- by Diane Pelletier
The primary goal of Community Mental Health Support Services is to assist persons and their families who struggle with persistent and severe mental illness to achieve their goals, to feel as well as possible and live in a place of their choice.
A BRIEF HISTORY: In 1978, the Ontario Ministry of Health “Homes for Special Care” program attempted to find homes in this area that could be licensed for people being discharged from Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital. They were unsuccessful in their efforts.
The people needing homes were all from the Kenora/Rainy River District, and it was felt that these individuals should be ideally located near their families and/or original communities. The only option open to the Ministry was to license a floor in Birchwood Terrace, a local Nursing Home, under the “Homes for Special Care” program. Thirty-two beds were thus secured, and people began to move to this community.
The Kenora/Rainy River District Health Council felt that daily activities should be provided for these people, similar to those activities at Arc Industries for persons with a developmental handicap. The Board of the Kenora Keewatin District Association for the Mentally Retarded was approached with a view to providing such services on a per-diem basis. Because no comparable services existed in this community for people with a mental illness, the Board agreed, and “Life skills” was born. This day program, funded by Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital through Ministry of Health, opened in 1979 and provided daily programming until 1993.
In October of 1987, the Ministry of Health approved funding for a proposed group home option for eight people residing at Birchwood Terrace. Two houses were rented in the Minto area and people moved from Birchwood into these homes. In April 1989, our residential component expanded to include three more people and another house in Lakeside was rented for these three people from Birchwood.
In 1994 “Life skills” changed its name to “Community Mental Health Support Services”.
Over the last thirty years, the program has evolved from an 8-4, Monday-to-Friday day support program to home and community based support, geared entirely to individual requirements. Supports are available seven days a week, with flexible hours determined by the individual.
Community Mental Health Support Services presently provides the following support/ services for persons with serious mental illness.
Intensive Case Management Support: Using the personal strengths model for recovery we offer flexible and individualized support that varies in intensity, is based on consumer choice and uses an individual’s capacities, strengths, talents and abilities to develop a support plan that assists persons to realize personal recovery goals
Dual Diagnosis Program: Support to assist persons with coexisting developmental disability and a mental illness, and their caregivers, to access specialized services in a timely manner, as close to home as possible.
Housing Subsidies and Support Service: This service provides rental subsidies to persons on Ontario Works or Ontario Disabilities Support Program who have a serious mental illness and have rental agreements which exceed their shelter allowance. This is accomplished through the development of agreements with landlords and coordination of rent subsidies in the Kenora area.
Community Wellness Project: To reduce barriers to wellness activities for vulnerable adults in the Kenora area. Barriers to participation include social isolation, limited finances, transportation, weather, limited or few opportunities and lack of motivation. This program is made possible through grants and donations from our community.
2009 - Kenora Association for Community Living has provided services for people with serious mental illness for thirty years!!