SIOUX LOOKOUT — Sixteen supportive treatment beds announced last year are now in operation, with further capacity expected to be added by the end of the year.
Michael Tibollo, the province's associate minister of mental health and addictions, was in Sioux Lookout earlier this week where he announced that the first wave of beds are now in place, with 15 more addiction treatment beds and six withdrawal management beds set to be open by the end of 2023.
“Every penny of the $4 million invested here is going to make a world of difference to the individuals. For me what it does is that it means we are giving people hope. We are giving people more than hope. We are giving people the mean to get their lives back," Tibollo said.
Through the Sioux Lookout Friendship Accord, which is an agreement between Cat Lake First Nation, Lac Seul First Nation, Slate Falls First Nation, Kichenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout, those in need of rehabilitation will receive mental health and addiction supports closer to their home community.
“We’re here because of the 37 First Nations to our north and we are the hub and service entry for them. Those First Nations have gone through a history that has led to the need for this type of service and we don’t have enough of them. We need more. This is a great first step. It’s all incremental. We don’t save the world in one go, but this is a great first step,” said Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance.
The $4 million investment through Ontario’s Addiction Recovery Fund covered the 37 treatment beds and the start-up cost for the treatment centre, located at the former Queen Elizabeth District High School, according to Kenora District Services Board CAO Henry Wall.
“This is about people working and people supporting each other not from an institutionalized standpoint but it is just loving people for who they are and actually being real. It’s that kind of friendship that allows for cooperation to have unique programs like this,” said Wall.
Tibollo said the programming at the treatment centre is about creating a safe place for people with addiction to recover through a culturally-sensitive environment. It is through that environment individual begins to formulate bonds with the healthcare professionals to create a therapeutic alliance.
“That’s why is so important to have culturally safe and culturally appropriate services so that you can meet people where they are, but also the person meeting them is able to build that therapeutic alliance and that gets them to the first stage which is withdrawal management,” Tibollo said.
The treatment centre policy is that people can stay up to 30 days, though individuals who need more treatment can extend their stay or re-enter the program at any time.
“It’s not a linear line for individuals. It is a journey and it is an individualized journey," Wall said.
"The goal, especially for people on the streets, is to get people off the streets and get them support but also get them housing. This is why this is a collaborative approach. The community partners have their areas of expertise, but we should have the people bouncing around the community because we are trying to find them housing.”
For those who leave the treatment centre successfully, the district services board has additional support systems like community outreach, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM), and Sioux Lookouts' Supportive Housing Program to facilitate a continuum of care.
“Once that person detoxes, if you don’t have the next step, what typically happens is the person is back on the street he or she relapses and they have to start the process all over again," Tibollo said. "The beauty of this is because of the community partnership and because of the wrap-around supports and services that person is now given the soft handoff to the next phase of his or her journey."
