There’s good news for 30 employees with the hospital being confirmed as the preferred operator of Community Withdrawal Management Services and safe beds in North Bay.

It’ll be housed at the hospital’s King Street West facility.

“The layoffs are cancelled. I’m told the staff are pretty excited about the new programming that is going to be offered at that site. It’s like a refresh,” President and CEO of the North Bay Regional Health Centre Paul Heinrich tells BayToday.

The facility will house:
– 6 safe beds
– 8 community WMS beds
– 2 transition beds
– Telephone crisis line for addictions and mental health
– Mobile WMS services
– Addictions day/evening treatment program
“A great deal of credit needs to be given to Mayor Al McDonald for mobilizing health and social service providers in our community with the creation of his Mayor’s Round Table on Housing, Mental Health and Addictions,” says Heinrich.
“Collectively we’ve raised awareness about the issues facing our city and created a platform for how we can strengthen mental health and addiction services for people living here.”
He told BayToday there’s been a lot of community interest in ensuring that mental health services are available.

“That’s really important that so much interest has been drawn to such an important topic. And this bodes well for our ability to be able to advocate for local residents,” he says.

This decision was supported Thursday at the Mayor’s Mental Health and Addictions’ Round Table.

“I’m very proud of our team and their ongoing commitment to providing the best possible mental health and addictions care,” says Ann Loyst, Interim VP of Mental Health. “We are mobilized to do the work required to quickly expand our services and continue to support the recommendations put forth by the Mayor’s Mental Health and Addictions’ Round Table.”
“It’s pleasing to know that a plan for Community Withdrawal Management Services is moving forward so we can ensure those who need mental health and addictions services in our community can access them, as was prioritized by the Mayor’s roundtable,” says MPP Vic Fedeli. “We expect all our health care professionals to work together in the best interests of clients in need. Our government is delivering real action by investing a historic $3.8 billion over the next 10 years to build a comprehensive, integrated and connected mental health and addictions system.”

 

(File photo by station staff)

Filed under: community-withdrawal-management-services, north-bay-regional-health-centre