Breaking Barriers to Mental Health Care

On June 20, 2024, SHN was joined by esteemed donors, SHN team members, the Honourable Doug Ford and other government officials to celebrate the grand opening of the Community Mental Health Centre.

The new centre, entirely funded by donors through the Love, Scarborough campaign, marks a monumental step forward in delivering inclusive and accessible mental health care in the Scarborough community. Centrally located in the heart of Scarborough, the Community Mental Health Centre ensures inclusive, stigma-free mental health care for the diverse community. By bringing together outpatient adult mental health services into a warm, welcoming community setting, SHN is breaking down barriers and transforming the narrative around mental health support.

The Power of Philanthropy

The centre was made possible entirely thanks to donors, who collectively donated $6 million to enable this priority project within SHN Foundation’s Love, Scarborough campaign. Part of the Orlando Corporation Mental Health Centre of Excellence across SHN, the centre offers a variety of clinical offerings, including group and one-to-one counselling and inclusive psychiatry. Inside, patients will have access to the RBC Youth Mental Well-being Clinic, the Bell Seniors’ Mental Health Clinic, the Slaight Family Foundation Cultural Psychiatry Clinic, and the Ray Gupta and Family Mood & Anxiety Clinic.

A Seamless Model of Care

The centre’s revolutionary feature is its “no wrong door” model of care. With just a single referral from a physician or caregiver, the SHN team takes the reins, navigating patients through the myriad of services to ensure seamless, efficient, and personalized care. This approach underscores SHN’s commitment to making mental health care as accessible and straightforward as possible for the people of Scarborough.

Building It Forward for Scarborough

The SHN Community Mental Health Centre is the first achievement of the ambitious Love, Scarborough campaign, spotlighting the power of community and philanthropy. It is also part of SHN’s greater plans to Build it Forward for Scarborough; ambitious capital expansion and renewal projects through a multi-year redevelopment strategy will ensure SHN’s hospitals’ services and facilities meet Scarborough’s evolving needs into the future, and transform healthcare for the diverse and growing community.

We are tremendously grateful for every donor that contributed to this project and our Scarborough hospitals. This new centre demonstrates the power of philanthropy and how much we can achieve together with our community, and generous donors. Thank you!

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