Hamilton-based emergency mental health service gets $5 million for redevelopment
Published April 4, 2022 at 1:20 pm
Ontario’s Minister of Health, Christine Elliott, was in Hamilton on Monday (April 4) to announce $5 million in funding for the redevelopment of St. Joseph Healthcare Hamilton’s psychiatric emergency services.
Elliott was joined by MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook Donna Skelly and St. Joe’s president, Melissa Farrell for the announcement.
“We know that expanding and improving access to high-quality mental health and addiction services is essential to our pandemic recovery,” Farrell said in a statement.
“Ensuring we can deliver emergency mental health care to those in crisis in a compassionate and therapeutic environment is essential to healing and recovery.”
The redevelopment aims to double mental health and addictions services at the downtown Hamilton hospital.
Plans include transforming the space next to the current emergency mental health department at the St. Joe’s Charlton site will into two patient care areas with specialized services.
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One area will be designated for patients experiencing more severe mental health and addictions crises and the other for those who would benefit from other medical care and mental health supports.
“Redeveloping St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s psychiatric emergency service will expand mental health services so people in crisis have access to the right level of care in a safe environment,” Elliott said in a statement.
Since the onslaught of the pandemic, St. Joe’s has reported a 33 per cent increase in the number of emergency psychiatric care referrals it sees. This is on top of the more than 4,000 patients seeking mental health care at St. Joe’s Charlton campus annually.
The redevelopment project is still early into the planning process, which includes identifying programming, operational and space requirements and assessing how the project can further help address existing gaps in mental health and addictions care.
To learn more about St. Joe’s and its mental health care services and programs, visit the health-care provider’s website.
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