A new executive director has been announced for the Brentwood Recovery Home in Windsor.
The board of directors has announced that Dr. Sonja Grbevski will take over the job as of May 20, following what's been called an extensive selection process led by a local executive recruitment firm, Logic Executive Search and Workplace Solutions.
Grbevski will replace current executive director Elizabeth Dulmage, who is retiring in May.
She believes funding is one of the most pressing issues facing Brentwood, given the need for addiction and mental health services in the community.
"The numbers are just astronomical, and what we're seeing and experiencing in our community, we just look around us, and we see the true desperate need for addiction {services}. So we really have to stay in the forefront and really advocate for the growth of services in our community," she says.
In October 2024, Elizabeth Dulmage called the pressures facing Brentwood "enormous," saying that the centre had more people needing and wanting their help than they had government funding to support them.
The addictions treatment centre at 2335 Dougall Ave. has the capacity for 200 beds but rarely has the necessary funding to operate even close to half of the bed space capacity.
Grbevski says, like every condition and illness, she hopes they can intervene to provide services sooner rather than later.
"Work on those opportunities to work with government and our funders around making the further investments, and look for those quick wins in the early days around the funding and how we provide our services," she says.
"One thing about Brentwood Recovery Home is that it's so rooted in our community; it has such a rich history. We already know of the great successes that individuals have achieved through the help of Brentwood. And I would be remiss not to even talk about the alumni and how much they've given to the community and all the people at Brentwood," she says.
Grbevski holds a PhD in Counsellor Education from Wayne State University, a Master of Arts in Counselling (with a focus on Rehabilitation, Mental Health, and Addictions) from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Windsor.
She also holds a diploma in Chemical and Substance Abuse Counselling from St. Clair College.
She previously worked for Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and the Canadian Mental Health Association-Windsor-Essex County Branch.