Final renovations completed at Horizon’s Ridgewood Addiction and Mental Health campus, improving patient experience 

The extensive renovations will ensure clients can continue to receive critical care in a welcoming and safe space, helping even more people succeed at overcoming substance use and mental health challenges 

(SAINT JOHN)  – The final phase of renovations at Horizon Health Network’s (Horizon) Ridgewood Addiction and Mental Health campus in Saint John are now complete, providing clients with modern, trauma-informed treatment spaces designed to better support their recovery journey.  

This final phase of capital upgrades at Ridgewood was part of a three-phased redevelopment partnership between Horizon, the provincial government, and the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation. The project, which was announced in 2022, aimed to renovate the buildings for three of the programs to improve the quality of care clients receive, as well as their overall experience.  

“Horizon is committed to ensuring New Brunswickers have access to addiction and mental health care,” said Ashley Calvert, interim VP Community. “This final phase, which was the most extensive, will see a significant impact on the overall quality of care provided. By renovating the spaces using an evidence-based and trauma-informed approach, we’re able to better meet the needs of our clients and help them realize and achieve their recovery goals.”  

The three phases of renovations included: 

• Phase 1: Expanded capacity at the Concurrent Live-in Treatment Rehab building from 12 to 16 beds. 
• Phase 2:  Renovations to the Inpatient Withdrawal Management building’s clinical space, to allow assessments, treatment and counselling to happen outside the client’s room.  
• Phase 3: Reformed the central treatment building to create a treatment classroom, teaching kitchen, art and sensory rooms, as well as allied health office spaces for individualized therapy sessions. These spaces are primarily used for those within the Concurrent Live-in Treatment Rehab program but are shared with other programs within the campus.  

“This project is about ensuring people seeking addictions and mental health care can do so in safe, welcoming, and modern spaces that support recovery,” said Robert McKee, Minister of Justice, Attorney General and the minister responsible for Addictions and Mental Health. “The upgrades at Ridgewood strengthen the quality of care being provided and help patients work toward their recovery goals.”  

The provincial Addiction and Mental Health program admits an average of 100 people annually, with stays ranging from a minimum of five weeks to as long as 90 days.  

Treatments include a variety of group and individualized therapy, and programming based on client recovery goals. This could include hands-on learning sessions in the new kitchen on healthy eating, budgeting for food, and meal planning, or practical instruction on proper food preparation. 

“This project was a true partnership and one that our team and Board of Directors were deeply passionate about supporting,” said Shannon Hunter, President and CEO of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity and trust of our donors, this important work was possible. By investing in spaces that support addiction and mental health care, we’re helping some of the most vulnerable patients and members of our community receive care in an environment that is safe, respectful, and focused on recovery. We are so pleased to see this vision come to life and to know it will have a meaningful impact on patient care and healing.”  

This project is one of many currently underway to transform community care and meet the needs of New Brunswickers, where they are to build healthier communities. For more information on the work Horizon is doing to transform health care in our province, read our latest edition of Report to our Communities. 

– 30 –