Wellness & Treament Centre

“My main goal is getting up, working, being happy, being alive, having friends and having a good life. I was at detox recently, stayed 7 days. I wanted to do the Community Addiction Treatment Services program but they were full so I had to go back home. It’s so hard because drugs are around me 24/7. They’re in my home. I have been working on safe housing options for months and there is nothing. If there was a place that was safe, that supported my sobriety, that I could go to work and come home and there were no drugs, my life would be a lot different.”

The wellness centre will have collaborative space for community partners, which will allow us to offer a range of services and programs for inpatients and outpatients.

The centre will provide a safe environment for people who need additional support after discharge from hospital and/or addiction services or who are referred by partners, or simply walk in seeking help. Priority access will be provided to Indigenous and transgendered individuals.

• Fewer people and families experience tragic outcomes
• Reduced suffering and stigmatization
• More people engaged in employment, education, and self-care activities
• Fewer people losing stable housing

• Reduced healthcare costs (much less expensive than hospital beds)
• Reduced use of hospital emergency services
• Decreased use of social assistance
• Reduced involvement in the justice system
• Creates a “centre of excellence” program that can be replicated elsewhere

When fully operational the facility will be able to serve 45 inpatients at a time, plus outpatients. Services include:

24/7 Addiction treatment services

• Medical detoxification
• Relapse prevention and treatment

Longer-term stays

• Transitional supportive living; people stay for various lengths of time according to their individualized treatment/support plans

• Gym
• Multi-faith Healing Space
• Designated Indigenous beds
• Designated Transgender beds
• Kitchen and dining room (also a space for life and employment skills training)
• Computer Training Centre
• Office space to meet and serve drop-in clients
• Vocational and teaching space

The goal is to have the centre open by late 2023.

The staff at our current Withdrawl Management Services program, including those in our Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinic on 9th Street in Owen Sound will move to the new centre once it opens. In addition to this staff, we are aiming to recruit 35 more individuals to fill various positions. This is a unique model of care, and because it is new, we are optimistic that we can attract staff who want to join us at the beginning of this journey, and help us develop the programs and services.

People who have committed to treatment will have the option of staying temporarily in the facility. Day visits will be available for people who want to attend programming or counselling but are not ready to commit to treatment.