The region's Consumption and Treatment Services site will officially open its doors next week.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says following an inspection last month, it received federal approval last Friday to launch SafePoint at Wyandotte Street East at Goyeau Street on Wednesday April 26, becoming the region's first CTS site to help those battling drug addiction.
The health unit announced Wednesday that Hotel Dieu-Grace Healthcare will be taking on the day-to-day operations of the site.
Health unit CEO Dr. Ken Blanchette says this is a key part of the harm reduction strategy.
"We've seen a tremendous amount of increase in opioid-related emergency department visits as well as opioid-related deaths," says Dr. Blanchette. "Last year alone we saw about 94 deaths, eight suspected from an opioid overdose as well which speaks to the need of this site and this service in our community."
He says this is the first facility of its kind in the region.
"This is designed to bring the care and the services to those that are in need so that they can work their way through addiction and as you're probably familiar everyone's path into addiction is very unique and so everyone's path out of addiction is also very unique," he says.
WECHU CEO Dr. Ken Blanchette along with Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare President and CEO Bill Marra talk to reporters about the opening of SafePoint, April 19, 2023 (Photo by AM800's Rob Hindi)
Hotel Dieu-Grace Healthcare President and CEO Bill Marra is asking the public to be patient and supportive.
"This won't be the end all and be all to the challenges that we're facing in Windsor and Essex County," says Marra. "When you look at the strategy associated with challenges directly correlated to substance use, it's really a multi-pillar approach. It's about prevention, it's about education, it's about treatment, it's about harm reduction."
He says the experience of each person needing help with addiction is unique.
"It's a choice and it's an option available to the individual who requires care during a very difficult journey and this is our wheelhouse," says Marra. "This is what we really do well at Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare. This is one of our two main specialities working with folks with these issues so we're really pleased to be part of this. We ask the community to be patient and supportive.
Community open houses at the CTS site will be held Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the public to learn more about the services being provided.
SafePoint will be open 7-days a week from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Dr. Blanchette anticipates that provincial approval, which is needed for funding of the site, will come soon.
"We've meeting with the team at the province level about every week," says Dr. Blanchette. "They have been very responsive, they're asking fantastic questions and they're moving along well so I love the relationship we have right now with the ministry on this piece and you can tell their doing their due diligence and working very hard for us as well here in Windsor-Essex."
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi