Ontario Connecting More People in Thunder Bay to Mental Health Care

Press Release

December 09, 2024

THUNDER BAY — The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for people in the Thunder Bay region to connect to high-quality, comprehensive mental health and addiction support services by building a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

“Our government is making record investments to connect more people to the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By building a new assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, our government is ensuring people and families in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario have faster access to mental health and addictions support services for years to come.”

The province’s investment will build a new, state-of-the-art emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area, ensuring the hospital is better equipped to deliver responsive and comprehensive care to those in crisis.

Once opened, the new mental health area will include:

A new space designed to provide care in a safe and private setting for patients and their families
Modern, state-of-the-art space for nurses and physicians to assess patients
Enhanced programming and care plan development that puts people at the centre of decision making on their treatment journey
Direct access from the emergency department triage for improved patient experience

The ministry is working with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded.

“The creation of this new mental health and addictions assessment and observation area in Thunder Bay represents a significant step forward in delivering the continuum of care our government is committed to providing,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “This initiative will ensure individuals in crisis have access to critical services quickly and close to home, offering them the support they need to begin their recovery journey in a safe and compassionate environment.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to care. In 2020, the province introduced the Roadmap to Wellness, a plan to build a modern, world-class mental health and addictions care system. The government continues to introduce and expand on innovative new programs to ensure access to connected and convenient care to support the health and well-being of all Ontarians.

Quick Facts

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a world-class acute health care facility and a designated academic health sciences centre which is also a host training facility for students from Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, as well as other medical schools.
Over the next 10 years, Ontario’s investments will lead to nearly $50 billion in health infrastructure across the province, building 3,000 new beds in addition to over 3,500 critical care, acute and post-acute beds our government has added since 2020.
The Ontario government is investing more than $228 million this year to support critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 129 hospitals and 58 community health care facilities across the province, a 10 per cent increase from last year.
Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to fill gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services and expand programs through Roadmap to Wellness.
Through the Roadmap to Wellness and the Addictions Recovery Fund the province is adding over 550 new addictions treatment beds to build capacity across the mental health and addictions sector. This includes 34 additional addictions treatment beds in Thunder Bay and the surrounding region.
In June 2024, Ontario announced funding to support the development of a Youth Wellness Hub in Thunder Bay, led by the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay. The hub will connect youth aged 12 to 25 and their families to convenient, culturally safe, and free mental health, substance use, primary care, and Indigenous healing and wellbeing services in a safe, youth-friendly space, beginning in 2025.
Between August 2019 and September 2024, the provincial network of Youth Wellness Hubs have connected approximately 55,705 youth and their families to mental health, substance use, and wellness services, accounting for more than 300,000 visits to the 22 hubs across Ontario. Recognizing the success of Youth Wellness Hubs, Ontario is expanding the provincial network by adding 10 new hubs across the province, including the hub in Thunder Bay.
As part of Budget 2024, Building a Better Ontario, the government is building on its work through the Roadmap by investing an additional $396 million over three years to improve access and expand existing mental health and addictions services and programs.

Quotes

“With the steadily rising rates of mental health and substance-use related visits to our Hospital, this investment is vital to reduce health inequities and enhance both clinical care and service excellence for patients of Northwestern Ontario. These enhancements to the Emergency Department underscore our commitment to patient and family centred care by providing personalized care based on the unique needs of each patient, while upholding dignity and respect throughout the pathway of care.”
– Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott
President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute

“I am proud to see our government making this critical investment in mental health and addictions care for the people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. By creating a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, we are helping to provide the resources for people in our community to have quicker, more direct access to life-saving support. This new addition will provide a safe space for patients and families, while also giving health care professionals the resources they need to deliver the best possible care. This is another important step in our ongoing commitment to strengthening mental health services close to home, so that everyone can get the help they need, when they need it.”
– Kevin Holland
MPP, Thunder Bay—Atikokan

Additional Resources

Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care

Ontario Connecting More People in Thunder Bay to Mental Health Care

NationTalk Partners & Sponsors Learn More