THUNDER BAY — For the first time in over a year, there is no waitlist for a wide range of addiction and mental health services provided by Thunder Bay Counselling.
The agency made the announcement Monday, saying it accomplished this by making significant changes to its staffing model and range of services.
It focused on reducing wait times when the COVID-19 pandemic started, with the ultimate goal of removing the waitlist.
"When individuals wait too long for services, there are serious impacts to the person's wellness and safety, and it also affects their families, workplaces and the broader community," said Thunder Bay Counselling CEO Nancy Chamberlain.
"Faster access to services is important for individual and community wellness, and it also reduces strains on emergency services and hospitals."
The organization's counsellors, who are trained to provide a variety of specialized treatments and programs, can now travel to meet clients wherever they are in the community.
Last year, about 950 people accessed the addiction and mental health counselling services.
Chamberlain said Thunder Bay Counselling is committed to implementing innovative solutions to fill gaps in care, including participating in initiatives with other agencies such as expanding Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics.
Services available at no cost include:
- alcohol and drug assessment
- pre-treatment stabilization
- counselling and psychotherapy
- specialized counselling and case management services for – people receiving opiate replacement therapies; pregnant or parenting women; youth and youth transitioning into adult services; people involved with the justice or corrections systems
More information is available online or by calling (807) 684-1880.
