Local mental health agencies get funding boost
Four local agencies are receiving a funding boost from Queen’s Park to improve mental health services in Niagara.
The West Niagara Mental Health program in Grimsby, Gateway Residential & Community Support Services in Port Colborne, Wayside House of St. Catharines and Arid Group Homes in Thorold are all receiving increased funding for the next three years, said St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley.
“Obviously, mental health has been on everyone’s radar and this government has really moved forward on this,” Bradley said Monday. “We know it is an increasingly difficult problem and in many ways it always was. But now it seems to be getting worse because of the opioid issue which is impacting communities all over North America.”
Bradley said Arid, which provides support for people recovering from addiction, is receiving $14,976 in increased funding for 2017-18 for six new beds at a women’s interim support home in Welland. The organization will also receive $44,928 in additional funding each year for the next two years.
West Niagara Mental Health, will receive $37,981 this year and $113,943 in each of the next two years to support the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital mental health program in the emergency room.
Wayside, meanwhile, is receiving
$69,624 this year and $139,248 in each of the next two years to increase their number of treatment beds for men 18 and up with addiction disorders. The beds are for patients who need help, but not acute treatment.
And finally, Gateway is receiving $15,000 this year and $84,000 in each of the next two years to double their supportive housing units for people with mental illness, concurrent disorders and dual diagnoses from 20 to 40. The funding will provide Gateway staff to provide weekend and evening coverage of all their units.