KCHC’s Consumption and Treatment Services wins Transformative Change award
Kingston Community Health Centre (KCHC)’s Consumption and Treatment Services was recognized with a Transformative Change Award for their “tireless and compassionate” work to support people who use drugs in the Kingston community.
The award was presented at the Alliance for Healthier Communities 2022 conference on Wednesday, Jun. 8, 2022. According to a press release from KCHC, this award, presented each year to three recipients, recognizes and celebrates health champions within the Alliance who work at the forefront of transformative change to help achieve the best possible health and well-being for everyone in Ontario. They look for inspiring stories of leaders, innovators, and collaborators who have reframed problems, broken new ground, and created transformative solutions that have improved outcomes for people and communities facing barriers to good health.
“The CTS is really deserving of this recognition, and I’m thrilled for our team because they are literally saving lives,” said KCHC CEO Mike Bell. “This team is among the most selfless and committed group I’ve ever seen. In addition to the impact the program is having with clients, I’m also proud and thankful for the partnerships with other agencies that we have developed and deepened along this journey.”
According to the release, the CTS continues to see new people connecting for support each month, with approximately 150 people engaging in the program monthly, for over 1,200 monthly visits, where they access supervised substance consumption supports, overdose prevention, and harm reduction supplies/education, while also having the chance to access primary care and addiction treatment options and counselling.
“This award, honestly, is a love letter to the people we serve,” stated Justine McIsaac, Coordinator of CTS for KCHC. “Our team provides a variety of different services, and we are proud to have created a space that is for the people who need it, and is all about them: that is the most important part.”
“To have the work we do acknowledged and championed by our peers in the community health sector is incredibly meaningful, and we were honoured to be included in a group of nominees made up of real change-makers in the province,” added Meghan O’Leary, Director of Clinical Services at KCHC. “Justine and her team are incredibly passionate and dedicated to the program and the clients they serve. They are saving lives and making an impact every single day while also establishing a strong foundation to expand and further wrap-around programs and supports, working alongside partners to serve people who use substances.”
The CTS operates out of the Integrated Care Hub at 661 Montreal Street. To learn more about who they are and what they do, please visit https://kchc.ca/barrack-street/cts/