SCARBOROUGH, Ontario — Scarborough welcomed a new landmark in mental health care with the opening of the Scarborough Health Network Community Mental Health Centre on Eglinton Avenue E., west of Warden Avenue. The facility consolidates all adult outpatient mental health services into a single, state-of-the-art location, heralded as a significant advancement by officials.
Alicia Vandermeer, President and CEO of the Scarborough Health Network Foundation, expressed gratitude to donors whose contributions fully funded the centre’s capital budget. “You are helping write a new story for Scarborough, and we are celebrating an amazing chapter today thanks to all of you,” Vandermeer remarked during the grand opening.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined in the ceremony, emphasizing the centre’s importance for Scarborough’s 630,000 residents. “It’s about time that the people here are getting the attention they deserve,” Ford stated.
The centre operates under Scarborough Health Network’s “no wrong door” model, ensuring that all patients referred receive tailored treatment from appropriate care teams. According to SHN, over 10,000 referrals to their outpatient mental health programs annually will now benefit from streamlined access and reduced stigma under one roof.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones affirmed that provincial government funding will sustain the centre’s operational budget. “The provincial government will be there for the operating dollars,” Jones affirmed, highlighting the community’s initial drive to enhance local health services.
Dr. Ilan Fischler, Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the mental health and addiction program at SHN, described the centre as a transformative replacement for outdated facilities. “We used to have a lot of small mental health centres that were less than ideal spaces,” Fischler noted. “Now, patients can receive comprehensive psychiatric care, medications, group therapy, and individual therapy all in one accessible location.”
Funded entirely by community donations, the centre marks the inaugural project of the “Love, Scarborough” fundraising campaign. “This was 100 per cent donor funded,” Fischler confirmed, underscoring the community’s commitment to advancing mental health care.
The centre offers a range of specialized services including group and one-to-one counseling, psychiatric care, and access to dedicated clinics such as the RBC Youth Mental Well-being Clinic and the Bell Seniors’ Mental Health Clinic. Additionally, the facility hosts the Slaight Family Foundation Cultural Psychiatry Clinic and the Ray Gupta and Family Mood and Anxiety Clinic.
The opening of the Scarborough Health Network Community Mental Health Centre represents a significant stride forward in local mental health care, promising enhanced accessibility and support for the community it serves.
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