Kingston Health Sciences Centre adding two mental health beds

The Ontario Government is adding two mental health beds in the Kingston Health Sciences Centre. The beds are part of a $12 million investment to add new mental health beds in hospitals and expand programs that support the mental health and well-being of seniors across the province, according to a release from the office of MPP Daryl Kramp dated Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.

MPP Daryl Kramp welcomed the $467,000 investment in the Kingston Health Sciences Centre.

“Kingston has one of the leading medical centres in the country and this funding will allow them to do even more for the communities they serve,” Kramp said. “Our collective mental health is under pressure as we all work hard to get through the covid pandemic. This investment in Kingston Health Sciences will make a difference in local lives.”

This funding is part of the mental health and addictions plan Roadmap to Wellness, which delivers high-quality care and builds a modern, connected and comprehensive system to support those dealing with mental health and addictions issues.

According to the release, this investment includes:

• $10.9 million this year to create an additional 46 in-patient mental health beds in 16 hospitals across the province;
• $1.1 million to support the operations of the Baycrest Hospital Behavioural Neurology Unit;
• Up to $164,000 in additional funding to support the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Wellbeing in Later-Life education and awareness program for seniors; and,
• Enhanced support to the Seniors Safety Line with an additional investment of up to $130,000.

In December 2020 the Maltby Centre discussed how they were already moving toward the service connections the Roadmap to Wellness initiative is hoping to improve.

According to the release, this funding has already flowed to hospitals so they could proceed quickly on making the beds available.