London's 'game changer' mental health-care model inspires revisioned plan in Windsor

Just two hours up Highway 401 from Windsor, Ont., there's a mental health and addictions crisis centre that is a "game changer" for the London community.

Now, a Windsor hospital is eyeing the same model as it plans to re-submit a proposal to the province after its original one was turned down.

Since 2015, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Thames Valley branch has operated a 24/7 crisis centre where anyone with mental health or addictions issues can walk in, 365 days a year.

And in 2020, Ontario legislation allowed paramedics to drop off those patients, giving them access to specialized services in one location.

The goal was to alleviate overburdened emergency rooms and gets first responders back on the road faster.

"I think that this has been a game changer for our community," said Lori Griffith, director of crisis and access at the CMHA in London.

"Obviously when you're new coming into the system it can be challenging to navigate. So the crisis centre also can help support that acute crisis but then also look at a system navigation piece in terms of connection, referral to other resources."

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) is looking to construct a similar model. The hospital said it will fill a gap in the overnight hours for mental health and addiction support.

"If an emergency room is the only option for an individual in crisis ... this is a better option because it is purposely designed and modelled to deal with that specific need," said Bill Marra, CEO and president of HDGH.

"Frankly, it's a more civilized, humane way to deal with individuals who are dealing with these crisis. That's fundamentally also important here. We can't lose sight of that fact."

In January, HDGH's proposal was denied by Ontario Health — a government agency tasked with overseeing health-care planning and delivery.

That plan, supported by six other community partners, would have seen a mental health and addictions emergency room opened at the hospital's west end campus in about two months.

And, that would have been a location for police and paramedics to drop off patients in crisis.

Currently, the only place for that to happen is a traditional hospital emergency room, where those first responders can be tied up for several hours waiting to offload.