Take a look inside Sudbury's new social services hub

Entrance to CMHA Sudbury's integrated hub at 200 Larch Street downtown. (John Rumball Photography)

Sudbury — A 360-degree view of the new Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) integrated health services hub, at 200 Larch in Sudbury, was unveiled Thursday.

The grand opening celebration of the building was supposed to take place in person last year, however, with the pandemic, staff said things had to shift to a virtual format.

"We just decided that we needed to move ahead and share with the public all of the great things going on at 200 Larch and also to provide a virtual experience," said Patty MacDonald, the chief executive officer of the CMHA's Sudbury and Manitoulin District's branch.

In 2014, the idea for an integrated hub was identified as a benefit for Sudbury’s downtown core. And now, seven years later, the dream of having the Off The Street Shelter, Healing with Home Program and Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinic all under one roof has been realized.

"As Canada’s first nurse practitioner-led clinic, we understand the importance of innovation and collaboration in providing the best care for Sudbury area residents. Our clinic provides comprehensive primary care using a team approach including our nurse practitioners, registered nurse, social worker, pharmacist, dietician and soon to be dental clinic," said Jennifer Clement, the executive director of the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinic.

With the exception of the open house, officials said the pandemic hasn’t significantly changed the way it operates. People who seek services are required to wear a mask, and in the last few weeks, rapid testing has been made available.

"If we do need to isolate someone, we do have the systems and framework in place," MacDonald said.

Like many other health care services, the hub has been busy.

"We go from full capacity down to about, you know, maybe 90 per cent capacity and then back up again, and so it just fluctuates throughout the year," MacDonald said.

She added that while the numbers seem high, it's important to remember this is a temporary place for individuals in need, and that's where the integrated approach is helpful as housing services are also provided under the same roof.

Take a virtual tour of the facility here.