Addiction treatment centre in Windsor relocates to boost service capacity, reduce waitlist

After pandemic measures forced a local addictions treatment centre to significantly downsize, the high need and long waitlist pushed it to renovate its building to boost client capacity. 

The House of Sophrosyne, formerly located at 1771 Chappell Ave. in Windsor, has relocated its residential services to another location at 5305 Adstoll Ave. For the last two years, public health measures reduced the centre's residential capacity by more than half — allowing it to only house about seven women at a time for addictions services. 

Now, with a bigger space, executive director Karen Waddell hopes to accommodate more people who are struggling. 

"The need is just unbelievable," Waddell said, referencing the number of people who have died due to opioid overdoses. 

"We knew that we couldn't, in good conscience really, have a building that was sitting empty when there's people out there, so many people, dying from addictions." 

In Windsor-Essex, service providers have pointed to an increase in opioid overdoses and emergency room visits since 2020. 

Last year, a record 13 opioid overdose and substance use alerts were issued by the health unit. 

During the pandemic, Waddell said her clients were waiting up to a year to get a bed. Though the organization tried to accommodate people by offering virtual supports, it said nothing can replace in-person resources. 

"You lose hope when you have to wait a whole year, so I think it will make a huge difference," said Doris Stillman, the House of Sophrosyne's program director.

"We're already seeing positive attitude, people are happy to be here." 

The renovations cost the organization approximately $1 million dollars — the majority of which was fundraised and a third was through funding provided by the provincial government. 

Waddell said the organization had been fundraising for the renovations for the last five years. 

Renovations took about a year to complete and include eight new bedrooms, a gym, a kitchen and personal counselling rooms. 

Each room holds two beds, but the organization said it will soon increase that to three and be able to support 24 residents.