Grey Bruce Health Services has begun campaigning for public funds to support their Wellness and Treatment Centre for those suffering mental health or addiction issues.
Members of the GBHS team presented to Bruce County council on April 6, requesting a $500,000 investment in the purpose-built wellness and treatment facility, that they say will be the first of its kind in the region.
The 45-inpatient-bed-facility is slated to open this fall at the old Bayview Public School in Owen Sound.
The cost of purchasing the space, renovating, and equipping new centre is projected to be $25 million, 40 per cent of which GBHS will cover. Now, they need to raise about $15 million in the community to make up the rest.
GBHS CEO Gary Sims says they’re just getting fundraising efforts going now.
“To navigate the difficult world of approval, we had to kind of keep it quiet while we negotiated and worked through the different ministry pieces” Sims told council. “By the time we got the final approval, we hadn’t had the opportunity to get out and educate, spend time with people and do the work to really build it up. So you really are, almost the first stop. And so you’re the start of our journey to try to raise money to support the program.”
GBHS says their current Withdrawal Management Service is at 100 per cent occupancy with a waitlist, and the region has seen a significant increase in opioid-related hospitalizations. On average there are 15 substance related ED visits per day across all of Grey-Bruce.
The new centre will offer 24/7 addiction treatment services, as well as transitional living for those that need a safe space while they receive medical treatment and therapy.
Staff with their current Withdrawal Management Services program will move to the new centre once it opens, but they’re also looking to bring on over 30 new hires to help.
To learn more about the centre, visit here.
