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July 19, 2010
Human Solutions™ and Homewood - two quality industry leaders coming together.
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July 19, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Homewood Corporation Acquires Leading EAP Provider Human Solutions™

Guelph, Ontario – Homewood Corporation today announced it has acquired Human Solutions International Inc., based in Vancouver, one of Canada’s leading providers of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

Human Solutions™ has 250 staff and more than 1,200 corporate clients in Canada. It will be carefully integrated with Homewood Employee Health, an EAP provider wholly owned by Homewood, to form a new business named Homewood Human Solutions. Craig Thompson, Senior Vice-President of Strategic Growth for Human Solutions™, has been appointed as chief executive officer of the new organization.

Homewood Corporation is a national leader in mental health and addiction treatment, employee assistance programs, mental health disability treatment, and senior care.

“The addition of Human Solutions™ is a major step in further establishing Homewood as a leading provider of Employee Assistance and Disability Treatment services," said Edgardo Pérez, MD, Homewood’s Chief Executive Officer and President. “The acquisition of Human Solutions™ will provide Homewood with a broadened client base, expanded product lines and services, and a larger network of professionals for out-patient and after-care services. It will add significantly to our capabilities in disability treatment and increase Homewood’s national presence for the mental health and addiction treatment services we provide to the employees of our corporate clients.”

Human Solutions™ will continue to operate offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. The Guelph and London offices of Homewood Employee Health will continue to operate as regional centres. Guelph will continue to be the administrative office for Homewood’s Disability Treatment Program (HDTP), a service that addresses mental health and addiction issues, including intensive in-patient and out-patient solutions, with a focus on return to work.

“Our two organizations are extremely compatible. As well as having complementary services and regional strengths, we share a common vision, and a commitment to quality and to improving the lives of the people who use our services,” said Mr. Thompson. “We both operate according to evidence-based practices and research, and we share a common focus - the prevention, assessment and treatment of individuals with mental health and addiction issues.”

Integration of Human Solutions™ and Homewood’s employee health company will be achieved gradually with the companies continuing to operate as separate entities for the remainder of the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2011. As part of the transition, Dr. Robert Wilson, CEO of Human Solutions™, and Fran Pilon, CEO of Homewood Employee Health, are retiring. Both have been outstanding leaders in the industry for decades and built the foundation for what will become Homewood Human Solutions.

“We believe the joining of these two companies offers many advantages to our existing clients,” said Dr. Perez. “We can combine the best practices of both organizations, bringing a unique approach to employee assistance programs and disability services. In addition, Human Solutions™ operates a disability service which will complement HDTP. We will be able to offer an unmatched continuum of services - spanning workplace health, addictions, treatment and prevention - with the highest level of clinical expertise available within our industry.”


About Homewood Corporation

Homewood Corporation is a healthcare organization focused on improving individual quality of life. Through its operating companies, it provides a continuum of care ranging from mental health and addiction disorder treatment through individual and employer programs as well as quality care for seniors to suit their needs. Homewood shares trade over-the-counter with trades reported on the Canadian Unlisted Board.

 

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For more information, contact:

Ric Ament, Director, Marketing and Communications
Homewood Corporation
Telephone: 1.519.824.1010, ext. 2459
Email: [email protected]

Laura Macdonald, Director of Marketing
Human Solutions™
Telephone: 1.416.964.1875, ext.5215
Email: [email protected]



March 24, 2010
Human Solutions™ 2010 Annual Report - Taking a Stronger Stance for Accommodating Workers with Mental Disorders
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Vancouver, BC: Mental disability is the fastest growing health-related disability in Canada… and has claimed this title for over 20 years. It is clear from a variety of research sources, insurer data, and business reports that disability due to mental disorders is a serious concern for business, insurers, and government.

Human Solutions™’ 2010 Annual Report titled: Able Minded: Return to work and Accommodations for Workers on Disability Leave for Mental Disorders addresses this concern. “We commissioned this report for our customers and key stakeholders in an effort to bring the most current and empirically validated perspectives to this very important issue. It is our hope that by illuminating the many advances in this area, we can help employers be more proactive and/or respond effectively when the need arises,” says Craig Thompson, Human Solutions™’ Senior Vice President Strategic Growth.

The business-focused report translates research and survey results into proactive steps that employers and leaders can take to accommodate mental disability in the workplace, including:

  • A discussion of the most common accommodations for mental disability.
  • Key components of successful Return to Work (RTW) initiatives as they pertain to mental disability.
  • Employer benchmarking and innovative practices of RTW accommodations in Canadian business.

A few of the key findings from the report include the following:

  • Employers have legal responsibilities to employees relating to mental health disabilities. In fact, there has been a 700% increase in the number of court-awarded settlements due to mental injury in the workplace since 2004 in Canada.1
  • There remains significant debate about the role of working while in recovery from mental health-related disability and the use of early to return work practices as a therapeutic strategy. This is an area that requires more research.
  • Reducing stigma and promoting accurate understanding of mental health disorders is a key component of successful Return to Work initiatives.
  • Despite progress by some employers, employer benchmarking studies reveal that most organizations are not yet embracing mental health prevention and Return to Work accommodation best practices for mental health disability. However, there is progress being made at some organizations and signs of hope as many positive steps are being taken at national levels.

“ Our report takes a strong and supportive stance for accommodating mental disorders, and ensuring appropriate actions are taken to support workers suffering from mental disorders,” Mr. Thompson said. “In the end, it is important to keep the focus on the person – not the disability. Workplace accommodation is about increasing the ability of a person suffering from a mental disorder to get back to work and contribute again to the workplace and to the community.”
Human Solutions™ is a leading Canadian provider of employee, workplace, and organization health solutions that has been serving organizations for more than three decades.
For additional information on this report or our services, please contact us at 1.888.689.8604 or [email protected]

1 Shain, M. (2009). Stress at work, mental injury and the law in Canada: A discussion paper for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, AB: Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Contact: Craig Thompson
Senior Vice President Strategic Growth
Human Solutions™
Tel: 1.888.689.8604 ext. 1261



June 28, 2007
Human Solutions™ Growing in Ottawa - appoints Director of Business Development
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Jean Gosselin, V.P. Business Development for Human Solutions™ announced today the appointment of Stephen Kennedy as Director of Business Development, National Capital Region. Mr. Kennedy will be responsible for the generation and marketing of new business across all product lines, including Employee, Organization, and Workplace solutions. Stephen will also provide his expertise in the ongoing delivery of service and consultation to organizations in the Ottawa area.

Mr. Kennedy has a long and distinguished history in the EFAP in Canada. A recognized industry expert, he has an extensive background and formal training in trauma response and crisis intervention work. Mr. Kennedy has held senior positions in clinical delivery and organizational development. Many of Canada’s largest employers have trusted him to manage trying and traumatic workplace situations, and help develop healthier and stronger organizations.

“Human Solutions™ is rapidly expanding in the Ottawa area,” said Mr. Gosselin. “Stephen brings invaluable national and international expertise and skills to our organization. We are excited to have him join our team, grow our business, and serve our local accounts.”

Mr. Kennedy has a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Ottawa. He is a part-time firefighter and certified emergency responder who has worked around the world with international NGO's, providing trauma and disaster recovery. Stephen also works with a volunteer agency that distributes medical supplies to countries in Africa.

"Human Solutions™ is a perfect fit,” said Mr. Kennedy. "I will be able to provide both account service and organizational consultation, which is a unique opportunity for me. I was drawn by their reputation for high quality service. I’m excited about the potential to grow the team in the National Capital Region”

About Human Solutions™

Human Solutions™ is a leading provider of Employee & Family Assistance Programs and WorkHealth™ productivity and performance services. Human Solutions™ is a Canadian firm serving both domestic and international clients. Founded in 1979, it has established an active network of more than 2,000 psychologists, and mental health and organization health professionals.

For more information, please visit www.humansolutions.ca, visit our new Ottawa location at 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 450 (K1P 6L5) or contact:

Jean Gosselin
Vice President, Business Development
Human Solutions ™
1.888.689.8604
email: [email protected]

 



May 25, 2007
Human Solutions™ acquires Baylis & Associates
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Human Solutions™ announced today that it has acquired the Ontario based, national EFAP service provider Baylis & Associates.

In keeping with previous acquisitions, Human Solutions™ (Human Solutions™) will leave the Baylis & Associates senior management team intact and leverage their talents to unfold the rapidly expanding Human Solutions™ service offerings.

Human Solutions™ provides organizational health and EFAP services to clients across Canada and the US. Today’s announcement adds depth to the Human Solutions™ program in Ontario by expanding its client base and tapping the EFAP expertise of Shaun Baylis, who founded Baylis & Associates in 1985, and his team.

“The Canadian marketplace views Human Solutions™ as the better Organizational Health and Productivity service provider alternative. Our growth has come through engaging true innovators in this industry and welcoming them to a team dedicated to superior client service. Baylis & Associates have a tremendous record in both client service and program development. They are a natural fit for Human Solutions™ and we are certain their contributions will lead to increased value for our clients,” said Human Solutions CEO Bob Wilson.

“I’ve been admiring Human Solutions’s steady expansion from its western base to a truly national alternative. Their Human Solutions™ model is an approach my company can easily embrace. Today’s announcement is good for us, it’s good for our clients, and it’s good for companies looking for meaningful answers to their EFAP and organizational health concerns,” said Baylis & Associates President Shaun Baylis.

The Human Solutions™ network includes over 1500 mental health and organizational health professionals serving more than 1200 Canadian and international corporate customers.

For more information, please visit www.humansolutions.ca

Craig Thompson
Vice President, Strategic Alliances
Human Solutions™
888-689-8604 extension 261
email: [email protected]

Robert Wilson, PhD
CEO
Human Solutions™
888-689-8604 extension 225
email: [email protected]