The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is getting more funding to help deal with mental health and addictions issues.
CKHA Board Chair Greg Aarssen said the organization will get an extra $190,000 a year to improve a mobile crisis response unit with extra nursing hours and hire extra help for the Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinic next to the hospital in Chatham. Aarssen added the mobile crisis unit, which is a joint partnership between the hospital and Chatham-Kent police, will get $40,000 and the clinic will receive $150,000.
CKHA CEO Lori Marshall said the mobile crisis unit will help everybody involved, including frontline officers who come into contact with those who have mental health and substance abuse issues. She added the addictions clinic will also get a new addictions therapist and more clerical support to keep the office organized.
Marshall said this is a good step forward in expanding local addiction services.
"This is a good next step towards enhancements and we are committed to looking further into how we might expand mental health and addiction services," she said.
Mental health and addiction issues have grown in Chatham-Kent over the past few years and the RAAM clinic has seen an increase in demand. Marshall said work on the strategic plan for the next three years has already started and projects are already being added. A report on the accomplishments over the past three years is almost complete and it should be coming to the board in April.
Meanwhile, CKHA has also received a safety award for reducing injury in 2018-19. The 2020 award from the Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) recognized CKHA for having the second highest injury reduction in the PSHSA safety resource pool between 2018 and 2019.
Aarssen said injuries were reduced by 65 per cent during that period and he and Marshall are very proud of the team.
2020 CKHA safety award. (Photo via CKHA)
