North needs home-grown resources to address mental health and addictions in the North

Submitted photo. Athabasca NDP MLA Leroy Laliberte wants to see more homegrown mental health and addictions services in the north.

Athabasca MLA and NDP Shadow Minister for First Nations and Métis Relations, Leroy Laliberte, made a plea for home-grown Mental Health and Addictions resources for the North.

As someone who has worked with northern communities for many years, Laliberte said he is frustrated with the lack of and Mental Health and Addictions support in the North.

Home-based detox services have started in other areas of the province, like Swift Current, but Laliberte said that model won’t work in the north.

“[It] wouldn’t work”, especially in an area where there is overcrowding in homes,” he said in an interview with The Prince Albert Daily Herald.

 “You have families that are overcrowded. There’s people living in the homes and then you’re going to have an individual that’s getting themselves clean and sober and you’re going to offer a detox at home?

“That doesn’t settle with me, nor does it settle with any of the local representation.” 

Laliberte said he’s also concerned about the possibility of “outside companies” getting hired to deliver treatment to individuals in northern communities. He’s worried those services may be delivered virtually.

“It makes things very difficult, especially for us northerners,” he explained. “We need that one-on-one support with people who are qualified to do so.”

“There’s qualified individuals throughout the North. There are a lot of initiatives that have been put forward, not only by professionals, but also local individuals, but the SaskParty just won’t listen, or support them,” he added.

“There were a lot of models created that they brought forward, they submitted, but then they [Sask Party] didn’t agree that that would be the best thing. But we know.”

Laliberte said there are plenty of people in northern communities who received the training and accreditation to go back to the north and help residents with mental health and addictions issues.

“(They) went and got that education, wanting to bring that back into communities to be able to help the people that they care for. They just haven’t been given the time of day,” Laliberte said. “Every time they submit it to the government, they’re shut down.”

Laliberte said, he’s hearing from people across the north, “they’re needing real beds to be able to deliver the services that they need for the people of the north.” Funding is another area needed in the north. 

“They have some really good and powerful plans that could definitely work, but there’s just the lack of funding that goes to the north,” he said.

“I’m definitely familiar with it because I did a lot of community outreach and I’ve seen first-hand how communities have to juggle around funds to deliver some programs to community members.

“These individuals, they want to support when they come back,” he added. “There’s a lot of communities that individuals who come back from a treatment program, they want to be able to give them after care and support them through that process, because a lot of times, you know, people come home, and they come home to nothing.”

The Daily Herald reached out to the provincial government for a response to how they approach addictions services in the north.

In response, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said they are working with the government and third-party providers to “build addictions treatment capacity that will enhance existing services, reduce wait times, and help more people in treatment.”

The SHA engaged with northwest communities in December to explore enhancements to addiction treatment through the addition of mobile withdrawal management services in northwest Saskatchewan.

Through a provincial Request for Service Qualifications (RFSQ), Medavie Health Services West was qualified to provide mobile EMS supporting withdrawal management in the far northwest. Next steps include continuing the procurement of these new withdrawal management spaces.

Withdrawal management is part of the continuum of care to address substance use for those in need of support with withdrawal from alcohol and/or other drugs.

Mobile services are meant for individuals who are considered low-risk for complicated withdrawal and may benefit from withdrawal in a home or community-based setting where family/friend support is available.

editorial@paherald.sk.ca

-Advertisement-