Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic (RAAM Clinic)

The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic (RAAM Clinic) provides low-barrier immediate access and care for substance use management. The clinic is accessible without appointments or medical referrals. The RAAM Clinic staff will work with you to explore a range of substance use management strategies, including medications and psychosocial supports, to provide a holistic approach to care.

The RAAM Clinic model is very flexible and can be adjusted to suit a variety of contexts.

• Low-barrier – We understand that clients with substance use disorders are often struggling with multiple health and social challenges. Our clinics are open to anyone who wants help addressing their substance use.

• Walk-in – Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics see clients without referrals. New clients are seen on a walk-in basis during specified hours. The walk-in model gives clients the flexibility to attend when they are able to, without the pressure of having to make and keep a scheduled appointment. Please call 905-451-2123, ext. 2 or 1-877-451-2123, ext. 2 for more information.

• Client-centred – There is no single approach to substance use disorder treatment, different types of care work for different clients. The RAAM Clinic model is intended to give each client a voice in their own care, allowing them to set their own goals and co-develop a treatment plan with the clinician. The role of the clinician is to give the client a range of options (including harm reduction advice, counselling, and referrals to psychosocial treatments) and help them decide what would work best for them. Once clients are stable, they are transferred to a primary care provider for long-term management.

Services at the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic are provided by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) including nurse practitioners, registered nurses, concurrent disorder specialists, peer support workers, and trauma therapist who provide counselling and links to community services. We also have access to psychiatry and pharmacy for consultation.

The RAAM Clinic is intended to be part of an integrated addiction care pathway. Because individuals with substance use disorders access treatment in several settings (emergency departments, hospital inpatient wards, withdrawal management, community, primary care), clinicians in all of these settings can give interested individuals the relevant information. People may also self-refer to the clinic and do not need a referral from a doctor or primary care provider.

SERVICES THE RAAM CLINIC PROVIDES:

• Diagnose substance use disorders and concurrent mental health disorders
• Initiate pharmacotherapy when indicated:
  • Alcohol use disorders: naltrexone, acamprosate, gabapentin, disulfiram
  • Opioid use disorders: buprenorphine/naloxone
• Provide harm reduction interventions and advice
• Overdose prevention guidance.
• Provide brief solution-focused counselling
• Provide trauma-informed care
• Make appropriate links to community services for addiction, psychosocial, and social services
• Link clients back to primary care when stable and connect clients to primary care providers if unattached
• Educate and support health service providers with information about addiction treatment
• Provide advice and support to primary care physicians who have referred patients

We recommend new clients attend our clinic during walk-in hours. Booked appointments are reserved for existing clients. Please call 905-451-2123, ext. 2 or 1-877-451-2123, ext. 2 for more information.

Walk-In Hours are below. Please make every effort to arrive 30 minutes before clinic closing.