(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Healthy communities

Prince Albert frontline worker calls on provincial government to prioritize mental health supports in budget

Mar 21, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The director of program development for Prince Albert’s YWCA is hoping mental health is prioritized in Wednesday’s provincial budget.

Rob Dunlop noted increases this past year in the city’s homeless population, as well as a lack of detox beds.

One approach Dunlop would like to see the government do, is to both continue and expand a pilot program that has taken some pressure off the mental health ward at Victoria Hospital.

As part of the program, Our House received a number of stepdown beds, which were accompanied by 24 hour supports. The beds help provide a transition for patients who are coming out of the hospital and may not be ready for a permanent residence.

“It’s been very successful in taking some pressure off of the ward and getting some much needed dollars freed up to use in other areas because treating someone at Our House is much more cost effective than having them treated on the ward,” Dunlop explained.

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(File photo/paNOW Staff)

Another area of concern for Dunlop is qualified staff to handle the complex cases. While noting the government has worked hard to recruit and retain, Dunlop said there continues to be noticeable staffing shortages at Victoria Hospital, specifically in the mental health unit.

“One of the things we are seeing over there is just not enough doctors and qualified staff to deal with some of the issues they are facing on the ward,” he said.

Noting a need to increase capacity for concurrent disorders, Dunlop added there’s just an overall lack of detox beds.

“The detox wait list right now is ridiculous,” he said.

Talks have been ongoing for months with respect to a 24-hour homeless shelter and have involved both Prince Albert Grand Council and the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

Noting some good conversations he’s had with local MLA’s, Dunlop said he would not mind hearing some sort of funding announcement on that, or even something more long term like a treatment centre for Prince Albert.

Wednesday’s provincial budget will come out at 2 p.m.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell