'It's about being at the right place at the right time': Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre relocates

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) has relocated its Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) along with a number of other programs that previously ran out 744 Ouellette Ave., into two separate locations that still remain on Ouellette Avenue.

The new crisis centre can be found inside Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette Campus near the emergency department off Goyeau Street, with other programming now offered at 500 Ouellette Ave., on the first three floors of HDGH's new downtown campus inside the former Sutherland Global building.

"It's not about geography. It's not about any location related services. It's about being at the right place at the right time," said Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare President and CEO Bill Marra.

"We have to be really centered on the client and the patient and not be provider-centered as it relates to providing the service. This is so ideal here," said Marra.

The relocation is thanks in part to an evolving partnership between HDGH, the Canadian Mental Health Association – Windsor-Essex County Branch, and Windsor Regional Hospital.

The Mental Health and Addiction Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) at 1030 Ouellette Ave. on June 26, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

The MHAUCC opened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended for individuals 16 years of age or older who are experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis and cannot safely wait for community mental health and addiction supports.

The relocated crisis centre opened on Monday with officials anticipating patient volumes to increase, noting about eight people a day came to the former location to seek help.

"This is a really viable option if you're 16 years of age or older and you're experiencing any type of mental health or addictions crisis, having a panic attack," Marra explained. "If you have a history of anxiety disorders or if you want to have your medications reviewed, if you don't have access to primary care or if you don't have a GP (general physician), come here."

He said, "We're going to continue to monitor the program to make sure that the hours of operation make sense. If we need to make changes, we'll adjust accordingly and if the growth trajectory meets the expectations we have in mind, our goal is to expand the hours as well in the future."

Services available at the MHAUCC include crisis-walk in services (available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), links to primary care at the CMHA's Health Centre and a 24/7 over-the-phone crisis hotline.

The Mental Health and Addiction Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) at 1030 Ouellette Ave. on June 26, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

According to Marra, the relocation falls in line with the city's recently approved Strengthen the Core downtown plan.

"It's really a very comfortable, convenient and a destigmatized environment for individuals to come and talk to someone if they're going through a crisis," Marra said.

"We moved here to kind of make better alignment between us and the emergency department and be able to have clients come to one place and make sure they're in the right place, no matter what," said Kevin Matte, who oversees crisis services and is the integrated operations manager between Hôtel-Dieu Grace and Canadian Mental Health Association.

"We do crisis intervention. So, anyone who's coming in with mental health concerns, psychosocial crisis, depression, mood disorders, anything like that, they would come here. They would check in. They would have an opportunity to meet with the crisis worker,” said Matte. “We'll do safety assessments, brief interventions, link them up with community resources. Or if they need an emergency room level of care, we can kind of fast track them with a pathway over to the emergency department."

He continued, "Now that we're here, it's a lot easier."

He noted, "We want people showing up to the right place. We want people to be able to access services for a mental health crisis in a timely manner and so I think if people know we're here, more people will have access to their care. The main benefit of coming here is clients can always get to the right place and we'll help them get there."

According to HDGH officials, 500 Ouellette Ave. will offer group rooms and "private office spaces for one-on-one support."

The following services are expected to be offered there:

• Injection Clinic
• General Psychiatry Clinic
• Transitional Youth Clinic
• Assessment and Referral
• Wellness Program
• Community Withdrawal Management
• CMHA - Coordinated Access
• Assertive Community Treatment (date TBD)

"We've all recognized that we have to do more, be innovative and meet people where and when they are for those services," said Jonathan Foster, vice president of Emergency and Mental Health at Windsor Regional Hospital. "It's a little bit harder to get somebody to go even just two blocks down the street, especially when they're not in a great state or if they're in a state of crisis. So having people right here on site, we can meet them face to face. We can explain and introduce the services and start to gain a little bit of trust in how that transition is going to work."

Foster added, "It's helping our downtown, it's bringing services to a better connection. So there's seamless transitions for patients and their families as they move from service to service."