Northway Wellness Centre

Now Open

Northway, a new facility located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is home to the Residential Withdrawal Management and Safe Beds program.

Services include comprehensive assessment, medical support (medication-assisted symptom and craving management), education (harm reduction, healthy coping, life skills, and relapse prevention), Continuum of Care treatment planning and referrals, individual/group counselling and support, and peer support and self-help groups.

Call 705-942-1872 for a referral

 

Our Staff

The Northway team provides assessment, medical support (including medication-assisted symptom and craving management), education (including; harm reduction, healthy coping, life skills, and relapse prevention), Continuum of Care treatment planning and referrals, individual and group counselling and support, and peer support and self-help groups.

The dedicated clinical and support services team is on-site 24/7. This multi-disciplinary care team includes:

  • Registered Social Workers and Psychotherapists
  • Registered Addiction Services Workers
  • Registered Nurses
  • Registered Practical Nurses
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Addiction Medicine Physicians
  • Support Services Staff

Progress Update: August 2023

We have power at Northway Wellness Centre! Over the last several weeks, contractors have been installing our emergency backup generator. This week we powered it up! This 400kW natural gas generator will provide complete backup power to the entire Northway site to ensure care is able to continue uninterrupted through any power outage.

We are in the final stages of construction work at Northway Wellness Centre, and the project remains on track!

Northway Wellness Centre Name Unveiling

On April 14, 2023, Sault Area Hospital (SAH) unveiled the new name of the Residential Withdrawal Management and Safe Beds facility at a small event at 145 Old Garden River Road.

Northway Wellness Centre is the new name of the Residential Withdrawal Management and Safe Beds facility. The tagline is A path of hope and strength. Much effort and care have gone into developing the new name and brand of this important community program.

SAH engaged with stakeholders to help select a name for the new facility. Stakeholders included staff, physicians, volunteers, Patient and Family Advisors, health care partners and the community at large. Overwhelmingly, Northway was the preferred name for this centre. Northway connects the centre’s name to our region while figuratively indicating a sense of progress along our clients’ care journey.

Construction of the new centre continues to be on track. Most ceiling work, HVAC ductwork installation, the majority of interior drywall and the majority of the flooring is now complete. Interior doors and hardware are also complete. Exterior cladding, interior painting and millwork is underway. Upcoming work includes installation of exterior door automatic openers and the installation of HVAC and generator equipment.

SAH thanks our staff, physicians, and patient advisors for their continued work on this project. Thank you also our construction partners including SalDan Construction Group and IDEA Architecture and Engineering for their partnership, diligence, and dedication to this important project. Thank you to our generous donors – Algoma Steel and Clark McDaniel of Williams & McDaniel Property Management – for their generosity. We also extend our gratitude to MPP Ross Romano and all our government partners for their ongoing support.

We look forward to the grand opening of this facility at the end of summer 2023!

Background

For over 40 years, Sault Area Hospital operated a 16-bed residential withdrawal management/mental health and justice safe beds (WMS/SB) unit. This program was previously housed at 911 Queen Street East, but had to be urgently relocated to space within Sault Area Hospital at 750 Great Northern Road due to rising risks related to issues with the facility. Unfortunately, to comply with the space limitations of the new temporary location within SAH and COVID-19 physical distancing requirements, the number of beds was reduced.

In February of 2018, the City of Sault Ste. Marie passed a resolution endorsing withdrawal management as a priority for our community. Since then, the need has only increased. In March, April, and May 2020, the number of suspected drug-related deaths in our community was approximately 25% higher than the average number of suspected drug-related deaths reported each month in 2019 and the first two months of 2020.

SAH, in collaboration with our Patient and Family Advisors and community partners, has been actively shepherding its proposal for expanded Mental Health and Addictions services in our community through the approvals with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health North. This proposal set a goal of creating a service that offers 20 residential withdrawal management beds & safe beds and is supported by 4 hospital-based medical beds; with plans for future expansion and co-location of complementary services.

NEW Residential Withdrawal Management Program

On April 25, 2022, SAH began the construction and retrofitting of our $20 million Residential Withdrawal Management facility on Old Garden River Road.

The new facility will provide 20 residential withdrawal management beds & safe beds in a completely renovated facility. The hospital continues to work collaboratively with our contractors, SalDan Construction Group and our government partners to ensure the development of the project.

We look forward to the completion of this much-needed centre!

Addictions Services FAQ's

Residential Withdrawal Management is a short-term service that provides a helpful, safe location for individuals 16 and older who are experiencing substance withdrawal, are intoxicated, or seeking help with relapse prevention.

Safe Beds provides voluntary crisis accommodations and support for those with mental health and or addictions crises.

Compassionate and tailored care for individuals (16 years and older), who are seeking residential withdrawal management, relapse prevention or safe bed support.

The services provided will include comprehensive assessment, medical support (including medication-assisted symptom and craving management), education including; harm reduction, healthy coping, life skills, and relapse prevention, Continuum of Care treatment planning and referrals, individual and group counselling & support, and peer support & self-help groups.

The services will be offered at 145 Old Garden River Road (former Sault Star building).

Sault Area Hospital’s core project team completed a comprehensive search of all available spaces in Sault Ste. Marie. Each option was evaluated based on Provincial Standards for Withdrawal Management Services and Ministry of Health Space Standards for community based programs. Some of the criteria used to determine suitability included:

  • Proximity to the hospital and emergency services
  • Physical space (square footage)
  • Centralized location
  • Building code/CSA/fire suppression
  • Access to ‘green space’ for outdoor wellness activities
  • Suitability as a residential/congregate-care centre
  • Accessible via public transportation, and space for parking
  • Space to expand or ability to co-locate other SAH services in the same building

Consultation took place with our provincial, regional, and community partners, including; Indigenous Partners, Social Services, MH&A Services,  Patient and Family Advisors, and Healthcare providers, to inform this decision.

The project includes renovations to the interior and exterior of the existing building. The outdoor area will be improved with landscaping and functional space co-designed with key stakeholders and community partners; design elements may include therapeutic gardens, sitting area, and outdoor activity areas.

SAH and our Patient and Family Advisors, along with the Ministry of Health, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and community partners, are working hard to relocate these services as soon as possible. We anticipate opening in Summer 2023.

Currently, 13 residential withdrawal management & safe beds supported by 4 hospital-based medical beds are available at SAH.

We are committed to sharing updates on our progress through Sault Area Hospital’s social media platforms. Follow us at @SaultAreaHospital

A dedicated clinical and support services team will be on-site 24/7. This multi-disciplinary care team includes:

  • Registered Social Workers and Psychotherapists
  • Registered Addiction Services Workers
  • Registered Nurses
  • Registered Practical Nurses
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Addiction Medicine Physicians
  • Support Services Staff

The relocation of the residential withdrawal management and safe beds services will ensure that individuals in our community have access to a specially designed environment and high quality mental health and addiction care, where and when they need it.