Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Construction begins on a new Withdrawal Management Centre
The construction of the new 26-bed OWMC has finally begun. The OWMC is located on Bruyère Street and will move, this Fall, to the new 15 000 square feet building after its completion, scheduled for June 2011. The new state-of-the-art facility is to replace the present inadequate building and will allow program development and expansion in order to effectively address withdrawal of drug and alcohol addiction issues within the Champlain Region. The new facility will provide safe and segregated services for women and men.
“I am very proud that the Government of Ontario approved the funding and construction of a new Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre to respond to the pressing needs of the Ottawa citizens who want to free themselves from alcohol and drug addiction problems” said Minister Meilleur at the groundbreaking ceremony. "The new centre will strengthen community-based services for people with addictions. It will provide high-quality care and prevent emergency room visits and hospital admissions," said Dr. Robert Cushman, CEO of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). "This is another example of the LHIN's commitment to reducing the burden of illness caused by mental health conditions and problematic substance abuse."
Mr. Gilles Morin, Chair of the Board of directors of Hôpital Montfort, which is the OWMC sponsoring hospital, noted that “the new facility will build on the strengths of the current program, its links to the community and will provide a larger and better-designed building to continue to improve services.”
Mrs Michelle de Courville Nicol, Chair of the Board directors of Montfort Renaissance Inc, the agency that operates the OWMC, added: “The planning and restructuring exercises date back to the early 1990’s when we identified the need to find a new facility and to improve withdrawal management services to meet the needs of our diverse population.”
The OWMC, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Champlain LHIN, presently provides services to 15 men and 5 women, aged 16 and older, on a 24 hour basis, 7 days a week. The OWMC services, offered in English and French, include monitoring of withdrawal symptoms, providing evaluation and assessment services for treatment and offering education and follow-up services, which include telephone support, to people who are intoxicated, in withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, or in a crisis situation for which a residential withdrawal management facility is appropriate.
Contact :
Montfort Renaissance Inc :
Jeanne-Hélène Tardivel, Executive Director
613-789-5144 ext. 217
Hôpital Montfort
Nicolas Séguin, Communications Officer
613-746-4621 ext. 2014
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