New clinic opens in Hamilton for treatment of opioid and alcohol addiction
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, with the support of a passionate group doctors, has opened a new clinic to provide quick response to those ready to make a change to a substance abuse issue, in particular those suffering from addictions to alcohol and opioids.
Called a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic, the new service is a component of a comprehensive strategy developed by the City of Hamilton and its community partners to help address the opioid crisis and support harm reduction.
The clinic will provide quick, low barrier access for people with an addiction when they are ready to make a change. They will be quickly assessed and start interventions, as well as receive help in linking to community programs. The clinic will work closely with any supports the client is already connected with, including family doctors.
“Patients tell me that opioid withdrawal is the worst feeling in the world. They’d rather keep using than suffer. So when they’re ready to make a change, they need medications to stop the withdrawal symptoms quickly so that they can begin recovery,” said Dr. Jennifer Brasch, a lead in Addictions Psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, and one of the doctors in the new clinic.
The intent is for the referral process to be simple, without a lot of steps, and very quick so an assessment can be completed and treatment and supports can be implemented to enable clients to make changes.
Treatments may include opioid replacement therapy or anti-craving medications where appropriate. This is not a supervised consumption site and no medications are dispensed at the clinic. Addiction workers will provide help to connect the individual to community supports and services to ensure on-going success. If clients require services from RAAM after discharge, access back to the clinic will be simple and quick.
As the clinic gets started, it will focus on clients who are at high risk and most in need of the service. The RAAM clinic will work closely with emergency services, which includes hospital emergency departments, the Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST) and withdrawal management services. Referrals will be prioritized based on need for those ages 16 and older. The RAAM clinic is currently working with community agencies so clients can easily be connected.
“When someone is ready to stop using illicit opioids they can’t wait weeks for an appointment to see a doctor. They need to be able to access medications for recovery as easily as they can get illegal drugs,” Dr. Brasch explains.
RAAM Clinics exist in other cities, such as St. Catharines, Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie, and have been successful in connecting people in need with community services and helped to decrease repeat visits to emergency departments.
St. Joe’s is the lead organization responsible for the operation of Hamilton’s RAAM Clinic. It is being supported by a group of doctors who span a variety of community and hospital settings, and have extensive experience in addiction medicine and harm reduction. These doctors will be providing treatment in the clinic, along with addiction counsellors. The Clinic sought input from over 35 community based agencies in Hamilton and is funded by the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton as a one-year pilot project. The clinic will continue to work closely with other community agencies, patients and families to ensure it is meeting the need of the community.
The City’s Opioid Response report in 2017 called for the creation of a RAAM Clinic as one component of helping the city deal with its opioid crisis. The Hamilton Opioid Reporting System “indicates that in 2017, Hamilton's opioid-related death rate was 72% higher than the provincial rate. In 2016, Hamilton's rate was 48% higher than Ontario's.”
The RAAM Clinic is also focused on alcohol addiction. The City of Hamilton Community Alcohol Report 2016 calls “Problematic alcohol use… one of the largest risk-factors for death, disease and disability in high income countries such as Canada,” noting that from September 2015 to August 2016, Hamilton Paramedic Services received 1519 calls due to intoxication. There were 1528 visits to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Emergency Department in 2017 with a diagnosis related to alcohol use – for example intoxication or withdrawal. That is on average four per day. Anti-craving medications can help people with alcohol use disorder to reduce or abstain from drinking alcohol, and will be prescribed at the RAAM clinic.
The clinic opened June 11 near St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Charlton hospital, at the corner of Charlton Avenue East and James Street South. Clients are seen by appointment, and can self-refer by contacting the clinic and getting an assessment for service.
For more information, go to StJoes.ca/RAAMClinic.
For Media Inquiries:
Maria Hayes
Senior Public Affairs Specialist
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton T: 905-522-1155 ext. 33506 | E: mhayes@stjoes.ca |