A New Brunswick clinic that supports those facing barriers is now facing its own barrier.
The Salvus Clinic in Moncton is trying to find a new home before their current lease expires on Sept. 30.
But Melissa Baxter, the clinic’s executive director, said they have not had any success so far.
“What we are really lacking is someone who would like to rent space to us,” Baxter said during a presentation to Moncton city council on Monday.
“We feel supported by our community partners and our government partners but not the community as a whole as far as where can we move.”
The Salvus Clinic, a not-for-profit community health centre, has been leasing space on Church Street for the past several years.
The clinic offers wraparound support for individuals dealing with homelessness, addictions and mental health issues without a primary care provider.
It provides primary health care services, housing programs and navigation supports, among other things.
“There’s misinformation out there about what we are and what we would bring to the neighbourhood, which is not proven because we have had no issues where we have been for years,” said Baxter.
Salvus currently employs around two dozen people. Its primary health care team includes three nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, a licensed practical nurse, and two registered social workers.
Baxter told council that close to 4,300 appointments were made between July 2022 and June 2023.
Salvus launched a mobile health clinic last fall which visits local shelters to provide primary health care access. It had made a total of 670 service interactions as of June.
The clinic’s housing support team currently supports 60 individuals who have left homelessness and are now housed. Staff visit the tenants weekly and help them to develop case plans.
In addition, Salvus has a community navigator who helps people with the various health, social and community services available to them. It also has a trustee program that helps ensures clients pay their rent and bills.
“I believe that we are extremely important to these individuals and we are a place of trust. They know that they can come to Salvus when there’s no other place that they can go to,” said Baxter.
Baxter said they are hoping to find a location in the city’s downtown area, where many other services are located.
They need a place that can house the clinic as well as the mobile health clinic, which has to be plugged in and locked overnight.
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