Sault Ste. Marie has recently introduced its Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub, known as the HART Hub, after waiting for Ontario government funding for several months. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Algoma quietly launched the hub within the Community Resource Centre (CRC) and men’s shelter building near the downtown area on October 1.
This hub, among the 27 hubs promised to open in Ontario by April 1, offers recovery and treatment services for individuals grappling with substance use and mental health challenges. Notably, several HART Hubs, including the one in Sudbury, were yet to be operational, as reported by CBC last month.
Lisa Case, the CEO of CMHA Algoma, mentioned that the organization officially received funding on September 15. Rather than immediately publicizing the news, the association opted for a soft launch to allow staff to adjust to the new service model and assist existing clients in transitioning to the different approach.
The ongoing efforts to transform the Community Resource Centre into a fully operating HART Hub are progressing, according to Case. Several community partners, such as Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services, John Howard Society, Sault Area Hospital, and Niigaaniin, continue to provide services at the site, which currently includes addiction medicine, primary care, housing outreach, and homelessness and shelter diversion.
New services like counseling and case management have been integrated more formally, with crisis counseling in the pipeline and plans to enhance existing services like the Community Wellness Bus. Despite relocating certain services like the needle exchange program off-site during the transition, service interactions have not diminished, with over 1,000 visits to the hub recorded in October.
The men’s shelter, an integral part of the site, still accommodates locals, although CMHA Algoma had proposed relocating it and its 44 beds to potentially create additional transitional housing units. The future of the men’s shelter remains uncertain as discussions between the city and Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services continue to shape a plan.