The City of St. Thomas is the recipient of over $640,000 in funding to deal with what was referred to as “an all-hands-on-deck” opioid crisis.
The funding, over a two-year period through Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment fund, was announced Wednesday afternoon in St. Thomas.
The investment will support community-led initiatives that expand access to mental health, substance use, and addictions services. It will also enhance local service capacity and improve culturally safe support for those most affected.
Deanna Huggett, Executive Director of the Elgin Ontario Health Team stressed the funding builds on an already existing “strong foundation to further reduce barriers to care.”
Specifically, the funding will:
- Facilitate shelter site modifications at The INN to enhance its role as a service hub and expand outreach efforts to connect people to services.
- Provide training to local providers and peer supporters to offer “one-at-a-time” counselling and brief action planning for faster access to mental health and addictions counselling.
- Train local providers and peer supporters in trauma-informed approaches to support safer, more responsive care, and initiate a Community of Practice to move learning into action.
- Enhance local capacity for culturally safe approaches to healing and wellness for guests at The INN who identify as Indigenous.
Mayor Joe Preston advised, “the opioid crisis is a challenge felt in every corner of our community.”
Peter Fragiskatos, London Centre MP, pointed out, “We see St. Thomas thriving in economic terms, but there are social challenges that need to be addressed.”
Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton stressed how disruptive the opioid crisis has become.
And Brian Elliot, director of the city’s emergency shelter The INN, noted, “This funding will allow us to expand our role as a service hub and better meet the complex needs of the people we serve.”
In closing out the announcement Huggett said, “This investment will help us bring care and support closer to where people are, in ways that are safe, responsive and grounded in community.”
Written by Ian McCallum
