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The Ontario government is supporting the relocation of the Residential Withdrawal Management Program from its current location within Sault Area Hospital to a modern, dedicated site that better meets the needs of individuals and families in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding region.
“Our government continues to deliver on its commitment to build a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions system that offers high-quality care for all Ontarians,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Supporting the relocation of the Residential Withdrawal Management Centre will ensure that the people of Sault Ste. Marie have access to modern facilities and the high-quality mental health and addiction services they need, where and when they need them.”
The Residential Withdrawal Management Centre was moved to Sault Area Hospital as a temporary measure following a fire and a flood at the original site in 2020. The relocated Centre will help to address the community’s growing need for mental health and addiction supports. Once finished, the new location will provide a modern, community-based facility and access to 20 community residential withdrawal management/safe beds, as well as key services including close observation, monitoring medical support and education about substance use.
Ontario and Sault Area Hospital are actively working together to expedite the early stages of planning, including identifying staffing and space needs. Once early planning has been approved, the hospital will begin design activities for the project. Timelines for project implementation and construction will be determined once early planning has been completed. The province will be providing Sault Area Hospital with up to $343,000 per year in operational funding to support the future site and improve access to addiction treatment services in the community.
“Our entire community has been working so hard for so long to get to this point and we’ve all been impacted by significant losses along the way,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “For years, we have been pleading for an appropriate level of residential treatment and care for those struggling with mental health and addictions challenges. Today’s announcement is the single largest accomplishment to the grand opening of Sault Ste. Marie’s new Residential Withdrawal Management Centre. This puts us on a pathway towards better services for people facing mental health and addiction challenges.”
This funding is part of the government’s additional $175 million investment in annualized mental health and addictions funding through the Roadmap to Wellness, the government’s action-oriented plan to build a fully connected mental health and addictions system that meets the needs of all Ontarians.
“Since the release of Roadmap to Wellness last year, we have been hard at work filling urgent gaps in care and making it easier for all Ontarians to access services across our mental health and addictions system,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Through the relocation of the Sault Area Hospital Residential Withdrawal Management program, clients will have better access to effective and safe addictions care that meets their unique needs, when and where they need it.”
