Heather Wright/The Independent

People recovering from addictions will soon have more help in Lambton County. And it will be easier for people with mental health issues to find service in one place.

The provincial government announced Lambton County will be home to a new HART Hub. Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey and officials from Canadian Mental Health Association in Lambton and Kent, Bluewater Health and Lambton County made the announcement Monday at a hastily-arranged news conference.

Bluewater Health will be expanding its addiction recovery programs. CEO Paula Reaume-Zimmer says the hospital will receive $2.5 million a year to operate 30 beds for people who have completed both the withdrawal process and 30 days in Ryan’s House. The three-and-a-half year old centre helps people stabilize after the five-day withdrawal process and transition to a sober life. But Reaume-Zimmer says that’s often not long enough.

“We know that readmission rates are high in addiction sector,” she said. “An individual has enough time to stabilize…at Ryan’s House, you would start seeing that glimmer of hope…but to then leave after 30 days, it’s just not enough time.

“This can really allow people to get back, reunite with their family and friends that you’ve often left because of the nature of the addiction, and then to have that plan in place and to be more successful in a recovery plan for long term.”

She says people will be able to stay in the facility up to 18 months.

Reaume-Zimmer says the hospital has been looking for a location for the 30-bed, residential facility but it doesn’t have plans firmed up yet. Some of the cash provided under the HART Hub model will go to renovate the extended-stay facility.

Another major piece of the plan is a one-stop centre for people in need to find help for everything from addictions, mental health issues, housing and food insecurity.

Rhonny Doxtator, CEO of CMHA in Lambton-Kent, is charged with setting up the Hub. While the province didn’t announce the amount of funding which will be provided, Doxtator says the Lambton group requested $6 million for the next three years to operate the one-stop centre.

“The model of the hub is really bringing together all of the unique services that someone might need,” says Doxtator. “It’ll be much smoother and easier to navigate and access.”

Some of the money will also be used to expand the Mobile Care vans to visit rural areas of Lambton five days a week. Currently, it goes to rural areas, including Alvinston, Watford and Thedford, three times a week.

There is a very short time frame to get the services up and running. Bailey told the crowd at the Lambton Shared Services building Monday, all the services are expected to be available by April.

While, CMHA is not yet able to say where in Sarnia the services will be provided, Doxtator says “we’re well on our way to be able to operate this quite easily by April.”

There is also some cash for supportive housing. Lambton County General Manager of Social Services, Valerie Colasanti, says the county will work with Indwell to provide social services for 12 people who will be housed in the county’s housing stock as the units become available.

The county has plans to build up to 300 supportive housing units with the help of the social services non-profit, but has run into obstacles on location in Sarnia. Colasanti says the Indwell workers will be assigned to 12 individuals living in Lambton County housing.

Bailey, who said he was emotional when he heard Lambton’s bid for additional social services through the HART Hub was approved, says the hubs are “the next step to help more people get that treatment and the support they need to break the cycle of addiction and take steps on the road to recovery, giving them and their families hope back.”

He acknowledged expanding the services by April is “a real challenge” but he has confidence it can be done.