End of year update

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.