If all goes according to plan, the first permanently monitored consumption site in London, Ontario will be operational before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the temporary version of the site, the Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service, has moved from its location at 186 King St. to a trailer at 446 York St., the location of the forthcoming permanent facility.
The site works by providing people with a place to safely use drugs and seek recovery services.
Continue reading:
Region saw sharp rise in opioid-related deaths, hospital visits during pandemic: MLHU
The trailer will be used as an interim solution as the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC), the organization that runs Carepoint, awaits the completion of construction at the final site.
The story continues below the ad
“We’re hoping it will happen sooner or later and don’t want to put a date on it because with supply chain issues you never know as COVID is getting harder and harder to get things, but we’re doing great,” said Megan Van Boheemen, head of the Damage Reduction Services at Carepoint.
“By the end of the year we hope.”
The trailer being used temporarily to run the Carepoint program as RHAC awaits the completion of construction at the permanent site.
Andrew Graham / Global News
Between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, Carepoint had nearly 17,500 visits to its former King Street location. These visits resulted in 171 overdoses being reversed and 2,941 patients being referred for community support.
trending stories
-
Chuckwagon horse euthanized after Calgary Stampede race
-
At least 6 homes were destroyed by wildfire near Lytton, BC on 1,500 acres
Van Boheemen says there has been a noticeable drop in visits since Carepoint moved to 446 York St., but adds that teams have been working to publicize the move.
“We expect that once the news gets out and we have people finding us and figuring out how to access us, our numbers will start to increase again,” she added.
The story continues below the ad
Back at 186 King St., a security guard was stationed at the former location to offer naloxone to those in need.
Continue reading:
The Crystal Meth Dashboard adds a new mitigation tool for London, Ontario. and Middlesex County
The move has also resulted in RHAC’s Counterpoint needle and syringe program now operating out of the Middlesex-London Health Unit office in Citi Plaza. However, this program and Carepoint will both be under one roof once the permanent site is established and operational.
“We’re actually pretty confident that people will get used to visiting us in this space… because when our permanent location opens, hopefully there will be a smoother transition,” added Van Boheemen.
“Hopefully we won’t be in the trailer for more than a year.”
Carepoint first opened temporarily in 2018 when councilors later that year approved a rezoning application for 446 York St. – the address that formerly housed John Bellone’s Musical Instruments.
Then, in 2020, the site received provincial approval, the final approval.
4:34
A significant milestone: The Consumption and Treatment Services site opens in downtown Peterborough
Significant Milestone: Consumption and Treatment Services site opens in downtown Peterborough – 21 June 2022
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
