New clinic at Kitchener's CTS site will treat health issues stemming from substance use
People won't need an appointment or referral to get into the clinic
A new clinic at the region's Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site in downtown Kitchener will treat people with health issues stemming from their substance use.
The new Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic, located on the second floor of the CTS building, is part of the additional supports and wraparound services offered at the site.
The clinic at the CTS site is available to people of all ages, including youth. Services are delivered by staff from the House of Friendship and Stonehenge Therapeutic Community.
The clinic will be up and running as of May 26, and couldn't come soon enough said Tara Groves-Taylor, addiction services director with House of Friendship.
"It's very timely," said Groves-Taylor during the virtual launch Wednesday morning. "The impact from the pandemic has resulted in about, roughly, a 74 per cent increase in addiction and mental health issues, as we've seen outlined by Addictions and Mental Health Ontario."
No appointment or referral needed
Groves-Taylor said having a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine clinic at the same location as the Consumption and Treatment Services site will help to break down some of the barriers people face when looking to access treatment.
"It is a walk-in service that requires no an appointment or referral, which makes access so much easier for the individuals that we serve," she said.
"The services are brief in nature and include medical addiction care along with counselling, as well as community referrals."
The region's Consumption and Treatment Services site is the latest addition to a network of RAAM clinics in Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph and Wellington County, which operate two days a week. The CTS site is currently run by staff from Sanguen Health Centre.
Services provided at RAAM clinics, also include:
- Assessment of substance use concerns.
- Review of treatment options including harm reduction and abstinence.
- Education and support related to withdrawal.
- Brief individual counselling and peer support.
- Education on overdose prevention and the use of Naloxone.
- Referral to longer-term supports for ongoing care.
"When [clients] walk through the door, they are greeted by a team of support," said Madison Cruickshank, clinical manager of community services at Stonehenge Therapeutic Community.
Cruickshank said an individual meets with a peer support worker that has lived experience, an addictions counsellor and medical professionals.
Groves-Taylor added that between the existing Kitchener and Cambridge Rapid Access Addiction Medicine clinics, roughly 500 people were served last year. She expects that number could be even higher this year.
"Our referrals continue to grow as do the service needs," she said.
There were 5,721 visits to the CTS site between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, according to the region, averaging roughly 440 visits per month.
There were also 201 overdoses reversed at the CTS between the same time period, with zero overdose deaths.