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WPSHC launches new collaborative Mental Health Hub

The local hospital unveiled The Mental Health Hub, a new mental health initiative on Tuesday. 

Officials with the West Parry Sound Health Centre (WPSHC) say the hub, a collaborative effort with the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, is located within the health centre. 

The hospital says the space it’s in interconnects the hub with a collection of community and social services as well as the primary care sector. 

According to a release by the WPSHC, The Mental Health Hub will house the following;  

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  • An inpatient social worker who also supports community initiatives like Hospice West Parry Sound. 
  • The WPSHC Rural Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (NPLC) Rapid Access Addition Medicine (RAAM) Clinic. 
  • An Addiction Medicine Consult Team as well as a Safe Justice Bed Nurse Navigator. 
  • A mental health and addictions professional assigned specifically to support those accessing social services through an existing partnership with the local DSSAB. 
  • An administrative support staff, who also serves as the navigation touchpoint for partners to ensure a “no wrong door” approach. 

Officials say the hub’s team collaborates with partners to ensure transitions of care are seamless, enhance patients’ mental health and well-being through services that support substance-use disorders, alternate levels of care planning, palliative care, grief counselling, and build connections to required social services.  

“The creation of the Mental Health Hub stems from a desire to address a long-standing gap in services in our community and to move towards more culturally sensitive and compassionate care within the current care model. Through collaboration with patients and Indigenous partners and the leadership of WPSHC’s Indigenous Lead, the team also works to ensure care is culturally safe and patients have access to elements of traditional medicine,” reads the release. 

The hospital says the initiative would not have come to fruition if it were not for the support of local communities and the work of the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation. Christine McKernan, Executive Director of the WPSHC Foundation, says she knows the creation of the hub has been in direct response to a need in the community. 

She says philanthropy from the West Parry Sound community played a huge role in making the Hub possible.  

“This is largely not funded by the government at this time and the proceeds from our Castaway event in August of 2022 largely have been used to support the creation of the Mental Health Hub. The proceeds from the event were about $485,000 and it was almost all raised in this community. It was our largest fundraising event ever,” she says. 

“The level of support and the speed of which this funding was raised was astounding. It really speaks to our community’s recognition of the importance and need of more robust mental health support,” McKernan says.  

Interested members of the public are encouraged to call the Mental Health Hub at 705-746-4540 ext. 1339, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to learn more about the programs and other community supports and services.  

The WPSHC says individuals seeking assistance may also wish to know that the Canadian Mental Health Association Muskoka-Parry Sound is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for unscheduled walk-in appointments or can be reached at, 705- 746-4264, for calls regarding mental health or addiction services in Parry Sound and Muskoka.  

For help outside of office hours, there is a 24/7 crisis service at 1-888-893-8333.  

They can also access B’saanibamaadsiwin Indigenous Mental Health and Addictions Service at 705-746-2512. This service is accessible 24-/7 and provides crisis services after hours, and never hesitate to call 911 in the case of an emergency. 

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