The Crisis Center for the Future will open on rue de Vimy in Sherbrooke

A future residential center for non-hospital crisis residents should open in the summer or fall in Sherbrooke.

The project, which had been awaited for years, was confirmed by its director, the organization Le Partage St-François, which had just completed the acquisition of the building at 125 rue de Vimy in Sherbrooke.

Partage St.-François general manager Sébastien Laberge explained, in an interview with TVA Nouvel.

The mental health crisis center will be used in the future to house people who do not belong in hospital, but can still experience a crisis situation.

“Let’s take the example of a person who might be going through a suicidal episode. Her place doesn’t necessarily have to be in the emergency room, but she might feel too vulnerable to be home alone,” explained Sebastien Laberge.

He continued, “This person will then be able to come to the center and communicate with workers who will help them mitigate the severity of the crisis to finally allow them to return to their environment, but with a safety net.”

He insists on the fact that the center will not be used for individuals who might be tempted to come and make amends on the spot.

A future mental health crisis center will be able to accommodate a maximum of eight people at a time. It is estimated that about twenty users will be housed there each month.

For Partage St-François, the building’s geographic location and architecture make it a prime location for a future accommodation hub.

It is not only located close to all services but also has easy access to public transportation. In addition, the building, which looks like a family home, will allow users to come and rest there and feel confident.

“We wanted a building that gives a feel, and allows me to express a warm environment, almost of a family home. We wanted at all costs to avoid a place that would have an institutional appearance.”

To be able to operate the L’Éclaircie Crisis Center in the acquired building, Partage St-François will need the City of Sherbrooke to agree to a zoning change.

Sebastien Laberge also confirmed that meetings will be organized in the coming weeks with the citizens of the Strip to explain the project to them.

“We want to make sure they understand there will be no neighborhood safety issues, there will be no noise, no disturbance. We want to reassure them about the nature of the project.”

If all goes well, the first users can be sheltered in the summer or fall.