The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington Dufferin (CMHA-WWD) unveiled its new building at 80 Waterloo Avenue to the public on Dec. 4.
The new building was the site of the former Salvation Army Citadel.
While construction for this site began two years ago, the building has been 10 years in the making and would not have been possible without the vision of the Trellis board and the support from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Waterloo-Wellington LHIN, and MPP Liz Sandals, officials state.
The government of Ontario contributed $9.45 million, about 96 per cent of the $10.2 million cost, to the new three-storey building that will provide the following patients in Guelph and the surrounding community:
– specialized mental health clinical programs and services, including seniors programs, adult programs and crisis services;
– early psychosis intervention and eating disorders programs; and
– centralized patient intake services, service resolution and network coordination.
“Improving access to community mental health and addictions services is a priority for our government,” said Dr. Eric Hoskins, minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
“The opening of this new facility will help improve access to mental health and addictions services in the community and closer to home for patients in the Guelph area.”
As an organization, CMHA-WWD’s overriding priority is to provide the best possible service experience to those who access services. Officials say the new building is a concrete symbol of the increased emphasis to better serve those with mental illness.
Having a new building from which to deliver services contributes to a positive experience, officials state.
Services provided out of the 80 Waterloo building include: Here 24/7, counselling and treatment, dialectical behaviour therapy, eating disorders, psychiatry, telepsychiatry, and first step recovery.
“We’re pleased to be able to welcome clients, their family members, staff and community members into this bright new building that took us 10 years to realize,” said CMHA-WWD board president Janet Kaufman in a press release.
According to a government press release, approximately 30 per cent of Ontarians will experience a mental health and/or substance abuse challenge at some point in their lifetime, with one in 40 Ontarians experiencing a serious mental illness.
“We are very proud and excited to welcome everyone to our new building,” said acting CMHA-WWD executive director Helen Fishburn. “We have carefully designed our space to be healing and hopeful for all those who face mental health and addictions challenges, as well as supporting our staff and our partners to provide the very best care experience possible.”
