People fall through the cracks between detox and recovery
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Chatham-Kent council has directed administration to do a deep dive in an attempt to address the root causes of homelessness and addiction.
Based on a motion prepared by councillors Ryan Doyle and Rhonda Jubenville, council asked staff to prepare a report exploring costs and the possibility of streamlining services for C-K residents, filling a gap between detox and recovery treatment.
The directive includes investigating partnerships and probing the possibility of establishing a treatment centre and specialized supportive housing facility.
It includes contacting a lengthy list of relevant agencies, arranging a minimum of two collaborative meetings with all involved, and to reporting back prior to the 2026 budget process.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean that Chatham-Kent will be funding all of this,” Jubenville told council. “It just means that we will be working together cohesively with all agencies to have a full wrap-around program.”
Doyle echoed Jubenville.
“There’s a gap between detox and recovery and a lot of people fall through the systems because they get out of detox and there’s nowhere for them to go,” Doyle said. “If we can cut down that gap, and sometimes that’s up to a six-month wait, to get people into recovery homes, that will help on the beginning side of it.”
As well, he said, people leaving recovery homes after treatment often have no place to go.
After reaching out himself, Doyle said all three treatment centres in Chatham-Kent are willing to sit down with the municipality to discuss options.
Not only would this help people living in encampments, Doyle said, it would also help prevent people from falling into homelessness.
“We could maybe save them before they get to the homeless stage,” he added.
In response to the motion, CAO Michael Duben said it was unlikely that the report could come back in time for budget, stating it would probably take about six months.
Duben said a facilitator may need to be hired for the initiative as well.
Both Duben and chief financial officer Gord Quinton said a placeholder for costs could be included at budget time.
An amendment from Coun. Marjorie Crew also asked staff to find ways to seek additional provincial funding for services.
“These gaps have existed and we’ve fought and advocated to close them because we know there are gaps,” Crew said. “This is not new. If this is the day that lightning is going to strike and we’re going to get it done, so be it. The province needs to be stepping up and doing this.”
According to Crew, the Chatham-Kent Drug Awareness Council has long been working on the Chatham-Kent Community Drug Strategy in an attempt to improve services.
The report also asks staff to approach the province about establishing a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub facility in the municipality. Despite submitting an application, Chatham-Kent was bypassed in the initial round of HART hub funding.
In addition, staff has been asked to reach out to a facility in St. Thomas that provides wrap-around services.
