From Hospital to Home

For many individuals living with a severe or persistent mental illness, recovery continues long after discharge from hospital. Access to safe, stable and affordable housing plays a vital role in helping people maintain their health, stay connected to supports and thrive in their communities.

This is particularly important for individuals with a dual diagnoses – the co-existence of a developmental disability and mental health condition - who often require specialized supports to live safely and successfully in the community after discharge.

Newly opened this past April at 46 Elmwood Place in London, Indwell’s Coves Landing provides 50 supportive housing units for Londoners who have experienced homelessness and require stability and support. Seven of those units are dedicated to individuals living with a dual diagnosis some of whom will transition from St. Joseph’s Mental Health Care inpatient programs this year.

The dedicated units are located in a separate area of the building, helping to create a supportive environment tailored to the unique needs of residents living with a dual diagnosis. In addition to nursing and meals offered by Indwell, these residents will also have access to 24-7 support from a developmental service worker. 
“When Indwell approached us about partnering to support patients from both our Parkwood Institute and Southwest Centre facilities we immediately recognized the impact and value of the opportunity,” said Mary Ann Linley, Clinical Director of Ambulatory and Outpatient Mental Health Care at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s).

The partnership also represents a unique cross-ministerial collaboration, bringing together support from Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, which supports individuals living with a dual diagnosis, and the Ministry of Health, which funds hospital-based care.

Coves Landing is part of London’s Health and Homelessness Whole of Community System Response (WOCSR). The former long-term care home was purchased and renovated through ‘Developing for Change’ – a collaborative initiative comprised of Auburn Developments, Drewlo Holdings, the Tricar Group and Sifton Properties. Indwell later purchased the building from Developing for Change, to create supportive housing for those in need.

“The partnership creates an important pathway for mental health care patients who no longer require hospital-level care but need specialized supports and stable, affordable housing before they can successfully transition back into the community,” says Linley.

In some cases, patients designated as alternative level of care (ALC) have remained in hospital for several months or even years, while awaiting appropriate housing and supports. Individuals living with a dual diagnosis are also disproportionately represented among ALC hospital stays, placing additional pressure on the health care system.

“Coves Landing will help alleviate pressure on the health care system by freeing up inpatient hospital beds,” adds Linley.
The Finch Family Mental Health Care Building at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute operates a highly specialized 12-bed inpatient program for individuals living with a dual diagnosis. While Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in Elgin County operates a Forensic Dual Diagnosis Engagement team that helps the same patient population maintain access to community resources and supports.

For patients in both programs, Coves Landing provides an important next step in the continuum of care.

Partnering for Impact

This is not the first collaboration between Indwell and St. Joseph’s to support mental health care ALC patients.

In 2019, a joint initiative between the two organizations supported the discharge of 33 mental health ALC inpatients to Woodfield Gate – another supportive, affordable housing project. As of Dec. 2025, 24 of those individuals remained successfully housed, while seven had transitioned to alternative housing options.

In 2022, Southwest Centre collaborated with Indwell on The Station, located in St. Thomas, which maintains six dedicated transitional housing units for forensic outpatients.

Coves Landing builds on this longstanding partnership, strengthening a shared commitment to supporting a vulnerable population and enabling individuals to live more fully and independently on the community, beyond hospital care.