Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker hosted a Zoom announcement this morning with Michael Tibollo, the province’s Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
Tibollo announced that the province is making a significant investment into local mental health and addictions services in Owen Sound.
“Our government is going to invest over 6 million dollars through the province’s new Addiction Recovery Fund, to immediately enhance access to bed-based addictions treatment, right here in Owen Sound.”
Tibollo says the investment will bring new treatment beds to Owen Sound and the surrounding area, which he called critical, based on rising opioid deaths and health issues in the area, and province wide.
“This funding is going to provide access to 36 new treatment beds for hundreds of Ontarians in Owen Sound and the surrounding region, and give them access to specialized addictions treatments. This means those struggling with addictions challenges in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound will have access to 14 addiction treatment beds, 12 withdrawal management beds and 10 supportive treatment beds at Grey Bruce Health Services in Owen Sound.”
The new provincial Addiction Recovery Fund, Tibollo adds, is investing over 90 million dollars province wide for 400 beds, 8 youth wellness hubs and 2 more mobile mental health clinics. There will also be an investment into land-based Indigenous healing clinics. Tibollo says we have to start tackling a complex issue with more direct care solutions that can actually help people.
“The last 2 years have been hard on businesses, families and communities, everywhere in the province, and because of those unpredictable situations, we have to look at things from a different perspective and look to fix things in ways that will benefit the people.”
“This is a significant investment in our community and I thank Minister Tibollo for his continued support,” says MPP Walker. “With this funding, Grey Bruce Health Services will be able to expand its mental health and addictions programs to ensure our local residents have access to the supports and treatments they need.”
“We are very excited to secure this funding so we can support the growing number of people struggling with mental health and substance use in our communities,” shares Gary Sims, GBHS President and CEO. “Thanks to this funding, we will be able to open 36 more beds to serve people with complex mental health and addictions needs, bringing the total to 45. This will be the largest expansion of mental health services that we’ve had in this region for decades.”
