By Angie Sullivan
A new peer-support drop-in program for those aged 16 and older with mental health or substance use challenges, as well as their friends and family, opened May 1 in Georgina.
The Sanctuary runs Tuesdays at Sutton Arena Hall and Fridays at the Ice Palace in Keswick.
Robin Legault of Keswick initiated the six-month pilot program in Georgina in memory of her late daughter, Haley Mae.
“Together, we will make a positive change,” said Legault.
The Sanctuary is offered by the Krasman Centre, which serves communities across York Region, parts of Simcoe County and North Toronto. Its mission statement is, “To support and empower people affected by mental health and/or addiction challenges by providing inclusive peer-support programs.”
The program is called “low-barrier” which means participants can share as much or as little information as they like. There is no referral, health-card information, or application needed to attend.
Susan Dobson is the executive director at the Krasman Centre and said, “Community members can just drop in during the operating hours and take part in all that the peer support movement has to offer.”
Support can include one-on-one peer support, group peer support, arts and crafts activities, workshops on specific topics, or simply spending time in the space and connecting socially with others.
The program is led by trained peer supporters and is designed for people with lived experience.
“The program offers a distinctly non-clinical form of support,” Dobson said. “That said, if someone wants assistance with connecting with clinically-based supports and navigating the range of health and social services available, we can help with that as well.”
The Sanctuary runs Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Sutton Arena Hall and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ice Palace Multi-Purpose Room in Keswick. On July 3, July 30 and Aug. 21, the Friday program will run in the Ice Palace Library Program Room.
“If the program is successful and we find that it is able to fill some gaps in support for residents of Georgina, we hope to explore options to extend the program beyond the six-month term,” Dobson said.
More information is available at https://krasmancentre.com/what-we-do/the-sanctuary-georgina-peer-support-drop-in-program/
