Mayor, MPP pledge support for return of Day Treatment program

A formal application to fund the return of a specialized mental health and addictions program is on the desk of the Minister of Health and Sault Ste. Marie's new mayor is pledging the city's full support.

On Friday, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker met with MPP Ross Romano and Sault Area Hospital president and CEO Ila Watson. Among the topics of discussion was the need for the Concurrent Disorders Intensive Day Treatment program to return.

Called 'A New Day', the program offered low-barrier substance use and dependency treatment and was designed to avoid extended periods away from home or work to clients in the Algoma District, said SAH spokesperson Brandy Sharp Young in a recent email.

Shoemaker has told SooToday the return of the program, as well as the building of a supervised consumption site, are his two top priorities in combating the opioid crisis in Sault Ste. Marie.

A total of $750,000 in annual funding is needed to reboot the program.

In a letter, Shoemaker thanked the MPP and hospital president for the meeting.

"As I understand, Sault Area Hospital has applied for funding for the Day Treatment Program from Ontario Health, but a final decision has not yet been confirmed," said Shoemaker in the letter. "To this end, the municipality stands at the ready to provide any assistance necessary to assist SAH in securing funding for the Day Treatment Program."

Reached by phone on Monday, Romano confirmed the Ontario Health has received an application for funding for the return of the program.

"That is something I have been working on with our Ministry of Health and deputy premier Sylvia Jones," said Romano. "We are processing that application and I am hopeful we are going to be successful with that."

An application has also been made to Health Canada, the federal counterpart to Ontario Health.

On June 23, SAH informed community partners the pilot project would be paused due to lack of funding. In less than two years, the program treated more than 110 individuals, with about 40 per cent of graduates returning to work, school or finding new employment.