The Addiction Assessment and Referral Program (AAR), located within the HDGH Mental Health and Addictions Downtown Campus at 500 Ouellette Avenue, is a community-based service for Windsor-Essex County individuals, aged 16 and older who are concerned or experiencing problems and/or negative consequences related to substance use. AAR acts as an entry point into the Ontario Ministry of Health’s treatment system through the requirement of a Global Appraisal of Individualized Needs (GAIN) Assessment. AAR is staffed by Social Workers who are skilled in the use of the GAIN Assessment Tool.
How To Access Our Services
Call 519.257.5224
or
Walk-in. Attend our Walk-In Intake on Tuesday from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm or Thursday from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at 500 Ouellette Avenue. We are no longer open on Friday mornings. If you are unable to attend during the new hours, please reach out to us by phone at 519.257.5224
Please Note
The walk-in clinic is first-come, first served and the last appointment is at 4:00 pm. This is a self-referral service. Third parties cannot refer without consent.
For your intake please remember:
- Bring your health card;
- Please be substance free for 24 hours prior to coming to the walk-in clinic;
- AAR is a scent-safe environment;
- Bring a list of prescribed medication(s).
If you have questions about walk-in intake dates/times please call the department (See Contact Information below). Our services are provided in English. Interpreter services must be provided by the client if needed.
Leamington Office
Call: 519-984-2531
Pathway of Care
Stage 1: Screening - helps determine what kinds of needs the individual may have. Also referred to as "intake".
Stage 2: Assessment - clients will meet with a Social Worker to self-administer an assessment. They will be asked questions regarding their addiction, mental health, and activities of daily living.
Stage 3: Treatment Plan - a treatment plan will be developed with the client.
Cost
AAR at HDGH is funded by the Ministry of Health. Services are provided at no cost to you upon presentation of a valid OHIP card.
Contact Information
HDGH Mental Health and Addictions Downtown Campus
500 Ouellette Avenue
Windsor, ON N9A 1B7
Phone
519.257.5224
Families’ and Friends’ Role in Promoting Safety
Family members and friends play an important role in patient safety. Encouraging
attendance of appointments, taking medications and asking to be involved in
understanding and facilitating treatment plans is recommended among family
members and friends. If family members and friends have serious concerns
about a loved one’s safety and well-being please utilize emergency (911) or
crisis hotline (519-973-4435) services or locations (nearest emergency room or
crisis centre) as needed. You are always allowed to provide us with
information however we may not be able to relay information/feedback to you
directly. For any important messages the hospital contact information is
provided on this website under the Contacts link.
Thank you for your role in promoting safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect to happen the day of the walk in clinics?
When you attend a walk in clinic, we will begin the process of triage (or screening) to determine what services you may require related to substance use and other areas of concern. We will start by asking you some personal health information, what your concerns are, and what supports you are looking for (i.e.: information or counselling). The intake process will take approximately 30 minutes.
What happens after screening and registration?
You may be asked to come back another day for your assessment. With the support of an HDGH Staff member, you will fill out an assessment on the computer. The assessment will ask you questions about your substance use, internet, gaming or problem gambling concerns, your mental health, and activities of daily living (school, employment, etc.). This will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
What happens after you complete the assessment?
Following completion of your assessment, you will be provided an 1 on 1 appointment. During this appointment, you will meet with an HDGH staff member to go over the results of your assessment, and discuss your individual goals. A recovery plan will be mutually formulated so that we can support you to reach your goals. The HDGH staff member will explore treatment options available in the community, and will help you access information to make an informed decision on next steps. Community agencies, including HDGH, offer substance use programming for those with addiction.
Screening & Assessment
What is Screening?
Screening is an important first step in the clinical services provided at AAR. The screening process helps to determine what kinds of concerns an individual may have around their use of substances, mental health, harmful gaming, gambling or internet use and physical safety risks. Screening also helps to explore what issues might be getting in the way of a person’s ability to get help for alcohol, drug, internet, gaming disorders or gambling concerns and what might help to remove those barriers. Screening questions help to find out more about a person and their experiences. Some of the screening tools used are question and answer format. These can be filled in by a client themselves or completed orally with a clinician. A new client will read through the forms and screening tools for themselves to decide if they feel comfortable sharing their information. The information learned from screening will guide the development of a treatment plan.
What is Assessment?
An assessment is a detailed view of an individual’s circumstances. HDGH staff are trained in addiction assessment techniques and use a combination of interview techniques, objective measures and collateral information as available and as appropriate. The development of a treatment plan for intensive services is best made when guided by a thorough assessment.
Purpose of Assessment:
- To assess the problem areas identified by the client and others.
- To investigate past and present use of all substances and problems with internet, gaming disorders and gambling and determine level of dependence.
- To work with other significant people in the client’s life as appropriate.
- To record baseline data with which to measure goal attainment and progress of client.
- To record client demographics that can be analyzed to evaluate outcome and success of programs.
- To use assessment findings in order to create a mutually established treatment plan.
- To share assessment results and treatment plan with appropriate resources with client consent.
Once an assessment is completed, the client is given an opportunity to talk about any concerns they have identified and discussed. A list of options or a treatment plan will be developed and presented to the client. A treatment plan might include the following kinds of activities:
- Referral to primary care doctor (family doctor)
- Referral for attendance at a group at AAR e.g., outpatient treatment
- Referral for bed-based care. About 10-15% of our clients are appropriate for bed-based services