Renfrew County Council has reviewed the draft Terms of Reference for a proposed mobile Mental Health, Addictions and Homelessness Health Hub for our area.
Health Committee Chair Michael Donohue presented the report to his peers recently.
Donohue is Mayor of Admaston-Bromley Township- a jurisdiction overlapped by two OPP detachments.
He says the initiative has been in the works for four years, and fortunately both detachment plans are identical.
The Health Committee Chair says that geography factors into how one can reach the County’s homeless population for their input.
Donohue says what we’d assumed were urban problems are right here on our doorstep.
While he says multi-stakeholder engagement is required, those reaching out to the affected community for their input are the paramedics that deal with these situations first-hand.
Further statistical information will be sought on opioid-related deaths and emergency department department visits to yield a needs analysis and design a program for coping with the issues locally.
By Rick Stow
