Fleming College

The following news release was issued by CMHA HKPR on July 26, 2013:

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge Branch would like to thank the students from the Social Service Worker program at Sir Sandford Fleming College for their generous donation of $300 to our Safe Beds Renovation Fund.

The money was raised through a bake sale the students held on Wednesday, July 24 at the Sutherland Campus.

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge, is asking the community to help raise $20,000 to purchase a stair climber. This will greatly improve accessibility to clients of their Safe Beds program, located in a two-storey century home.

Safe Beds is part of the Four County Crisis Program (4CC) and provides a safe and supportive environment to persons in crisis, aged 16 and older. Safe Beds is a non-medical facility, abstinence-based, voluntary, and of no cost to the individual. Clients cannot be of harm to themselves or others, must be willing to follow rules of the house, and be agreeable to work on goals that will assist them to recovery. Over the past year there were 195 admissions to Safe Beds, with an average stay of seven to 10 days.

Currently, only of the six rooms available in Safe Beds is accessible to those who have mobility difficulties as it is located on the ground floor. The remaining rooms are located on the second floor, requiring the individual to be able to climb two flights of stairs.

Quotes for a stair climber are being obtained, and it is expected to cost up to $20,000 to complete the renovation. Accessibility funding has been explored but at this time there is no federal, provincial, or municipal funding available. While more funds may be released toward the end of the year, the renovations need to be completed as soon as possible to provide greater accessibility to all units.
 

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For more information contact:
Kerri Davies
Manager of Development
Tel: 705-748-6687 ext. 1048
Email: kdavies@cmhahkpr.ca