2009/10 ANNUAL REPORT - Canadian Mental Health Association

City Centre Health Care
2008 2009
1. FTE.......... Number Served, 90 80
Number of Groups 2 2
Number of Group Participants 7 10
The Griefworks program received some media attention. The
specialist was interviewed for a radio show and for print media.
The group that supported the CMHA-WECB “Lucky’s Journey” colouring book: Melinda
Hinch, Margaret Muzyka, Julia Kelly-Dion, and Dennis Smith.
The City Centre Health Care Operating as a satellite of Windsor-Essex
Community Health Centre, continues to provide comprehensive
primary care service for persons living in the prescribed downtown
catchment area and for persons having a serious mental illness in
Essex County.
Last year, the City Centre Health Care (CCHC) served a total of 6,
043 clients with total service events equalling 13,068.
In 2009 the CCHC operated with two Nurse Practitioners, but
through the Grow Your Own Nurse program offered through the
Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, we were able to secure a
nurse who worked in the CCHC in an RN capacity until she received
pass notification as an NP. We also had two primary care physicians,
two medical secretaries, one temporary full time receptionist, one
Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), two therapists, one dietitian, one
podiatrist, and one health promoter
One of the NP’s in the CCHC has been trained in IUD insertion and as
a result has made this service available to our clients.
Our dietitian and one of the therapist ran a 6 week program “Food
for Thought” which provided support and education for people to
learn effective strategies to break the pattern of mindless eating. This
program was for women 18 years and older, and was offered at the
Kingsville location.
CCHC have bee enrolling unattached clients referred from HDGH.
Thus far we have had 102 referrals and 19 have been seen by a
physician. Many of the referrals have been unreachable, and as a
result many have not been able to be provided with an appointment.
The team is looking at creative ways to ensure clients get attached to
the services they need.
CCHC played a very active role in preparing for the global pandemic
threat last year. The CCHC staff were busy ensuring that we were
prepared to address clients who presented with flu like symptoms,
and took the necessary precautions when assessing and treating
clients. The team secured the procedure room as our triage room,
and the front line staff surveyed clients as they came in to the centre
to determine if they needed a mask, or to be taking directly to the
triage room to be seen by a clinician. We only experienced one case of
a client with the symptoms, and he had recently visited Mexico. We
were further able to secure extra H1N1 Vaccine, and focused initially
on the priority groups. Our efforts along with the other WECHC’s
efforts contributed greatly to the low numbers of people visiting the
emergency rooms with symptoms.
CCHC was able to partner with Madonna University in Livonia
Michigan, and secured a psychology intern who began her internship
in May of 2009. The intern was able to provide psychological testing,
assessments, and treatment, she was both supervised by the manager
of the CCHC and the CMHA psychologist. Her internship will end in
April of 2010.
CCHC held their annual retreat on Friday September 11, 2009
where Dr. Nick Kates was the presenter. Dr. Kates is a professor in
the department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at
McMasters University with a cross appointment in the Department
of Family Medicine, and is the program director of Hamilton Family
Health Team. The retreat was held at Branteny’s B&B on Malden road.
This site was a little oasis, nicely nestled at the end of a dead end
street, with trees, flowers, birds, deer’s, and a host of other wild life. It
was a day filled with information, optimism, and readiness for change.
We all left there inspired, and motivated. We were all very excited to
have Pam Hines our CEO join us for a portion of the retreat.
Clients Served 2007/08 – 6,822
2008/09 – 11,238
2009/10 – 13,069 15