CLINTON – The new mobile mental health and addictions clinic in Huron-Bruce and Perth-Wellington will help to connect people to high-quality, low-barrier mental health and addictions services in under-served regions of the province, as stated in a press release from Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson’s office.
The province has partnered with Medavie to deliver timely mental health care to people in their own communities.
“The launch of the mobile mental health and addictions clinic is welcomed news for our local rural communities,” said Thompson. “Removing barriers to care for mental health services is paramount when it comes to the recovery and overall wellbeing of those facing these challenges – no matter where they call home. The fact that we can now provide expert supports to people where they are and when they are at their most vulnerable – and in a timely manner – is invaluable.”
The new mobile clinic will make it easier to access high-quality mental health and addictions services by bringing the care closer to home – in the community. Mobile clinics operate by having a clinical team that travels between communities, reducing the distance that people in rural communities have to go to find care and serving more people in the process.
“Individuals living in rural and underserved communities often face additional barriers connecting to the mental health and addictions care they need, and we are taking action to remove them,” said Michael Tibollo, associate minister of mental health and addictions. “This new clinic will offer clients and families in the region low-barrier access to high-quality mental health and addictions services close to home, in a discrete and fully supported setting.”
The clinic will have a multidisciplinary team which includes a trained social worker and registered nurse or nurse practitioner who can deliver a wide range of services, including intake and brief services, referrals to existing services, and psychiatric support and follow-up.
The team will also have extensive knowledge of the programs and services that exist in the region, allowing them to help guide people to the most appropriate care based on their individual needs. It will operate 8-10 hours per day, five days per week and will be in set locations identified through consultation with the community.
“Working on the frontlines of health care, we know the toll that mental health and addictions issues can have on individuals, families and communities,” said Erik Sande, president of Medavie Health Services. “Now, more than ever, we need to find ways to increase access to mental health and addictions supports to ensure Ontarians can receive high quality care when and where they need it. We look forward to collaborating with the Ontario government and community stakeholders to deliver an effective mobile mental health and addictions clinic that supplements existing local services while creating a new pathway to care.”
