The opening marks a significant milestone in CMHA’s commitment to providing the community with increased access to mental health and addiction services. The community was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of CMHA’s new office at 1100A Muskoka Rd in Gravenhurst from 1 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 17. Local dignitaries, CMHA staff and community members attended the opening. CMHA offered light refreshments and facility tours.

“We’re excited to open our new Gravenhurst office and extend our reach within the community,” said Diane Brown-Demarco, executive director for CMHA Muskoka-Parry Sound. “This new location will enable us to provide essential mental health and addiction services to more people, closer to where they live.”

The Gravenhurst location will open its doors to the public on Monday, Oct. 21. The centre will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“The new office reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding access to mental health and addiction services across the region. By being more present in this community, we can deliver timely, client-centred care to those who need it most,” said Joan Edwards Karmazyn, board chair for CMHA Muskoka-Parry Sound. “We are proud to be a part of this important step forward in delivering essential services to our neighbours in Gravenhurst.”

The new office will provide crucial mental health services, including counselling, crisis intervention, addiction support and outreach programs, bringing support closer to home for the Gravenhurst community.

“On behalf of the government, I am thrilled to see CMHA Muskoka-Parry Sound expanding its services with the opening of this new office in Gravenhurst,” said Graydon Smith, MPP for Parry Sound – Muskoka “This vital addition to the community will provide much-needed access to mental health and addiction services, supporting the well-being of residents across the region.”

CMHA is dedicated to providing comprehensive mental health and addiction services that promote the well-being of individuals and the community. Its programs and services are designed to meet the diverse needs of its clients, fostering resilience and recovery.

“Access to local mental health and addiction services is crucial for the well-being of our residents,” said Gravenhurst Mayor Heidi Lorenz. “This office will make a meaningful difference in the lives of many. We are proud to welcome CMHA to our community.”

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Today, during National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW), the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced over $15 million in federal funding for 24 projects across Canada through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).

These projects will significantly help improve health outcomes for people who are at risk of experiencing substance-related harms and overdose by scaling up prevention, harm reduction and treatment efforts, including access to safer supply programs. The funding announced today will allow innovative community-led projects to serve the many communities and people who need them.

However, more needs to be done to support people who use substances, including those who struggle with addiction. We will continue to work with all levels of government, partners, Indigenous communities, stakeholders, people with lived and living experience of addiction, and organizations in communities across the country to save lives and improve health outcomes for all Canadians.

“Today, during National Addictions Awareness Week, we are taking action to address the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis by investing in projects across Canada that will help save lives. Thank you to Operation Come Home, as well as to all the organizations that received funding for their continued dedication towards reducing stigma, improving access to substance use supports, and inspiring change within our communities. Together, we can we support those struggling with addiction, let them know that they’re not alone, and encourage them to reach out for help when they need it.”

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

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During National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW), the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced over $15 million in federal funding for 24 projects across Canada through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).

These projects will significantly help improve health outcomes for people who are at risk of experiencing substance-related harms and overdose by scaling up prevention, harm reduction and treatment efforts, including access to safer supply programs. The funding announced today will allow innovative community-led projects to serve the many communities and people who need them.

However, more needs to be done to support people who use substances, including those who struggle with addiction. We will continue to work with all levels of government, partners, Indigenous communities, stakeholders, people with lived and living experience of addiction, and organizations in communities across the country to save lives and improve health outcomes for all Canadians.

“Today, during National Addictions Awareness Week, we are taking action to address the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis by investing in projects across Canada that will help save lives. Thank you to Operation Come Home, as well as to all the organizations that received funding for their continued dedication towards reducing stigma, improving access to substance use supports, and inspiring change within our communities. Together, we can we support those struggling with addiction, let them know that they’re not alone, and encourage them to reach out for help when they need it.” –The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

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Substance use and its harms are shaped by several complex factors, many of which can be beyond an individual’s control. These “root causes” include experiences of trauma; physical and mental health; income and access to stable housing; and the historical and ongoing effects of colonization and the residential school system on First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. As mental health and substance use among Canadians have worsened during the pandemic, it is clear that solutions to the overdose crisis must consider broader health and social issues. It is clear that the goal is to save lives.

In response to the increases in overdose deaths and related harms during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government quickly implemented a wide range of new measures. Ensuring supports and services are tailored to and accessible for our diverse population is an important part of reducing stigma and other barriers to individuals seeking help.

The lack of available treatment, safer supply and other services remains a significant challenge facing those who use substances and the people who support them. We need to work with provinces and territories to create standards for substance use treatment programs to ensure Canadians can access quality and evidence-based support. Recovery looks different for everyone, and improved health and well-being is possible with safe, culturally appropriate, and trauma-informed care.

Addiction is a treatable health issue deserving of the same compassion and support we offer for other medical conditions. As the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reminds us every day: mental health is health. We need to continue changing the conversation around addiction and recognize and address stigma at all levels.

It is critical that we address substance use as a health issue, and continue to look at ways to divert people who use drugs from the criminal justice system and towards the healthcare system by providing social supports, including effective drug treatment services.

I have been impressed with the public health interventions in place to prevent overdose deaths in many parts of the country that are making a difference. Naloxone access and training, supervised consumption sites and safer supply programs, are saving lives. Without these interventions in harm reduction, the number of overdose deaths would be exponentially worse. Improving the data collection across Learning Health Systems will inform future decisions and is imperative to better support the health and well-being of Canadians.

In March 2021, Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, commissioned an Expert Task Force on Substance Use, whose reports provide important advice with regards to alternatives to criminal penalties for simple possession of controlled substances and federal drug policy. We thank the Task Force for their concrete advice on the path forward. Their reports call for bold action and is consistent with what I have been hearing across the country.

We need to do more.  We will do more. I am committed to working collaboratively with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous governments and all other partners to achieve the results that will end this complex public health crisis.” – The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P.

Quick Facts:

• The government has committed over $700 million since 2017 to address the opioid overdose crisis. This includes:
  • an investment of $116 million over two years, in innovative community-led harm reduction, treatment and prevention projects, with a specific focus on those at greatest risk of substance-related harms, including young and middle-aged men, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing chronic pain, and LGBTQ2IA+ populations; and
  • providing funding of $150M in 2018, which when cost-matched by provinces and territories will result in an investment of over $300M to improve access to evidence-based addictions treatment services.

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

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The search for prospective locations was carried out by the lead applicant Canadian Mental Health Association-Simcoe County Branch and co-applicant the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, along with a diverse and dedicated SCS Site Selection Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of community members and partner agencies, including those who provide support to the drug using population of Barrie and others who bring perspective from local residents and businesses.

A number of factors were considered in the decision by the applicants, including provincial and federal guidelines, best practices for locating SCS sites for accessibility, proximity to sensitive land uses (i.e. schools, parks, licensed child care centres, residential development and businesses), feedback received during the multi-faceted community consultation process and final input from the Advisory committee members.

“We appreciate everyone who took the time to participate in any of our consultations or reached out to us,” said Dr. Lisa Simon, Associate Medical Offer of Health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “Community consultations have been a critical part of the SCS application, ensuring that a wide range of community members have the opportunity to express their needs, thoughts and concerns so that the location can best meet the needs of people who use drugs, as well as those of the broader community.”

“As a community, we have been carefully listening to all voices to ensure that we made a balanced decision. We look forward to a continued dialogue as we move forward with the next steps in the site selection process and we recognize the importance of working together as this journey continues,” stated Dr. Valerie Grdisa, CEO, CMHA Simcoe County. “On behalf of the both agencies, thank you to the Advisory Committee members for your dedication and countless hours to get us to today.”

Selecting a location is part of the ongoing application process for a SCS site in Barrie. Endorsement of the proposed SCS location will be sought at a presentation to Barrie City Council on May 25, 2021. If endorsement is received, an application to the federal government for exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to the provincial government for their approval for funding will be completed and submitted.

For more information on Supervised Consumption Sites, including the local SCS application history and the recent work of the SCS Site Selection Advisory committee, visit smdhu.org/SCS. To learn more about the Simcoe Muskoka Opioid Strategy, click here.

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