Durham Region councillors support proposed mental health and addictions department in Oshawa

Councillors in Durham Region want to tackle the rising need for more mental health and addiction services.

Earlier this month, the councillors at the Committee of Whole passed a resolution to ask the Province to join in expanding primary mental health services in Oshawa.

They want to create a mental health and addictions department at Lakeridge Health.

This department would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It would include an urgent care clinic, emergency department and after-care team that will help reduce pressures on emergency departments.

In a recent Facebook post, Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson said people experiencing mental health crises are taken to the local emergency unit at hospitals like Lakeridge Health Oshawa – but these units are not equipped to deal with mental illness and often send those with needs to be addressed away.

Lakeridge Health has the space to accommodate the new department but needs a $30 million initial capital investment to move forward.

Other municipalities have been successful in obtaining funding to support similar projects.

In the resolution, councillors say they will commit $2.25 million from next years budget towards the new department, pending approval and financing support from the Ministry of Health.