About ICH Services + Funding
The Integrated Care Hub (ICH) provides essential programs and services through the collaboration of community partners, including Addiction and Mental Health Services – Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (AMHS-KFLA), Trellis HIV & Community Care (Trellis), Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) and HomeBase Housing. Together, these organizations offer low-barrier access to care for individuals experiencing homelessness and those facing substance use and mental health challenges.
Key services at the ICH include drop-in and rest zones, counselling, meals, showers, harm reduction supplies, education, and drug poisoning prevention, including Naloxone distribution.
Annual operating funding for these programs and services at the ICH comes from a number of sources: the Ministry of Health via Ontario Health (permanent funding 76%), the City of Kingston ($500,000, or 16% for 2024/25), and the United Way of KFL&A (8% for 2024/25).
The City of Kingston’s share of the annual funding contributes to the Rest Zone component of ICH operations.
The Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site, operated by KCHC, has secured permanent funding from the Ministry of Health, distinct from the other ICH programs noted above. CTS works closely with Street Health, also a part of KCHC, and provides access to primary care, Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine (RAAM), disease prevention and referrals to treatment.
ICH: A Critical Service in our Community
Supporting individuals in our community at the ICH diverts people from hospital, police and emergency services. It enables connections to community-based care and services that help individuals in their lives. This not only promotes the individual’s well-being but also reduces the strain on the healthcare system and is a more effective and efficient use of funds.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 947 diversions from emergency rooms and 574 diversions from police contact. Opioid-related deaths decreased in Kingston in 2023, while surrounding regions saw increases. The CTS saw 18,824 visits during this period.
Serving 470 unique individuals this past fiscal year, 70% were connected to addiction, mental health and housing services.
With our partners, we have also been advocating for funding for supplemental services to ensure the success of services at the ICH—a safe drug supply, increased investments in detox and treatment services, and investments in supportive and affordable housing are needed.
Plans + Approach to Reopening
The tragic incident in the area and the unexpected closure of the ICH on September 12th has had a profound impact on our clients and staff. It is important to emphasize that the event did not occur on our premises, and the ICH was not directly involved.
As a collective, we have always been committed to the continuous improvement of the services offered at the ICH and work with our partners and community to ensure that our clients receive the best care in a safe and inclusive environment.
The activities to support our reopening have been progressing well, with our goal remaining to reopen as soon as possible. For further details on our reopening plans, please refer to our Community Statement issued on October 1, 2024. Further updates on our reopening progress and timelines will be shared as we are able.
Response to City Council Motion
Recognizing that the ICH is just one piece of a broader system supporting a safe community, and, that collectively, we are facing the most difficult social problems of our time, our focus is on working with our community to support the most vulnerable.
We are committed to collaborating with all health, social service, municipal and other sector partners to find workable solutions for all.
Many of the recommendations included in the council motion align with our planning, specifically, collaboration and safety. These have been key priorities for the ICH partners and remain guiding principles that drive our reopening, service design and delivery.
We thank the community and partners for their ongoing support, and we are committed to providing further updates.
