Alternate Destination Clinics- Mental Health and Addiction

Since August, the Steering Committee has regularly met and made significant progress for the Alternate Destination Clinics project.

A presentation to the Region’s Community and Health Services Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5. The meeting agenda and accompanying report are available online.

The key highlights and successes from the last several months are outlined below.

• Introductory working group meetings were held for those who indicated their interest in participation. We anticipate working group activities will begin in early 2024.
• The Steering Committee developed the mission, vision and values.
• A goal has been set to open two locations, one in each area represented by our two local Ontario Health Teams:
  1. The Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team (CND OHT) will lead the Community Mental Health and Addictions Clinic, serving the Cambridge-North Dumfries area.
  2. Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHAWW) and Thresholds Homes and Support, on behalf of the Kitchener-Waterloo-Wilmot-Wellesley-Woolwich Ontario Health Team (KW4 OHT), will lead the Mental Health and Addiction Integrated Crisis Care Centre serving the Kitchener-Waterloo-Wilmot-Wellesley-Woolwich area.
• The sites will provide a safe space for mental health and addiction support, with a variety of referral pathways into and out of the service (e.g., walk-ins, paramedic services transport, police transport).
• Engagement has highlighted the need to:
  1. create multiple referral pathways and system navigation options into and from the services,
  2. work incrementally toward a region-wide approach with multiple locations that offer 24/7 services,
  3. provide multiple services and supports in a safe space across all ages, and
  4. embed health equity, community engagement, and social determinants of health in the development and ongoing work of these sites.

Next steps

• CND OHT, KW4 OHT, CMHAWW, Thresholds Homes and Support and the Steering Committee will work with local providers to determine what existing resources can be reallocated or co-located.

The Steering Committee has developed the mission, vision and values for the Alternate Destination Clinics Project.

Mission: Through collaboration, provide compassionate, holistic care in a safe space for individuals with mental health and substance use concerns.

Vision: A community where stigma-free care for mental health and substance use concerns is accessible to all.

Core Values

• Respect: Everyone accessing the clinics is accepted, valued and made to feel like they belong.
• Accountability: The alternate destination clinics adhere to their mission and vision statements and are transparent with their partners and clients.
• Inclusive: The alternate destination clinics provides a welcoming and safe space for everyone accessing its services and supports.
• Accessible: The clinics eliminate any barriers that may exist for those wanting to access service

Aspirational Values

• Flexible: The clinics are committed to adapting and evolving to the needs of the community
• Empowering: The clinics ensure clients have access to the care they need and are active partners in the decision making related to their care
• Trauma-informed: Providers at the clinics operate using a trauma-informed lens to ensure those accessing service do not feel threatened or triggered when accessing care
• Collaborative: The clinics work with a variety of partners and organizations to coordinate care and ensure a seamless pathway for those accessing service

Click here to download the August 2023 project update.

The Alternate Destination Clinic Steering Committee met for the first time on June 13, 2023.

Meet the Steering Committee:

Aaron Mathias began his career with the Waterloo Regional Police Service in 2006, and is currently the Inspector of Community Safety Partnerships. He has gained important experience and insight through his time in Patrol, Detectives, Major Crime and most recently leading the Service’s Wellness Unit. Inspector Mathias is also on the Board of Directors for Victim Services Waterloo Region. He looks forward to building productive and collaborative partnerships and contributing to the ADC steering committee.

Ann Bettles has been a Paramedic with the Region of Waterloo since 2001. She currently holds the position of Superintendent, Community Paramedicine. Ann is a founding member of the Community Paramedic Program, focusing on delivering individualized, non-emergency support to community members. She is an advocate for clients and their families, encouraging the best quality of life possible by providing equitable and accessible care.

Brenda McGoldrick; My name is Brenda McGoldrick and I am a retired educator with 34 years of experience. I am also the parent of a adult son with a concurrent disorder. Over the last 8 years he has frequently used paramedics and/or police to be transported to Grand River Hospital to access psychiatric services. This Steering Committee and its goals are a venture close to my heart and I would very much like to be involved. I have first hand experience with the trauma emergency department visits often entail for both patients and care-givers. Our journey as a family supporting a loved one with mental health and addiction has taken me through the doors of many local resources, including: St. Mary’s Counselling, APSGO (Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario), House of Friendship, Westover Treatment Center and am presently an active member of a local Alanon “Courage to Change” Family Group.

Cameron Dearlove has spent the past 15 years serving community through non-profit work in Waterloo Region. Currently the Executive Director of Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services, Cameron is focused on improving equity in access to mental health and addiction supports, particularly in Cambridge and North Dumfries.

Catrina Clark has been a registered social worker since 2007 practicing exclusively in the mental health and addictions field. She has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Healthcare Administration. Since 2011, Catrina has worked at Grand River Hospital, first as a crisis clinician with Emergency Crisis Services team in the emergency department. Catrina has been in a leadership role for the past 5 years as the Clinical Manager of the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry, Extended Assessment Unit/Emergency Crisis Services and the Young Adult Program. She brings her frontline experience in the emergency department to the Alternate Destination Steering Committee with the intention of improving overall access and experience for those who are presenting to hospital for acute mental health care.

Chris McEvoy- Community Services representative (non-voting member)

Craig Albrecht- Steering Committee member

Donna Didimos is currently the Director of Emergency and Mental Programs as Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Donna was born in Canada to immigrant parents from Greece. Graduating as an RN in 1992, Donna continued her education and received her Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing degree from Ryerson University in 2010. In 2022, Donna received her Master’s in Science in Health Policy, Management & Evaluation from the University of Toronto.

Her 20 years of nursing experience includes various settings in acute care hospitals with the majority of her experience being in management and leadership in Emergency and Mental Health programs. Donna succeeds in quality improvement using IHI and LEAN methodologies and building high performing teams with a focus of fostering positive and safe spaces for patients, families and staff. Built on the foundation of trauma informed care, Donna’s goal is to provide the best care and resources for marginalized groups as they navigate the health care system.

Eric Philip- Steering Committee member

Heather Fedy is Senior Director of Mental Health Services and Lead Agency at Lutherwood. She has been with Lutherwood since 2001. Through Heather’s years at Lutherwood, she has been dedicated first and foremost to the vulnerable young clients and their families served by Lutherwood Mental Health Services. Heather works with community service partners through the Waterloo Region Lead Agency Advisory Council to ensure children, youth and families get compassionate, quality mental health supports when and where they need them.

Hope Engel, Dbiki Anung, Turtle clan, Oklahoma Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Scotch-Irish & German, UoG English BAH & Brock U Indigenous Adult Education HonBEd. Multiple-disabled 2 Spirit & from a large family of teachers. Living in the liminal, I’m passionate about relationships, empowerment & well-being for all, in transforming community justice & care, social, institutional & personal barriers and reclaiming ancestral knowledge traditions/ indigegogy/ ceremony.

Certified in Traditional Indigenous "whole-istic" healing (SPEM) care & individual & community centred treatment & workshops, Personal coaching & advocacy. Experienced in community event planning, office admin and book-keeping, grant & academic editing & tutoring, policy research, cross cultural inter-relational collaboration & community building. Sing with Mino Ode Kwewak N'Gamowak Good-Hearted Women Singers & Friends since 2001. GVI volunteer since 2015.

Jeff Stanlick- Jeff Stanlick is the Director of Services, Regional, at the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW). Jeff has worked with CMHA since 2007, and in a leadership capacity since 2012. He began his career as a Crisis Worker and then shifted into the Adult Counselling & Treatment Service as the Clinical Practice Lead, after obtaining his Master of Social Work from the University of Windsor. Jeff later became the Manager for Here 24/7 prior to becoming a senior leader. Jeff is passionate about the work he does and values the needs of equity deserving communities. He is excited about the opportunity to improve the experience for individuals who are struggling with mental health and/or addictions through an integrated crisis service approach. When not at work, Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

John Goodman- John Goodman is currently the Staff Superintendent of the Waterloo Regional Police Services. Chief Goodman’s career has been largely in an investigative capacity. He has worked and Supervised in General Patrol, Intelligence, Detectives, Drugs, Professional Standards, Court Services and Homicide. In the summer and fall of 2022 he assumed the role of Acting Chief until the new Chief Mark Crowell was appointed. In January 2015, the government of Canada appointed Acting Superintendent Goodman to the Order of the Merit of Police Forces for his exemplary career and work in the community. Superintendent Goodman was born and raised in the Region of Waterloo having attended Grand River Collegiate and the University of Waterloo. Chief Goodman currently resides in Kitchener with his wife Melanie.

John Riches is the Chief of Paramedic Services for the Region of Waterloo. He has over 27 years of experience as a frontline paramedic, leader, educator, and change agent for the paramedic services profession. He holds a Masters of Public Policy, Administration, and Law from York University, and system integration, patient-centred care, and ensuring patients and clients receive whole person health and social care are areas of focus for him and his team. Creating safe, patient-centred alternative care pathways and destinations for 911 patients is a strategic priority for the Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services.

Kathy Payette; recently retired as Director, Children’s Mental Health (CMH) Services at Lutherwood. She remains the Mental Health Advisor to the Kids’ Health Links Foundation and an advisory member to the Regional Restorative Justice Centre initiative. Over the past 10 years Kathy has held the position of Chair of the Ministry of Health: Children’s Mental Health Planning Council, a member the Wellbeing Waterloo Region Advisory, Crime Prevention Council, Lead Agency Advisory Council, Waterloo Region Pandemic Planning Group, Child & Youth Planning Table, and remains an alumni member of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council. Kathy has worked with children and families for over 35 years, specializing in the areas of child and adolescent mental health, suicide prevention and crisis intervention. Kathy has a strong community lens and has been a catalyst for change in Waterloo Region. Stakeholder relationships have included the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Community & Social Services, Ministry of the Attorney General, community hospitals and agencies, agency staff, families, and youth.

Katie McDonald- Steering Committee Member (co-chair)

Laura Sheppard is from Kitchener and she has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from University of Waterloo with a major in psychology. She has lived experience of mental health conditions and addiction challenges. She knows mental health can have a serious impact on an individual's education, work, social life and interactions with their family so she wants to be involved in this important project and wants to reduce the stigma of mental health. We’re not in it alone.

Laura Jane (LJ) Brubacher- (non-voting member) is an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. LJ has a background in health systems research (evaluating the COVID-19 response in BC; maternal health in Nunavut), working for the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at CAMH, and in providing a variety of community organizations with research and evaluation support. She will support evaluation priorities of the Alternate Destination Clinic Steering Committee.

Lisa Akey, MSW, RSW is the Director of Programs and Services at Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health (the Unified Agency of Carizon, KW Counselling and Monica Place). Lisa has spent decades in leadership positions focusing on Mental Health, Addictions and Children’s Mental Health. In her current portfolio, she oversees the clinical counselling services for Individuals, Couples and Families and all Quick Response/Walk in Services at Camino and has joined the Alternate Destination Clinic Steering Committee to provide insight and knowledge of single session/urgent response supports and working effectively with multidisciplinary teams to support individuals and families.

Ngozi Udekwu is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She is in the process of completing her Masters in Social Work at McMasters University. Ngozi graduated from York University with a Bachelors in Social Work and also from Sheridan College Brampton with a diploma in Social Services Worker. She studied Early Childhood Education and Autism and Behavioural Science at Conestoga college Brantford. Ngozi has a history and continues to work with the mental health population as a case manager, crisis clinician, and frontline worker both within and outside the region. As a compassionate and dedicated social worker, she has passion for supporting vulnerable individuals within and outside her community. She is a member of her local community, Nigerians in the Region of Waterloo (NIROW) and provides support for newcomers to resettle within the region. Ngozi is interested in the Steering Committee where she hopes to bring her knowledge and expertise in the field of mental health to support the growing need of crisis response on mental health and addictions within the Region of Waterloo.

Randee Cupolo- Steering Committee member

Rhonda Nicholls- Steering Committee member

Steve Keczem (co-chair) CPA, CGA; Steve and his wife Delila have two sons whom they are very proud of for so many reasons. In June 2011 they joined a parent support group in Guelph called APSGO (Association of Parent Support Groups in Ontario) to help develop a better relationship with their oldest who struggles with Concurrent Disorder. After having success, they trained as coaches with Steve leading the startup of the KW Chapter in September 2013 where he remains the Team Leader today. After their many experiences with the healthcare system, Steve and Delila have devoted their time to improving the experiences of patients and their families. In January 2015 Steve was asked to sit on the FACE committee (Families for Awareness, Change and Education) at Grand River Hospital (GRH) for the mental health unit which he also continues with today. In addition to the FACE committee, Steve has sat on several other short-term committees at GRH including the ED Clinical Service Planning Committee and others as they have been stood up.

Steve has expanded his advocacy work over the last several years. Despite claiming that he “didn’t have the time to waste fighting with healthcare bureaucrats”, Steve accepted the invitation to sit on the WWLHIN Patient and Family Council (PFAC), in September 2017. Steve was honored and privileged to become its co-chair a year later until the LHIN and PFAC were sunsetted in 2021. In July 2019, Steve was asked to sit on the newly established KW4 Steering Committee as a patient and family advocate. He also sits on several of its working groups including MH&A, Digital, Community Engagement and Primary Care. In February 2022 Steve was asked to join the Ontario Health West Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program Operations Committee which he continues with today. In January 2023, Steve was appointed to the newly formed Ontario Health MH&A Center of Excellence’s Performance and Planning Council. He also sits on the sub-committee creating the framework for unsolicited funding proposals from across the province.

Steve has shared his family story with the former WWLHIN Board of Directors, in Toronto with the Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and leadership team along with the former LHIN CEO’s, at a Health Quality Ontario Leadership Conference, to the KW4 Primary Care Council and was a keynote speaker at the KW4 cQIP event on reducing ED visits for MH&A reasons. Steve is thrilled to work with KW4, the PFAC and FACE, various other Grand River Hospital committees and now the ADC Project to bring not only their family perspective to the table, but also those of all of the parents and professionals that they have interacted with over the years in their journey. Steve and Delila credit their faith and APSGO for the positive relationships and blessings that they enjoy today.

Vanessa Dreyer- Steering Committee member

Warren Dodd (non-voting member) is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He has supported a number of community-based organizations in research and evaluation efforts in both local and international contexts. He will support evaluation priorities of the Alternative Destination Clinic Steering Committee.