HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-12-09, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010.Huron and Perth addiction services to join
BIA Group
hears facts
Effective Jan. 1 Huron CountyAddiction Services will beamalgamated with Stratford-based
Choices for Change: Alcohol, Drug
and Gambling Counselling Centre.
All four counsellors in Huron
County will stay on board, and will
become part of the Choices for
Change staff team. There will be no
reduction in services, but the main
office for Huron County will be
moved from Clinton to Seaforth
over the holiday season. Services
currently provided in Exeter,
Wingham, Goderich and Clinton
will all continue.
“This is very exciting and we’re
convinced it will be beneficial for
clients,” says Catherine Hardman,
Executive Director of Choices for
Change. “It makes sense to have one
organization that’s strictly devoted
to addiction join with another
organization similarly devoted to
addiction. And as time goes on, it’s
our hope that we can expand some of
the services we’re offering in Perth
to the people in Huron County.”In the past five years alone, Perthand Huron addiction services have
together served over 3,500 clients of
all ages, with addictions ranging
from alcohol and gambling to a
broad range of substances. The
majority of clients, however, are
between 24 and 35 years of age. In
the past two to three years there has
been an increase in both counties in
oxycontin addictions (a powerful
prescription pain killer) and crystal
meth addictions continue to be an
ongoing challenge for the agency inPerth. All services at Choices forChange are confidential and offered
free of charge to clients.
Previously, the Huron County
Health Unit had been commissioned
by the SouthWest Local Health
Integration Network (LHIN) to
provide addiction services in Huron.
In March 2010, the Huron County
Board of Health made the decisions
to terminate their funding contract
with the LHIN. Following this
decision, Choices for Change was
approached to expand their servicedelivery to Huron County.“We’re very pleased the Huron
addiction counsellors will be
working as part of Choices for
Change,” says Dr. Nancy Cameron,
Medical Officer of Health at the
Huron County Health Unit. “The
organization has the expertise and
dedicated programs that are
important for Huron County
residents who need addiction
services and Huron counsellors will
also bring a wealth of experience to
Choices for Change. It’s an excellentfit that will serve the Huron publicwell.”
The Clinton office will close on
Dec. 20 and on Jan. 1 the new office
in Seaforth at 28 Centennial Dr. will
open. Phone support will be
available from Dec. 20 to 23 while
the office is in transition. All satellite
offices in Huron will remain open
and operate under regular hours.
“We believe this amalgamation
will give our Huron County clients
Continued from page 13
according to the presentation, are to
enable local business and property
owners to perform physical
improvements and promote
development in the area, develop
relationships with local groups,
provide community feedback to the
municipality and “foster local
economic development by
addressing vacancy rates to provide
a greater municipal tax base”.
According to the presentation,
Ontario currently has 86
municipalities that have at least one
BIA, some have multiple BIAs.
Examples include Toronto, which
has 71 BIAs, Ottawa, which has 15
and Hamilton which has 13.
Twenty-one other municipalities
across the province have more than
one BIA.
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