Kingston City Council is examining the impact of program cuts and layoffs at Addiction and Mental Health Services – Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (AMHS-KFLA), according to the Kingston Whig-Standard.
“The changes that we are seeing with AMHS are significant and have the potential to significantly impact the work of the [city],” said city councillor Mary Rita Holland.
The Whig-Standard report said: “Among the changes that have concerned people in the community are layoffs of 42 employees, including 39 full-time and three part-time members of Local 489 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.”
OPSEU staff representative Mary Lou McCartney warned that the cuts and layoffs will hurt people in the community.
“Mental illness is challenging,” said McCartney. “Clients’ recovery will not follow any supervisor’s timelines.”