$700,000 agreement

The help centre 24/7 survives provincial government cuts 

 

Laurent Robillard-Cardinal

After tense negotiations, the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (the Agency), the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Gatineau (CSSSG) and the Centre d’aide 24/7 announced on March 23 that they were able to reach an agreement regarding the services that the community organization will now offer.

 

“The negotiations were intense during the first weeks, but what is most important is that with this agreement, the Outaouais population will have access to more services,” said Denis Chénier, the Agency’s Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO reiterated his trust in the Centre d’aide 24/7’s expertise. “This organization is an important partner, it has evolved in the community for the past 27 years,” he added.

 

Thanks to this agreement, the Centre d’aide 24/7 will offer eight crisis bed spaces and will assume an important mandate towards the promotion of life and suicide prevention. A total of $700,000 will be granted to the Centre to fulfill its mandates.

 

According to the Agency, the Centre d’aide 24/7 will work in partnership with the establishments to facilitate access to crisis care throughout the Outaouais territory and improve access to mental health care. Furthermore, they will have a real regional outreach. Isabel Côté, Centre d’aide 24/7 President, believes that her organization’s expertise will have a positive impact on the coordination of services. “We are satisfied with the agreement between the parties. This is a renewed partnership. The region’s residents will receive the support they need”, says Ms Côté.

 

In the past, the Centre d’aide 24/7 funding was of 1.2 million dollars. But the major reorganization of psychosocial and crisis services in the health system, that came into force last April 1st, had modified the organization’s mission. The Centre d’aide 24/7 has been serving the Outaouais since 1987.