CAMH and Toronto East General Hospital join forces in Scarborough

CAMH Connexions

Fall 2006

by Kirk Villamarin

In the past, when clients in Scarborough needed care at a withdrawal management site, they had to travel downtown. Now, a day withdrawal services program is conducted in a residential building located in central-east Scarborough.

Developed by Ed Castro, supervisor of Scarborough Addiction Services Partnerships — a community-based partnership supported by CAMH — and Doug Smith, Manager of Toronto East General Hospital's Addictions Services, this unique program serves clients in a low profile manner and works in partnership with a variety of agencies. "We needed to be where the clients are. There was no service in Scarborough," Smith said.

L-R: Steve Villeneuve, Day Withdrawal Counsellor; Ed Castro, Supervisor of Scarborough Addiction Services Partnerships (SASP); and Doug Smith, Manager of Toronto East General Hospital’s Addiction Services.

Since May 2006, the service has been working with 15 clients for four week periods. The program is designed to teach people with addictions how to manage long-term withdrawal symptoms and the behavioral patterns arising from reducing drug use. A full day of programming consists of acupuncture, a psycho-educational component, life skills and relaxation therapy.

Chris Bartha, Administrative Director of the Addictions Program at CAMH, describes the service as an excellent example of a changing and more flexible withdrawal management system that is committed to working in partnerships to better serve vulnerable clients who need access to services in their home community.

"This low profile approach, in familiar surroundings rather than in a hospital setting, contributes to a non-threatening environment, making clients feel better. In fact, some of the clients who use the service live in the building or in the surrounding buildings," states Castro.

Lighting, heating and rental costs are covered by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and its security services agreed to help by taking an intervention approach when dealing with clients. For example, when they are asked to remove people living in social housing, security will take the time to determine whether they have addictions. "Instead of evicting a family, they're going to send them here," says Smith.

"This program exists because of the partnerships," stated Castro. Smith agreed: "This is the new trend in healthcare. Hospitals are taking down barriers to partnerships. We need to work together for the clients' greater good to make the movement from A to B to C seamless and simple for clients."

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