It didn’t take long for the new Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Centre to make its presence felt in London. 
The centre – a partnership between the CMHA Middlesex and Canadian Addiction Services Thames Valley – helped 30 walk-in patients within the first 48 hours after officially opening its doors on Jan. 11.
Half of those people received mental health and addictions support. In the past, those seeking immediate assistance for mental health and addictions problems would have had to wait in hospital emergency rooms.
Kristy Cairns, CMHA Middlesex manager of communications and public engagement, told the London Free Press 16 of those 30 patients would have likely gone to the hospital if the centre didn’t exist. As a result, that number was reduced to one.
The centre had a soft launch on Dec. 1 and had been providing assistance by referrals only since then.
For more information on the centre, visit the CMHA Middlesex website.