A program treating problem gamblers and their families is now available at Leamington District Memorial Hospital.
The hospital has a partnership with Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor to offer a non-residential treatment program as part of the Leamington hospital's Mental Health and Addiction Site Partnership Programs. The service is free to all impacted by problem gambling.
Vice President of Government and External Affairs at Hotel-Dieu Bill Marra says a big barrier to many health services is transportation. "When we do get referrals to the program, we're going to be able to give now an option to candidates to see if they prefer the Leamington location over the Windsor location."
A release from the Windsor hospital says some candidates living in the county find the length of travel time detrimental to their employment, which can discourage some problem gamblers from seeking treatment.
Eventually, Marra says the program in Leamington may expand. "We started providing the service recently and we're ramping to provide full service, both residential and non-residential."
He encourages anyone with questions about the program or seeking treatment to call 519-254-2112.
