Support now available virtually for people of all ages

Peterborough, ON – Local health partners have worked together to expand the TALK NOW Mental Health and Addictions clinic in Peterborough. The clinic is now available virtually and will open its phone lines to people of all ages every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon beginning Monday, November 30, 2020. The clinic can be reached by phone at 705-876-5826 during these hours.

Together, Canadian Mental Health Association HKPR, Four Counties Addiction Services team, Kinark Child and Family Services, Peterborough Family Health Team, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), and Peterborough Youth Services are excited to offer this virtual clinic to provide additional support to people who require urgent mental health and addictions care.

“Our shared goal is to provide more timely access to mental health and addictions services in our community,” said Mary Walsh, Nurse Practitioner and Clinic Supervisor of the TALK NOW clinic.

Partners are combining their existing resources to offer this easy-to-access service four (4) days a week – every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. TALK NOW provides timely access to a free counselling session with a mental health and addictions professional, as well as access to a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in mental health care. A health card is not required to access care.

Please note that when there is shared (joint) custody of children aged 11 or younger, consent of both parents/caregivers to participate in the service is required.

All health partners involved will continue to offer their core programs, including longer-term services, as needed.

When in crisis, please continue to access Peterborough Youth Services’ Community Response team, Four County Crisis or PRHC’s Emergency Department.

Five (5) of the six (6) partners involved in the TALK NOW Mental Health and Addictions clinic are members of Peterborough Ontario Health Team. The expansion of this clinic supports one of the main goals of the Peterborough OHT in its first year of operation – collaborating to offer services for patients requiring care for mental health and addictions.

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For more information:

Gord Langill, Director of Programs and Services, Canadian Mental Health Association, glangill@cmhahkpr.ca

Donna Rogers, Executive Director, Four Counties Addiction Services Team, drogers@fourcast.ca

Chris Simmons-Physick, Senior Director, Child and Youth Mental Health, Kinark Child and Family Services, christine.simmons-physick@kinark.on.ca

Duff Sprague, Chief Executive Officer, Peterborough Family Health Team, duff.sprague@peterboroughfht.com

Michelene Ough, Director, Communications, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, mough@prhc.on.ca

Heather Holland, Executive Director, Peterborough Youth Services, hholland@pysonline.ca