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Mental Health & Addictions

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Community partners under one roof to enhance access to mental health and addictions programs. Learn more.

Niagara Health's Mental Health and Addictions Program supports individuals seeking help for mental health and addictions through seamless care extending across Niagara Health and into the community.

In partnership with community organizations, the Mental Health and Addictions Program offers services that promote recovery through timely access to quality, evidence-informed care that reflects the physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural and social needs of all patients and families seeking help for mental health and addictions.

In An Emergency

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the mental health and addiction emergencies listed here, you should go to the nearest Emergency Department or call 911, if you are unable to get to the hospital safely (for example if you have taken an overdose).

If you are in crisis and just need to talk with someone, call COAST Niagara 1-866-550-5205.

If you would like to know more about mental health and addiction resources across Niagara Region, call the Access Line at 1-866-550-5205.

Our commitment to advancing care and increasing access to our programs

There has been significant growth in our Mental Health and Addictions Program since the opening of the St. Catharines Site in 2013.

This includes in-hospital programs such as:

  • Psychiatric Emergency Services in a dedicated four-bed unit at the St. Catharines Site Emergency Department. The team provides crisis management, psychiatric assessment and treatment to people presenting with an emergency.
  • Additional inpatient beds dedicated to the Mental Health and Addictions Program at the St. Catharines Site. The program boasts the largest physical footprint at the hospital.
  • Day Hospital therapeutic groups that enhance wellness through education and skill building. The program is offered at our Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland sites
  • The Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for patients who require a high level of observation and care.

Strong partnerships with community organizations have also enabled us to introduce new outpatient and community-based programs for people who don’t require hospitalization.

 

Providing care in a community setting advances treatment and increases access to our programs.

Examples of this include:

  • The Wellness Recovery Integrated Comprehensive Care program team that works collaboratively with community partners to ensure people have optimal care while on the journey to recovery.  A goal of the program is to reduce readmissions to hospital and visits to an Emergency Department for non-urgent mental health issues and to ensure care continues outside of the hospital walls.
  • The full-time Niagara Health Mental Health nurse assigned to our Niagara EMS paramedic colleagues to address less urgent mental health and addictions calls in the community. The goal of this collaboration is to create alternate pathways to care, avoid Emergency Department visits, and coordinate follow-up care for individuals with opioid addiction.
  • The Ontario Telemedicine Network that is used to connect people through video with their healthcare providers, therapeutic groups and other mental health and addictions programs across our sites. It provides more prompt care and reduces the need for travel.
  • The opening of the new 264 Welland Ave. location in St. Catharines. We recently came together under one roof with Canadian Mental Health Association Niagara to streamline the delivery of mental health and addictions programs in the community in a fully accessible building.  

 

Examples of innovative practices that are enhancing mental health and addictions treatment include:

  • Launching one of Ontario’s first Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics in 2016. Our RAAM clinic is a leader in the province, providing prompt care for people seeking help with alcohol, opiates and other substances. This program has reduced both Emergency Department visits and Mental Health inpatient stays.
  • Our commitment to improving the way opioids are prescribed in Emergency Departments and surgical units to treat pain in order to proactively help patients avoid the risk of long-term use. We also have Naloxone kits in the Emergency Departments and all Mental Health and Addictions areas across Niagara Health sites.

Support for Individuals and Families Dealing with Suicide

  1. The Guide for People and Families Struggling with Suicide
  2. Preventing Suicide
  3. When a Family Member is Thinking about Suicide
  4. What Should I do If I Think My Family Member is Considering Suicide
  5. When Someone Close to You Dies by Suicide
  6. Working Through Grief
  7. 24 Hour Support Information and Other Resources

Community Partners

Niagara Health works with many mental health and addictions community partners...learn more.

Methadone Clinics Available At The Following Sites

Port Colborne New Port Centre
Phone: 905-378-4647 ext. 32542

Fort Erie Site
Phone: 905-378-4647 ext. 50102

St. Catharines (264 Welland Avenue)
Phone: 289-479-5090


Extraordinary Caring. Every Person. Every Time.

Niagara Health