$20,000 FOR ADDICTION AGENCY

The Ontario government is providing one-time funding of $20,000 to
Choices for Change, Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Counselling Centre to
help support its withdrawal management services, Perth Middlesex MPP
John Wilkinson announced last week.

"People suffering from addiction need WMS, as close to home as
possible," said Wilkinson, in a press release.

"Today's funding will enable Choices for Change to continue to make a
real difference in lives of those in need of WMS in Perth County."

The funds are to hire a consultant to help with planning to develop
local rationalization plans within the South West Local Health
Integration Network (LHIN).

Choices for Change will be the lead agency and work with other
providers in their area.

"I am pleased we received funding to improve access to withdrawal
management services across our LHIN," said Catherine Hardeman,
executive director, Choices for Change, Alcohol, Drug and Gambling
Counselling Centre.

"My hope is that we'll be able to come up with innovative planning in
this regard."

The funding is also intended to help the agency develop a plan for WMS
in the area that will make better use of the resources they have,
address the pressures on the WMS centre (the plan could include
shifting of resources from residential to non-residential), and
promote innovation (non-residential, use of other services).