The need for a permanent withdrawal management facility in Sarnia-Lambton is greater than ever with the pandemic creating a "crisis within a crisis."
Bluewater Health Vice-President of Mental Health & Addictions, Paula Reaume-Zimmer delivered that message Thursday during a virtual media roundtable on mental health and addictions.
She said the addition of Ryan's House on Exmouth Street, a temporary residential withdrawal management facility with 12 beds, has helped but there's still an overwhelming need for more care.
"It feels like we've opened the flood gates. You think that you've added something and then it just expands the need. Our seven beds [at Bluewater Health] are full everyday, and over the last two months, we're turning away more people than we are accepting into those beds."
In November 2018, Ontario Premier Doug Ford indicated his government would support Sarnia-Lambton’s long-planned 24-bed withdrawal management facility. Funding has not yet been announced however, and Bluewater Health continues to work with the health ministry to secure approval for the centre, initially estimated to cost $8.8 million.
"It's the full model that really allows the proper flow. We are doing as much as we can as kind of an intermediate step, but the 24-bed model is critical and we continue to work with the ministry on that," said Reaume-Zimmer. "We feel like we're very close to saying we're ready to start the work on the site, but that continues to be second to the major crisis at hand."
Reaume-Zimmer said the hospital is eager to hear messages on a daily basis, and feels that news is imminent.
Bluewater Health Psychiatrist Dr. Cheryl Willsie also took part in Thursday's roundtable.
She said the hospital's mental health outpatient clinic has seen a big increase in referrals from the community.
"Over the last weeks, we're seeing 50 to 60 referrals per week coming from family doctors and from the emergency department, and that is a lot more than our current five to six psychiatrists are able to see," said Dr. Willsie. "When people can't access services in the community or when they don't feel comfortable reaching out for support, unfortunately sometimes people feel like the only way out of their suffering is to try to end their life."
Dr. Willsie said we really need to offer people feeling that way a better option.
She also called the COVID-19 pandemic the worst mental health crisis Ontario has ever seen.