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LHIN won't fund SOS program

The North West Local Health Integration Network has received no formal funding application for Shelter House's SOS program, nor is it considering funding the service.
SOS Program 2
Adam Cupelli (left) and Jess Langile (right) prepare the SOS van for another night assisting people on the streets of Thunder Bay.

THUNDER BAY -- The North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) is not considering funding a transportation and outreach program for the city's homeless, nor has it been formally requested to do so.

The Streets Outreach Services program both transports the city's south core street population for medical purposes and provides a two-person team driving well-tread routes, giving out blankets and harm reduction tools to those sleeping outdoors.

Police and EMS leaders said their services would feel the loss of the Streets Outreach Services (SOS) program after Apr. 1 when Shelter House termporarily suspends it for the summer due to insufficient funds.

Both suggested SOS should be funded through the LHIN as the regional arm of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

LHIN CEO Laura Kokocinski said neither the city nor Shelter House has made an application to request that the LHIN fund the SOS program.

“It’s not on our list at all at this point,” Kokocinski said.

“Our normal process would be that we would be looking for a health system improvement plan that a provider would indicate to us that they’re looking for funding and we would put that into our funding decision-making process. That process usually begins n the fall and we make final decisions between January and March for the next fiscal year.”

The city's Intergovernmental Affairs Committee made a case to provincial ministers at a conference last month, arguing the LHIN should fund social programs as health programs.

The North West LHIN funds 39 mental health and addictions programs across the region, including the Getting Appropriate Personal and Professional Support (GAPPS) program in conjunction with other mental health providers. Kokocinski also highlighted funding the LHIN has provided to the NorWest Community Health Centre to deliver health care services to Shelter House clients.  

Kokocinski is seeing rising demand for those services. Training for the LHIN-supported program that will partner local police officers with crisis response mental health workers has been completed and Kokocinski expects it will formally launch soon.

“We really trying to ensure the services and programs we’re working on are those that we’re seeing the greatest need,” she said.

Shelter House’s online fundraising campaign to reinstate the SOS program has raised $1,063 of its stated $200,000 goal since it launched on Mar. 15.





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