Bluewater Health is one step closer to the establishment of a long-awaited community addictions hub at the Sarnia hospital.
They've hired ROA Studio Inc. out of Chatham to be the lead architect for the project.
Bluewater Health VP of Integrated Services Paula Reaume-Zimmer said it's exciting to move onto the next phase as addictions are becoming an increasing concern locally.
"This facility will have a very distinct and separate entrance from the hospital, which is important," said Reaume-Zimmer. "We want to emphasize that it is a community addictions hub. It will have a therapeutic, calming and more of a look of a residence rather than an institution. There will be a lot of effort to create comfortable spaces that allow for therapy conversations that doesn't feel so clinical in nature."
Reaume-Zimmer said the facility is expected to cost around $12 million, covered by provincial funding.
"We hear on a daily basis that the crisis surrounding substance use disorder and the need for withdrawal management services continue to grow. We've seen a lot of success with individuals in our interim space Ryan's House. So, we know that a final and complete model is really going to be an excellent outcome of all of this hard work."
Services will include withdrawal management, stabilization and transitional services, outpatient addictions, primary care, and clinical space for program, treatment, and consultations with community partners.
ROA Studio is no stranger to the Sarnia area, as the company is also the architect for the ACCESS Open Minds site in the city's downtown.
The next step is to put out a tender for contractors and the establishment of community focus groups to gather feedback.
Those interested in giving their input can email communications@bluewaterhealth.ca.
A timeline for the opening of the hub has not been finalized but the project is expected to take two to three years to complete.