In January 2025, the County of Renfrew and community partners learned of their successful application for Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub funded by the Province of Ontario. Development is underway for the Renfrew County Mesa HART Hub as two key leadership roles have been filled. Tara Edeh (left) of the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre – Pembroke has been hired as the HART Hub Site Manager and Molly Fulton will assume the role of HART Hub Lead. County of Renfrew photo
Mesa is a collaborative and compassionate approach to care – a made-in-Renfrew-County response to the complex intersections of affordable housing, homelessness, mental health, substance use, and addiction. Informed by community needs and frontline experience and built upon Mesa principles, community partners were successful in the application for a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, a regional initiative funded by the Province of Ontario.
In January 2025, the Renfrew County Mesa HART Hub was approved for a three-year, $6.3 million investment from the Government of Ontario to support coordinated services for individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use issues. With early development now underway, the HART Hub is pleased to announce the hiring of two key leadership roles.
To support this bold and collaborative initiative, Mesa partners are investing in local talent and proven leadership.
Molly Fulton will assume the role of HART Hub Lead, on a three-year secondment from her position as Manager of Community Mental Health at Pembroke Regional Hospital. She brings deep expertise and a strong commitment to local mental health systems.
The Renfrew County Mesa HART hub Lead is responsible for the overall operation, strategic direction, and management of the Renfrew County Mesa HART Hub. This position serves as a central point for coordinating health, addiction, and mental health resources in collaboration with local stakeholders and community partners. The Lead will oversee the hub’s multidisciplinary team, ensuring efficient service delivery, fostering collaboration, and driving innovative approaches to meet community needs.
“We are strengthening our collaborative approach to compassionate care by building on what we know, learning from our work together, and investing in local expertise,” said Sabine Mersmann, President & CEO, Pembroke Regional Hospital, a key partner in the HART Hub. “Establishing the HART Hub Lead position demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that those in need receive timely, coordinated care with the best opportunity for success.”
We are also proud to welcome Tara Edeh of the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre in Pembroke as HART Hub Site Manager, a skilled frontline leadership position that will support the coordination of accessible, client-centered pathways to care, ensuring individuals receive the right services at the right time—and have a safe place to call home.
The HART Hub Site Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and coordination of services at HART Hub locations within Renfrew County, and plays a key role in operational execution, performance monitoring, and maintaining a safe, client-centered environment aligned with the HART Hub’s mission.
“Our teams are on the front lines of a new, compassionate model of care. The Mesa HART Hub brings us together to deliver more coordinated, wraparound supports that lead to safer, healthier communities for all,” said Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon.
These two positions mark a significant step forward in realizing the vision of the Mesa HART Hub: a compassionate, local system that meets people where they are – 24/7 – and walks with them toward recovery, housing stability, and wellbeing.
Services offered at the Mesa HART Hub will include:
· 24/7 access to immediate supports
· Primary care and health outreach
· Mental health and addiction services
· Peer support and recovery navigation
· Supportive housing
· Indigenous client care coordination
· Life skills and employment counselling
(Richard Evans)