The Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Sudbury/Manitoulin branch has extended its hours into the evening as part of a pilot project. The agency’s main office at 111 Elm Street in Sudbury is open until 8pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and offers use of information and referral, intake and brief services. The goal of the pilot is to conduct a community needs assessment and identify the benefits of evening access to the agency’s services for the general public, clients and community organizations.
“The mental health system is a pretty challenging system to navigate at times,” Karyn Mathewson, clinical services manager at CMHA Sudbury/Manitoulin, told CBC News. “We’re hoping that by extending our hours into the evening we’re going to be more accessible to people.”
According to Mathewson, the pilot project is not due to new funding or employees but rather as a result of reallocating existing resources. While these new hours are not permanent, longer hours will become solidified once it’s known which evenings are most in demand for residents.
The extended hours will be in effect until November 27, 2015. Regular daytime agency hours will remain the same for Mondays and Fridays.
For more information about the pilot project, visit the CMHA Sudbury/Manitoulin website.