C.R.Y.P.T.-Youth drop-in centre

Klinic Community Health Centre was founded in the 1970's through the grass roots efforts of a group of politically active people who were concerned with issues of social justice. Over the years, the agency has seen many changes in terms of size, focus of service and types of available service.

In 1970, a group of medical students assisted by volunteer physicians from the Faculty of Medicine initiated simple medical services, primarily for transient and local youth. These services operated out of Committee Representing Youth Problems Today (C.R.Y.P.T.), a youth drop-in centre.

"Klinic" formed

By June of 1971, C.R.Y.P.T. was in the process of closing and the medical students, with members of the Social Planning Council and other interested individuals, received a four-month grant from the Manitoba Health Services Commission to provide basic medical and counselling services to traveling youth and young people with drug-related problems. “Klinic”, as the new facility was named, operated out of 667 Notre Dame and was designated part of the Winnipeg General Hospital Outpatient Department.

Distress Centre (crisis line)

During this period, Klinic offered medical, dental, and counselling services with a staff of four nurses, volunteer physicians, dental students, dentists, and dental assistants and eight counsellors who operated a twenty-four hour distress centre (crisis line). The major focus of the crisis line was to talk down and reassure people who had ingested and were experiencing difficulty with a wide variety of hallucinogenics, stimulants and depressants and to assist transients with medical, transportation and drug-related problems.

There was a pressing need for these services, and since Klinic was the only place attempting to meet this need, it quickly became identified as a safe and “cool” place by its clients and as a haven for “hippies” by the general public. At that time, public attention seemed to be directed towards the Distress Centre.

Crisis Bus

In February of 1971, Klinic applied for and received a three-year grant from the Non-Medical Use of Drugs Directorate to operate the Crisis Bus. While the Crisis Bus had a separate staff and administration, Klinic was the sponsoring agency. There were large numbers of people experimenting with drugs and overdosing or “freaking out” and the Crisis Bus provided a variety of services, including patrols of areas frequented by large sub-culture populations, home visits, transportation to Klinic or hospitals and drug crisis services at rock concerts, love-ins, etc.

Drug education for schools and parents

Klinic also initiated its first outreach service, a drug education program for schools and parents. Around this time, the National Film Board produced a short documentary on Klinic and Crisis Bus.

Also in February of 1972, Klinic’s funding was discontinued and the building at 667 Notre Dame was torn down to make way for the Health Sciences Centre power house. Klinic, Crisis Bus and the Distress Centre moved first to a small apartment on Maryland and then to part of a house on Raglan Road. Telephone counselling and the Crisis Bus were the only services offered and all staff were volunteering their time.

Klinic's changing focus

Resident services

This situation continued until June of 1972 when the Department of Colleges and University Affairs provided interim funding. The Distress Centre and Crisis Bus staff moved into and began renovating the building at 567 Broadway. Staff began negotiations with the Department of Health and Social Development (External Programs) for more permanent funding. At this time the services were still youth-oriented but were beginning to shift somewhat to a resident rather than a transient population.

In September of 1972, the Distress Centre was unable to secure further separate funding, and its services were taken over by Klinic staff and administration.

Pregnancy Information Services

In February of 1973, Pregnancy Information Services was initiated by a group of interested women and was located at 567 Broadway.

Klinic Incorporated and broadened its focus

In April of 1973, Klinic and Crisis Bus incorporated to form Klinic Incorporated. All services were placed under one Board of Directors, administrators and staff, although the Crisis Bus continued to be funded by a separate source. Klinic’s first professional staff, a psychologis,t was hired at this time.

Between June 1973 and January 1974, two major changes occurred. Klinic’s

Community Outreach Program

In April of 1974, Klinic received a full year’s funding from M.H.S.C. Two months later, in June of 1974, the Community Outreach Program was initiated by a group of medical and social work students associated with Klinic. This program, which was to become a viable part of Klinic’s community services was first funded by Opportunities for Youth (O.F.Y.)

Rape crisis services

In September of 1975, the rape crisis services were formed as an internal Klinic program. Then, in April 1976, the program began to operate externally. Again, in January of 1977, the rape crisis program became an internal program, the Sexual Assault Crisis Program, administered by Klinic.

In July of 1977, Klinic moved from 567 Broadway to 545 Broadway Avenue.

In May 1981, Pregnancy Information Services moved their counselling services out of Klinic and formed Women’s Health Clinic, a centre planned to offer a comprehensive health care and maintenance service to Winnipeg women. The centre was located at 555 Broadway and began operation with full support from Klinic.

Evolve counselling program

In 1986, the Manitoba Department of Community Services (now called the Department of Family Services) and the Winnipeg Foundation commenced funding for the EVOLVE Program - a counselling program providing services to battered women, perpetrators of domestic violence and children having witnessed domestic violence. (The Winnipeg Foundation is no longer one of EVOLVE’s funders).

Consolidation of services

In 1989, government announced that Klinic would be moving to an existing building at 870 Portage Avenue which would be renovated to meet Klinic’s needs. In September, 1990, Klinic left 545 Broadway and moved into its currently facility at 870 Portage.

Almost one year later, in 1991, further renovations were made to the second floor and EVOLVE moved into new office space at 870 Portage.

In 1996, Klinic celebrated its 25th anniversary.