Tenders Announced for New Youth Treatment Centres

The construction of two treatment centres for youth with addictions and complex mental health needs is moving forward with tenders being issued for the first phase of construction of the projects. One facility will be located in Grand Falls-Windsor, with the other to be constructed in Paradise.

“These tenders signal a new day for how youth with mental health and addictions issues are treated in our province and I am very pleased to see the construction of these two needed facilities will soon get underway,” said the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services. “One of my top priorities remains addressing mental health and addictions and enhancing services throughout the province. These facilities will greatly improve our provincial youth services by introducing a comprehensive and progressive form of treatment not previously offered in this capacity in the province.”

Both centres will have a similar design and layout and will treat up to 12 individuals at a time. The facilities will have three separate living quarters containing four bedrooms with private bathrooms, a kitchen and a lounge area. Each centre will have a school area, a multipurpose room, a physical fitness room and a dedicated space for overnight stays for visiting family. One of the living areas in each centre will be for youth who require secure treatment and will also allow for the observation of up to two youth at any one time requiring either detoxification or closer observation upon admission. Lengths of stay will depend on the needs of the youth. However, the estimated average length of stay for a youth in the addictions centre is three to six months and for a youth in the mental health centre is six to 12 months.

“We anticipate the announcement of these tenders will be welcomed by the mental health and addictions community, and especially the parents and families of youth who are in need of these important services,” said Minister Kennedy. “Getting to this first step took longer than we had initially hoped, but these tenders represent real progress and I look forward to seeing their completion.”

The tenders for Phase I of construction will be issued tomorrow, July 23.

The facility in Grand Falls-Windsor will be designed for youth with addictions and will be located south of the Trans Canada Highway at the intersection with Lincoln Road. Phase I includes clearing and grubbing, site excavation, the extension of municipal sanitary sewer services to the site and backfill to level the site with materials suitable for further construction. Further tenders will be announced for the main building at a later date.

The Paradise facility for youth with complex mental health needs will be located on the site of the former Paradise Elementary School. Phase I includes the abatement and disposal of hazardous materials, demolition of the current standing structure, and backfilling of the area with materials suitable for construction. Tenders for the Paradise facility’s main building will be issued at a later date.

Over the past two years the Provincial Government has invested $15.9 million to enhance mental health and addictions services, increase awareness and ensure services are strengthened throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to the continued planning and development of the treatment centres for youth in Grand Falls-Windsor and Paradise these investments have helped begin planning for the replacement of the Waterford hospital in St. John’s with a new, modern mental health facility; continue planning and development of a new adult addictions treatment centre in Harbour Grace; enhance child psychiatry services; and, increase rural capacity through the addition of mental health and addictions staff in rural areas of the province.

- 30 -

A conceptual drawing of the youth treatment centres (PDF)

Media contact:
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 699-6524
JenniferTulk@gov.nl.ca

2011 07 22                                                                                12:00 p.m.