CMHA extends hours in Sudbury for mental health sufferers

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) branch in Sudbury is keeping itsdoors open later during a pilot project aimed at better assisting mental health sufferers.

Karyn Mathewson, the manager of clinical services, said the office on Elm Street will remain open until 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The pilot program is aimed at determining which days work best to keep services available longer, she said.

"The mental health system is a pretty challenging system to navigate at times," Mathewson said. "There would be others that provide that information and referral, but we're hoping that by extending our hours into the evening we're going to be more accessible to people."

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Staff members will be available to help fill out forms, give referrals and provide support. There's no new funding or employees, according toMathewson.

"It is about managing the resources that we have and the staffing that we have," she said."So we have staff who have signed up to participate in this pilot to adjust their hours for the day."

While these new hours are not permanent, longer hours will become solidified once it's known which evenings are most in demand for residents.