New Stabilisation Unit at St.Amant

28 April, 2023 | St.Amant

St.Amant revealed their newly developed Stabilisation Unit on April 18, 2023. The three living areas, each designed to house three people at a time, is ensconced within the larger building at 440 River Road. Created as a safe space for someone to live when their safety or the safety of others is at risk in their current home, wrap-around services are also in place to ensure a brighter future for those supported by the service.

Juliette Mucha, the Director of the St.Amant Foundation, explains that there are many types of people who might benefit from the supports of the unit. “Imagine, for example, a teenage boy with autism,” she shares. “As he enters his teen years, he might have some behaviours that aren’t being properly supported, or his needs might be changing. He might unintentionally hurt himself of others, or he might be damaging property. There aren’t many options available to help a person like that or his family and so this space really makes a difference to them.”

Kim, the mother of a young man named Ben, has spoken publicly about the struggle to support her son after he was hospitalized for a self-inflicted brain injury. As a 24 year-old, Ben was admitted to the St.Amant Stabilisation Unit after a nine-month stay in the hospital because there were no safe housing options for him.

“We did our best for him, and sadly… sometimes you’re just not enough,” admits Kim, referencing her ability to support Ben and meet his needs safely. “And there will always be issues with Ben, but he’s doing as well as he ever will be. His dad and I have learned to trust again, and to actually have a little peace of mind, which we never thought we’d have.”

Guests explore one of the living spaces in the unit

In designing the space and the programs to support it, St.Amant consulted with agencies from across North America to get a sense of the best practices for stabilisation units. “While this is meant to be a temporary solution, that still means months or even a year of living here while working on stabilising behaviour before returning home, or if that’s not possible, to a community home staffed by St.Amant,” Mucha explains. “During that time, each person will receive the supports they need, from physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, dietitians, and others. It’s about building the necessary supports for everyone to live their best lives.”

The unit itself took four years of fundraising, planning and construction to come to life, the largest campaign ever undertaken by the Foundation. “This was a project with a relatively small number of donors who made an incredible impact,” shares Mucha. “We raised $4 million dollars, with the support of our major donors: the Winnipeg Foundation, Qualico and in memory of Morley Blankstein. They weren’t alone in this work; Bockstael Construction and Nejmark Architecture worked with us to keep costs down as the pandemic impacted our budget.”

Mucha stresses that this was truly an unmet need in the community, and that it was a natural fit for St.Amant to offer these services. “The province actually approached us to ask us to take this on, because we have the expertise to do so,” she explains. “When St.Amant determined that this was a strategic initiative, the Foundation set to work. We’re proud of this unit and of our community. It’s been incredible to see the response of the donors, but most of all, of the families we’ve been able to support.”