For Immediate Release
Wednesday October 23, 2024 | 11:30 a.m. | Windsor and Essex County
Partners of the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) and the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team gathered Wednesday to launch a new mental health and addictions service inventory for those looking for help in Windsor and Essex County.
WEC CONNECT is an online system which provides an easy-to-navigate inventory of treatment options for those interested in accessing substance use, mental health, and addiction services available locally. The inventory will support residents of Windsor-Essex, as well as community agencies and service providers so that they may refer to the most appropriate programs and services for their patients and clients.
The development of this new service was led by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) through its coordinating role of the WECOSS, in partnership with Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team. The inventory includes 122 different local, provincial, or national-level programs, and allows the user to easily find the best services for them based on service area, type of service, mode of delivery, and cost of service.
On this new resource, WECHU Director of Public Health Programs and WECOSS Co-Chair Eric Nadalin, says “Substance use and addiction permeates every walk of life in our community and it is our role as community agencies to ensure that when people are looking to access treatment, the path is clear. The WEC CONNECT treatment inventory is one piece of this puzzle. A first step for those looking for help is to better understand which treatment options may be available to them so that navigating this complex system does not serve as a barrier to getting help.”
As a partner on the project, Tammy Kotyk, Vice President of Mental Health and Addictions at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare says, “Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is proud to support the work of the Windsor Essex County Health Unit in their investments to enhance access to addictions and mental health services for our community. Through prioritizing, coordination, and collaboration we can ensure that members of the Windsor-Essex community receive the comprehensive care they deserve. It is through partnerships like this that we can continue to foster a healthier, more resilient future for all.”
Residents are encouraged to visit wecoss.ca/wec_connect to access the online inventory.
The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Use Strategy (WECOSS) is a network of local organizations supported by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit to come together to reduce the harms related to substance use at the community level.