Kitchener-Waterloo

House of Friendship to provide addiction and counselling services

People using addiction services at St. Mary's will access them through the House of Friendship as of June 1.

Waterloo-Wellington LHIN approves transfer from St. Mary's Hospital

The outside of a hospital building.
House of Friendship will take on St.Mary's addiction and counselling services as of June 1. This will help people access a wider range of services and extend to undeserved areas, such as Cambridge. (Brian St. Denis/CBC)

People who normally access addiction and counselling services at St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener will soon start using those services through the House of Friendship (HOF).

Addiction and counselling services, currently provided at St. Mary's, will transfer to the House of Friendship as of June 1.

"House of Friendship is always looking for ways to improve accessibility and services that we provide for the people we serve," John Neufeld, executive director for HOF told CBC News. 

HOF handles the bulk of addiction treatment services in the region and the voluntary integration of services aims to help individuals access a wider range of other services and treatment options. 

"We are confident that clients will benefit from improved access to a wider range of services," said Sherri Ferguson, vice president of quality, people and performance at St. Mary's Hospital in a release.

The integration will also help individuals in the system transfer between services with more ease.

This will also extend services to under served areas of Waterloo region, such as Cambridge.