News

Ontario Connecting People in Thunder Bay to Addictions Support

Date: 2024-09-19

Earlier today (September 19, 2024), we welcomed Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo and MPP Kevin Holland to St. Joseph's Hospital where they announced funding for 15 safe sobering beds here in Thunder Bay.

St. Joseph's Care Group is grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to make safe sobering a reality in Thunder Bay. We are looking forward to adding safe sobering to our continuum of care.

More information will be shared as we move forward with the planning process. Thank you to the Government of Ontario for choosing to make this investment in compassionate and safe care for our community.

Quotes

Our government is continuing to build more connected and convenient mental health and addictions services in communities across the province. Our investment to expand safer sober beds will ensure people in Thunder Bay can connect to the mental health care and support services they need, when they need it, closer to home." Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health

"With this investment, we're ensuring communities like Thunder Bay have access to culturally appropriate mental health and addictions supports. Our government will continue making significant investments in Northern Ontario to fill critical gaps in care and ensure people have access to safe and effective mental health and addictions services, when and where they need them." Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions

Our government continues to fulfill our commitment of making mental health and addictions a priority. Safe sobering beds provide a much-needed service to people who need a safe place to sleep and can also help connect them with the appropriate services in their community that meet their needs. By investing in targeted addictions services, we are providing regional resources that are needed to keep our communities safe and support people with the help they need." Kevin Holland, MPP, Thunder Bay-Atikokan

"For people living with addictions, every journey is different. It is important to offer a continuum of services that will now include a place to safely sober. On behalf of St. Joseph's Care Group, thank you for choosing to make this investment in compassionate and safe care for our community." Janine Black, President & CEO of St. Joseph's Care Group

"This is welcoming news and the investment for safe sobering is critical to our community. This additional support brings valuable infrastructure and opportunities with partners for better care delivery to address key service gaps for people dealing with addiction challenges. We look forward to the partnerships that will improve access to services and delivery of respectful, trauma-informed, and compassionate care for individuals in need." Dr. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, President & CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

"I applaud the Province of Ontario for expanding services for people battling addictions. When people get the treatment they need, they can live healthy, productive lives and avoid interactions with the police. This supports our dedicated officers to respond to other types of calls, keeping our entire community safer." Darcy Fleury, Chief, Thunder Bay Police Service

"Today's funding announcement represents a significant advancement in our community's continuum of care by introducing 'Safe Sobering' beds to address a critical need in Thunder Bay. This initiative, developed with the invaluable contributions of over 30 partner organizations, embodies our collective commitment to improving support for those in need while reducing the strain on the 911 system. Superior North EMS is eager to collaborate on this new initiative, highlighting the collective effort to strengthen our care network." Shane Muir, Chief, Superior North EMS

For more information, please visit the Ontario Government Newsroom:https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005068/ontario-connecting-people-in-thunder-bay-to-addictions-support