CHATHAM, July 25, 2022 – Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation (CKHAF) has committed $450,000 towards the completion of the Withdrawal Management service at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA). These funds, contributed by donors from across Chatham-Kent, will help in covering the remaining costs for the renovation of the former outpatient mental health services building at CKHA’s Chatham site to house the Withdrawal Management service, as well as the relocated Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinic.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support that our community has shown in bringing this much-needed service to Chatham-Kent,” said Mary Lou Crowley, President & CEO of CKHAF. “The ongoing mental health and addiction crisis in our community has touched so many lives. As the link between the community and its local hospital sites, we are thrilled to be able to commit such a substantial sum of donor dollars to this project that will have a profound impact.”
CKHAF launched a community-wide fundraising campaign on April 1, 2022 that has received tremendous community support. One highlight of the campaign came during a joint announcement at CKHA’s Chatham site on April 20, 2022, when the United Way of Chatham-Kent committed $155,000 towards the project. Additional contributions have come in from donors from across Chatham-Kent since the campaign launched.
“I feel truly privileged to be a part of a community that is so proactive in supporting local healthcare,” stated Bob Hockney, Chair of CKHAF’s Board of Directors. “We’ve all seen that there is a critical need for Withdrawal Management and enhanced mental health and addiction services in Chatham-Kent, and our community has stepped up and played a vital role in helping to bring these services home at a time when they are needed most.”
The Withdrawal Management service will provide a supportive environment to enable safe withdrawal from substances and initiation of follow-up addictions treatment. The renovated facility, which will include the relocated RAAM clinic, will enable CKHA to provide the best and most appropriate care to people struggling with addictions. In doing so, it will also reduce the pressure put on the hospital’s acute mental health inpatient program.
“On behalf of everyone at CKHA, we are profoundly grateful for the community’s overwhelming support of Withdrawal Management,” said Lori Marshall, President & CEO of CKHA. “Residents of Chatham-Kent have demonstrated a continued dedication to supporting key mental health initiatives. Along with the RAAM clinic’s expansion to our Wallaceburg Site in November of 2021, we are so delighted with the progress that is being made in the delivery of high-quality addiction care throughout our community.”
While this commitment represents a major development in the provision of enhanced mental health and addiction services in Chatham-Kent, there remains an ongoing need for support in order for CKHA to provide the best mental health and addiction treatment possible. If community members are interested in supporting this crucial cause, they can visit www.ckhaf.ca or call the Foundation office at 519-436-2538 to learn more or make a donation.
