Youth Addiction Counselling is community addiction treatment available to individuals ages 12 up to and including 24 living in Simcoe County using a harm reduction, client-centred approach, support is offered regarding moderation, abstinence, alternative coping, family dynamics, peer interactions, and connecting to community resources * including individual support, groups and outreach in high schools across Simcoe County.

Support is also offered to family members and friends, who are impacted by a youth’s substance use or to youth who are impacted by a family member or friend’s substance use.

Addiction services are client-centred, acknowledging that people have the right to make their own choices while being treated with respect, compassion and dignity in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

The focus of counselling sessions may include exploring family history, history of substance use, triggers, coping skills, strategies and other topics identified by the client. Our approaches are rooted in evidence-based practices. Counsellors may use approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and others.

Goals are defined by you and may include abstinence, moderation, safer use or other harm reduction goals.

Attendance may be as frequent as weekly, depending on individual need. A specific treatment plan will be developed with the counsellor. Services are available by phone, via videoconference or in person.

Counselling staff are all registered to provide psychotherapy in Ontario under one of the regulated colleges including the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or the College of Registered Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

The counselling program is voluntary which means you must make contact directly to become registered (no medical or outside referral is necessary)

The youth program is a self-referral process, which means you must make contact directly to become registered. 

For more information or to book an intake appointment please contact:

Barrie/Innisfil/Collingwood/Orillia 705-726-5033

Midland 705-526-0393 ext 1405

Gambling, Gaming and Technology Program

Individual Outpatient Counselling is available to individuals (12 years of age and up) who are concerned about their own or someone else’s gambling, video gaming or use of technology. As with all CMHA programs, our gambling, gaming and tech counselling is provided within a Harm Reduction framework. The Gambling, Gaming and Tech program is voluntary, which means you must make contact directly to become registered.

 For more information or to book an intake appointment please contact:

Barrie/Innisfil/Collingwood/Orillia 705-726-5033 ext 223

Midland 705-526-0393 ext 1426

Gambling, Gaming and Technology Program

Individual Outpatient Counselling is available to individuals (12 years of age and up) who are concerned about their own or someone else’s gambling, video gaming or use of technology. As with all CMHA programs, our gambling, gaming and tech counselling is provided within a Harm Reduction framework. The Gambling, Gaming and Tech program is voluntary, which means you must make contact directly to become registered.

 For more information or to book an intake appointment please contact:

Barrie/Innisfil/Collingwood/Orillia 705-726-5033 ext 223

Midland 705-526-0393 ext 1426

Umbrellas Treatment Program

Umbrellas provide self-referred community-based counselling and support for pregnant women or mothers of children 6 years of age and under concerned about their own or someone else’s substance use. We recognize that women may use drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult life situations. Services are based on harm reduction principles and other best practice research. Services include individual and group counselling and fast-track admission to designated residential treatment facilities.

For more information or to book an Intake appointment please contact:

Barrie/Innisfil/Collingwood/Orillia – (705) 726-5033 

Midland – (705) 526-0393 ext. 424

Sessions can be arranged in other community locations for those who encounter barriers to attending in-office appointments.

Withdrawal Management

Community Withdrawal Management Services (CWMS)

CWMS is an outpatient withdrawal management program for individuals 16 years of age and older who would like to withdraw from alcohol or other drugs (including a physician-directed taper) without attending residential withdrawal management services (WMS) (ie. detox), and anticipate mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms. While it is ideal as a planned process, if you are currently inactive withdrawal, you can still be screened for eligibility and receive immediate support and guidance.

This program is short-term, depending on the substance (approx. 4 weeks), offered Monday to Friday and involves planning for the withdrawal process, daily symptom monitoring with the counsellor for the first 5-10 days, exploring strategies for symptom management, and referrals on to other 1:1 or group addiction supports if needed.

CWMS is a non-medical program; certain physical or mental health symptoms may make it unsafe to withdraw in the community and the counsellor will support referrals to non-medical residential WMS or medical WMS. There may be a need to connect with a family doctor, nurse practitioner or a community clinic for medication support.

CWMS does not have a physician or nurse practitioner connected to the program. It is helpful to have one but not required to participate.

Goals may include abstinence or various levels of harm reduction (eg moderation) and are determined by you.

Please contact CWMS staff directly @ (705) 726-5033 ext. 319 for more information.

Mobile Withdrawal Management Services (MWMS)

MWMS is a collaborative program offered by CMHA Simcoe County Branch, CMHA Muskoka Parry Sound and Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin. It operates with a holistic approach to support individuals to withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs without having to attend a residential withdrawal management centre (ie. detox)

The program provides support for 30 days, 7 days a week

To be eligible, you must:

            Be 16yrs or older

            Have a safe place to stay during the program (home, friend or family’s home, shelter)

            Have physical and mental health symptoms managed

            Anticipate no complex withdrawal (eg. high risk of seizure)

            Have a support person (18+) available for at least the first 5-7 days

            Live in the County of Simcoe (north of hwy 89) or District of Muskoka

Individuals will complete a telephone intake and a face-to-face assessment in the residence, followed by a virtual medical assessment. You can expect daily face-to-face visits and daily virtual support during acute withdrawal (approx. 5-10 days), with a frequency of contact slowly reducing over the remainder of 30 days. Virtual support is provided on the weekends.

The program is staffed by a counsellor, a nurse and a peer support worker. You will meet with the nurse practitioner who completes the medical assessment and may provide supporting medications such as anti-craving medications, medications for symptom management, or vitamins.

To self refer, call the central referral line at 705-721-9554