Well being Centre (PRHC).
The Ontario Ministry of Well being is working with PRHC to finish early planning and design for the disaster response unit. As soon as additional planning is full and the undertaking has been tendered and awarded, a building schedule will likely be confirmed.
As soon as opened, the expanded psychological well being disaster unit will embody further capability to deal with excessive volumes of acute psychological well being and substance abuse incidents and new disaster unit beds, and can separate grownup and youth psychological well being sufferers tso they’ll obtain the suitable and high-quality care they want in a protected house.
“This moment marks the culmination of years of planning and preparation to expand our regional mental health and addictions program,” stated PRHC president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula.
“The addition of a purpose-built, expanded crisis response unit at PRHC will have a profound impact on the lives of thousands of patients, improving care and alleviating overcrowding in our emergency department, which sees 80,000 visits a year.”
