Ontario Government Invests Over $360,000 Into Mental Health and Addictions Pilot Project to Aid 320 People

The Ontario Government is funding $367,480 to non-profit organization Right to Heal for mental health and addictions services for 320 people announced at the Peterborough County-City Paramedics on Friday.

Peggy Shaughnessy, Founder and President of Whitepath Consulting (pictured) has had her organization in operation since 2005. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The project, “Moving Beyond Addiction” will service over a 16-month period will use the Redpath program via Whitepath Consulting to treat addictions by using psychology-based methods to identify the reasons behind substance abuse and developing the social, emotional and practical skills to move beyond addiction and fully reintegrate back into society.

“Individuals with addictions more often than not develop addictions by using substances to either feel something or numb something. The root cause is almost always trauma; whether it’s from abuse, mental health challenges or pain,” said MPP Dave Smith. “If we are truly going to address the mental health and addictions crisis, a wide variety of treatments options need to exist locally.”

The program will work under a referral process administered by the Elizabeth Fry Society, enabling the funding for the pilot to flow fully to program services.

Clients referred to the program will typically be homeless, at-risk of homelessness, living with mental health/addictions issues and trauma, or disconnected from appropriate services.

Peterborough Police, Peterborough County-City Paramedics and Peterborough Regional Health Centre can refer clients who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing opioid overdoses.

Health and social services can refer clients from places such as the Consumption and Treatment Services/Opioid Response Hub, Brock Mission, Cameron House, and One Roof Community Centre. The program accepts family and self-referrals.

“With the recent announcement regarding the Consumption and Treatment Services funding, this funding will help expand addiction treatment services in our area and allow funding for the Redpath program that has shown great success in other areas,” said Peggy Shaughnessy, Founder and President of Whitepath Consulting.

Once referred, clients will undergo a rigorous and evidence-based assessment to determine the correct treatment for their unique needs.

The assessment will consider multiple variables to determine their needs including backgrounds of trauma, abuse, domestic violence, housing status, financial situation, and level of substance abuse.

After the assessment, they will enter into one-on-one counselling and/or the Redpath Intervention Program. It consists of 21 counselling and training sessions in three-hour spans in both community and institutional settings.

Sessions focus on identifying trauma and the cause, understanding why a client uses substances, the development of coping mechanisms and practical, emotional and social skills.

Clients will enter an After Care Program, requiring two hours on a weekly basis for group training sessions focusing on personal development and fully reintegrating back into society.

“We have had the opportunity to connect clients to the program and are witnessing firsthand the impact Redpath has. We at Elizabeth Fry can see this program coming alive through our referrals from various connections within the health care and criminal justice sectors,” said Debbie Carriere, executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough. “As someone who has completed this program myself, I can truly speak to the excellent opportunity this is bringing to our community for healing.”

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