A new online inventory will help connect Windsor-Essex residents with over a hundred social service groups.
Partners with the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS) and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) were at Windsor City Hall on Wednesday morning to launch WEC Connect. The tool provides an up-to-date listing of services that tackle substance abuse and mental health concerns.
WECHU Director of Public Health Programs Eric Nadalin said WEC Connect now provides much-needed guidance on where to find services and how.
"All the partners around that table for years have been looking for support in helping people navigate the system, but it's simply just an inventory of what's out there and what's available," said Nadalin.
The health unit and WECOSS worked with the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.
WEC Connect went online this week. Those looking for services can use the various filters to find agencies that deal with one particular issue, along with where they are located, how to access them, which languages are spoken, and so forth.
Nadalin said it took a lot to get to this point, but everyone involved is pleased with the result.
"The idea has been in the works since the inception of WECOSS, but for a number of different reasons, it's been so challenging to pull all those different treatment providers together to have the most up-to-date resources. We're finally there and we're really excited about it," said Nadalin.
There are 122 services in Windsor-Essex listed on WEC Connect as of Wednesday, with room for more. Agencies interested in being included should contact the health unit.