People in North Bay and across the District are now receiving more timely medical treatment for substance use disorders closer to home.
The Nipissing-Temiskaming Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic, operated by the Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing, had its grand opening on Friday to introduce patients and partners to its location at 361 McIntyre Street East in North Bay and to allow them to learn more about the service. The clinic provides expedited, barrier-free treatment for patients who have a substance use disorders, particularly with alcohol or opioid use.
Funded by the North East Local Health Integration Network (North East LHIN), the RAAM clinic is part of the North East LHIN’s Regional Opioid Strategy, designed to meet the rising rates of opioid use disorder, accidental overdoses, hospitalizations and hospital emergency room visits across Northeastern Ontario. The strategy was developed by the LHIN’s Regional Mental Health and Addiction Advisory Council which continues to work with local Opioid Task Forces across the region to support implementation, ensuring Northerners have timely and equitable access to care.
How the Nipissing Temiskaming RAAM Clinic Works
The Nipissing Temiskaming RAAM Clinic sees clients at the Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing, 361 McIntyre Street East, in North Bay. While the clinic has physician coverage from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, the clinic offers intake five days a week through the RAAM navigator. Patients can walk in or call 705-472-6515. No booked appointment or referral is necessary, although referrals from doctors, nurses, social workers, addiction counsellors, and community providers are welcome. Through the RAAM clinic, patients can also access addiction counselling, case management and receive assistance in securing residential treatment services.
The RAAM model is designed to initiate therapy for Substance Use Disorders, primarily opioid or alcohol use, and then triage clients to the most appropriate ongoing care provider. It is not intended to replace or duplicate the care provided by a primary care provider.
The North East LHIN’s Strategy uses a “hub and spoke” model, in which RAAM Clinics are located within each sub-region’s urban centre (the hub) with links (spokes) to outlying areas. The Nipissing Temiskaming RAAM Clinic in North Bay will be the “hub” site and will work with the “spoke” sites in Mattawa, West Nipissing, New Liskeard, Englehart, Powassan, and Kirkland Lake to develop capacity in these areas to deliver rapid access addiction medicine. As one of the highest users of telemedicine with 300 Ontario Telemedicine Network sites across the region, this strategy leverages virtual expertise to ensure equitable access to services for Northerners.
