Frequently Asked Questions

In October 2024, the Oxford Ontario Health (OHT) Team, Woodstock Hospital, and several community partners submitted a joint HART Hub application to the Ministry of Health. On January 27, 2025, the Ministry announced our local HART Hub application had been approved.

But what does this really mean for our community? We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions, but please remember this information may change and evolve as our meaningful work on the Oxford HART Hub progresses.

1. What is an Oxford HART Hub?

The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub is a new initiative designed to address mental health, addiction, and homelessness in Oxford County. It is a collaborative effort between the Oxford Ontario Health Team, Woodstock Hospital, and multiple community partners.

The HART Hub is not a single facility or organization. It is a coordinated system of care that includes but is not limited to outreach services, residential treatment, transitional housing, and access to mental health and addiction support programs.

Four pillars are involved in the HART Hub Client Journey: 1) Visit to the Hub, 2) Safety, 3) Support, and 4) Stability & Recovery. As part of this initiative, Woodstock Hospital has purchased a building at 16 Graham Street to support pillars 3 and 4 of the HART Hub Client Journey, providing support, stability, and recovery. Meanwhile, community partners, such as the Oxford County Community Health Clinic and Operation Sharing, will focus on pillars 1 and 2, ensuring the client’s immediate needs are met through access to mobile primary care, system navigation and emergency shelter services.

What makes this level of community collaboration so exciting is that it will mean no door is the wrong door for individuals to enter and seek help. They will be welcomed and guided to the right support they need.

2. Why is an Oxford HART Hub important?

In our joint HART Hub application, we shared in-depth research outlining our community’s current challenges. This includes:

• A rising number of individuals experiencing homelessness. Local figures suggest that 131 individuals are actively seeking housing, though the number is likely higher as not all consented to be included.
• Shelters are often at or near full capacity, overwhelming existing services.
• Long wait times for mental health and addiction services, with 9,000 individuals unattached to primary care.
• A rise in substance use crises, with 75% of shelter guests reporting substance abuse challenges.
• An increase in individuals experiencing homelessness seeking care in Oxford’s emergency departments.
• A growing number and size of homelessness encampments.
• A rise in overdose-related calls reported by Woodstock Police and Oxford Paramedic Service providers.

3. What services will the HART Hub offer?

Our services are still in the development stage with our community partners, so we will share that they will focus on meeting clients’ needs. There will be:

• System navigation
• Education
• Health teaching
• Individual programming
• Group programming
• Core addiction programming
• A variety of elective programs to align with clients’ individual care goals

4. Where will the HART Hub be located?

As mentioned in the first section of this FAQ, “What is an Oxford HART Hub?” the name is somewhat misleading, as the Hub isn’t just one organization or facility.

Woodstock Hospital recently announced its purchase of a building at 16 Graham Street in Woodstock. This location will help with pillars 3 and 4 to provide the support, stability, and recovery portion of the HART Hub Client Journey. This building will also allow for the co-location of partner services in a centrally located facility. These integrated pathways will support comprehensive and seamless transitions for clients, connecting them to enhanced supportive housing, human services, employment, and primary care support.

5. How is the HART Hub different from a Safe Consumption Site?

HART Hubs are not Safe Consumption Sites. Safe Consumption Sites provide supervised spaces for individuals to use substances safely. The Hub’s primary purpose is to support individuals through system navigation, mental health and addictions programming, recovery, relapse prevention and reintegration into the community with supportive housing and primary care services. The HART Hub approach to care will address immediate needs and set individuals up for long-term support and stability.

6. Is the HART Hub subject to the 200-metre rule regarding schools?

HART Hubs are an integrated model of care, they are not the same as Safe Consumption sites. HART Hubs focus on treatment and recovery services and there the Ministry of Health has not required any restriction on the distance from schools.

7. How will you ensure the safety of clients, staff, and the community at 16 Graham Street?

The facility at 16 Graham Street will be staffed 24/7 by dedicated healthcare professionals. Staffing at this site includes mental health nurses, social workers, peer support workers, therapists, and psychiatrists.

We will implement robust measures, including 24/7 security monitoring, to maintain a safe environment for clients, staff, and our community.

8. Who are the partners involved in the HART Hub?

With the Oxford HART Hub’s approval on January 27, we recognize this collaborative group is ever-changing and evolving, and we are proud to see a growing number of our community partners supporting this exciting initiative. In terms of who was on the joint application to the Ministry:

• Oxford Ontario Health Team (OHT)
• Woodstock Hospital
• CMHA Thames Valley Addiction & Mental Health Services
• Indwell
• Southwestern Public Health
• Oxford County Community Health Centre
• Oxford County Human Services Department
• Thames Valley Family Health Team
• Oxford County Paramedic Services
• Wellkin Child & Youth Mental Wellness
• Operation Sharing
• United Way Oxford
• Woodstock Police Service
• Oxford County OPP
• Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic
• Alexandra Hospital Ingersoll
• Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital

9. What does this mean for our community?

This is fantastic news for Woodstock and Oxford County. For the first time, the region will have dedicated treatment and recovery beds. The collaborative nature of this initiative will help achieve seamless, wraparound care for individuals who need it most. It will also help avoid duplication of services and optimize community resources.

10. When will the HART Hub open?

The announcement of our HART Hub’s approval is a significant milestone, but we are still in the early stages of implementation. We will provide updates as the project progresses.

11. How can the community stay informed?

The HART Hub community partners will work on engagement strategies to keep our community informed and ensure our HART Hub’s success. Please follow along on Woodstock Hospital and Oxford OHT’s communication channels for details, including this webpage!

If you have specific questions or concerns about this project, please email info@woodstockhospital.ca, and we will respond as soon as possible.

HART Hubs Client Journey

(Ministry of Health Framework)