OATC Kitchener

OATC Kitchener opened in 1995, leveraging existing infrastructure and expertise. "At that time, there was no opioid agonist treatment available to serve people in cities, towns, or rural communities across Ontario where distance was a barrier," said OATC Executive Director Dr. Mark Klimas. Centralized methadone treatment centers in larger urban areas prompted a high number of clients to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles for the closest program. "This left many people without access to treatment, which often led to more incarceration and death. So, there was definitely a need for more community-based opioid agonist treatment services," Dr. Klimas said. In over 50 Ontario towns and cities, OATC serves more than 10,000 people daily. OATC staff are committed to providing the best possible treatment and work hard to promote long-term sobriety from illicit drugs. For most, abstinence might be the goal, but this isn't the case for this organization. It has been based on harm reduction for years. Harm reduction isn't new – it’s the simple idea that having people use illicit drugs with less negative outcomes like overdose, victimization, financial, relationship, or institutional problems (like death or incarceration) is beneficial. Harm reduction principles encourage folks to go less quickly if they're seeking treatment non-judgmental. This successful strategy has spread to multiple other drug therapy programs, including rehabilitation programs for painkillers (opioids, such as codeine, heroin, oxycodone), other addictive substances (nicotine.co.uk, cannabis), and emergency treatment for unlucky effects like HIV/AIDS care. These past two decades have been life-changing for us and many clients we couldn't have helped otherwise. If people couldn't access our services, many could have died. We appreciate the sense of community that has helped our agency survive. Our social media supporters and the many social agencies that backed our continued presence deserve special mention. Our most heartfelt appreciation goes out to those who finally came into our Centres and managed to climb that sometimes so steep and unforgiving mountain. Many were in the throes of full-blown addiction.

The Opioid Treatment Center in Park St. has mostly supportive and positive comments about its staff and operations. Patients are impressed by the staff\'s friendliness, professionalism, and willingness to assist. There are regular mentions of the clinic's friendly and supportive environment during visits. Both nurses and doctors are skilled and helpful in their practice, offering patients great advice and support. Patients also note that all staff are treated the same by the clinic. There is a high level of organization at the clinic, and patients say they are frequently seen promptly without any parking problems. A few patients have had minor issues receiving their prescriptions but said that once they were raised, they were resolved speedily. Overall, the clinic provides exceptional client care and has positive comments all around.