With the unanimous support of both boards, the Canadian Mental Health Association Grand River Branch and Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services are entering into a four-month review to explore partnership opportunities, up to, and including full merger.
The branch and Trellis have developed a strong working partnership over many years. They offer complementary services and programs to provide for Waterloo Wellington residents, including treatment, public education and health promotion, community development, information and referral, outreach, and support services.
The review will explore partnership opportunities and by joining forces, the local CMHA and Trellis will be able to do more by better integrating complementary services and enhancing their administrative and program capacity.
A partnership and negotiations committee has been struck that includes three board members and the executive director from each organization. The committee will report its recommendations to the full boards.
If additional time is required to do the review, the four-month period may be extended by vote of the boards, upon request of the committee.
The final decision on the organizations’ formal partnership agreement will be based on what is best for the delivery of high quality mental health care for local residents and getting the greatest value for the taxpayer dollars the two groups.
President of the Canadian Mental Health Association Grand River Branch Jeff Henry said, “CMHA GRB and Trellis have a long, proud history of working together to serve Waterloo Wellington residents requiring mental health care.
This review is a pro-active measure by both organizations to enhance the mental health care available to residents of Waterloo Wellington.”
President of Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services Peter Kastner, added, “This review is in alignment with Ontario’s action plan for health care, to develop a patient-centred system that is better integrated and allows people to move more seamlessly from one care setting to another.”
The Grand River Branch was formed on Dec. 27, 2006, through an amalgamation of the former Waterloo Regional Branch and Wellington-Dufferin Branch. CMHA is a supporter and agency partner of three local United Ways including Cambridge and North Dumfries, Guelph and Wellington, and Kitchener-Waterloo and Area.
CMHA Grand River Branch has four centres for mental health, located in Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener and Orangeville.
Referral to all CMHA services, as well as to other community services, can be accessed through the centres. Through a range of services including the Distress Centre of Waterloo Region, CMHA supports over 30,000 people annually in local communities. CMHA is supported by approximately 75 full-time and 41 part-time staff members, 350 volunteers and a volunteer Board of Directors.
Trellis is an agency providing mental health services to infants, children, youth, and adults of Wellington County and to adults of Dufferin County.
It provides regional eating disorder and first episode psychosis intervention services for adolescent and adult residents of Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the Region of Waterloo.
In addition to its mental health services, Trellis provides services for families with a member who has a developmental handicap, and sponsors special needs intervention services for child care settings in Wellington County.
Programs and Services are provided through a network of main office and branch offices in Guelph, Fergus, Orangeville, Mount Forest and Kitchener (eating disorders and first episode psychosis services).
Visiting satellite operations provide services to the communities of Shelburne, Palmerston, and Erin.
Trellis has grown significantly since its inception in 1967 and now serves approximately 8,000 clients annually. It is supported by approximately 147 full-time and 45 part-time staff members, 70 volunteers and an 11 member volunteer board.
