Unity Health hosts grand opening of new Withdrawal Management Services site
Unity Health’s new Withdrawal Management Services site promotes wellness and recovery for clients living with substance use issues.
The 25,000 square-foot space, located at 333 Sherbourne Street, is home to 36 beds, a kitchen, group and individual therapy rooms and a meditation room. Clients have access to an on-site nurse practitioner and numerous mental and physical health supports during their stays.
At a grand opening event in late October, staff, stakeholders and partners celebrated the bright, welcoming new space and the services it is already providing to clients in Toronto.
Sign up for the Unity Health Toronto newsletter, a monthly update on the latest news, stories, patient voices and research emailed directly to subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Joshua Orson, a peer support specialist, spoke at the event and shared his insight into why withdrawal management programs are so important.
“The first thing clients should be met with at the door is a sense of dignity and hope being given back to them,” said Orson. “I feel that the 333 Sherbourne space gives dignity and hope back to people at a highly vulnerable point in their lives.”
Orson, who personally went through the experience of seeking services at a detox centre before becoming a peer support specialist, said that the new site doesn’t just meet clients where they currently are, but offers them an insight into where their lives can go and who they can become.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Irfan Dhalla, Vice President, Clinical Programs, Quality and Equity, said that the space – which conveys “love and care” for clients – is one way Unity Health is working to address the ongoing drug toxicity crisis.
The space was made possible by the hard work of Unity Health’s Mental Health & Addictions, Redevelopment, and Operational Readiness teams. It is leased from Sherbourne Health and was funded by the Ministry of Health.
Hazelle Palmer, President & CEO of Sherbourne Health, attended the opening event and said the space is reflective of the synergies between Sherbourne Health and Unity Health and highlights the organizations’ shared goal of creating compassionate and accessible services for those in need.
Unity Health operates three of the four community-based withdrawal management centres in Toronto. These centres ensure that clients moving through withdrawal management programs at Unity Health have continuity of care and access to wrap-around services that cater to each individual stage of recovery. The services provided at the Withdrawal Management services site are free for clients.
Take a look through these photos from the event.
