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Social services organization marks milestone

Jan 17, 2019 | 4:18 PM

A Saskatchewan social services organization is marking a big milestone in its history.

The Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan (MACSI) has been offering counselling and addictions treatment services to people in the province for 50 years.

The social services organization has facilities in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina. Speaking to paNOW Thursday morning at MACSI’s facility in P.A., Shayne Lazarowich, who serves as communications manager for the organization said they are looking to evolve.

“We’re looking at things like mental health and the connection between mental health and addictions … we’re kind of looking into expanding a little bit into housing,” he said.

Being able to provide housing to people who are coming out of the council’s treatment program is important as some are homeless or come from a living situation which may not be healthy to go back to.

“We’re trying to promote and trying to advocate for a more holistic kind of approach to this,” said Lazarowich.

Along with their hopes of offering expanded supports to the people who come through their doors, MACSI is also looking at possibly making some changes to their inpatient program.

“There’s also sort of a discussion about the 28 days program like we have and other centres have, that perhaps that doesn’t meet anymore some of the needs of certain people,” said Lazarowich.

At the current time, MACSI can extend a stay for certain patients for up to 10 days or refer them to another program for further treatment.

Lazarowich explained longer stays may be needed as some of the drugs which people are using now, like crystal meth and opioids may take a person longer to get off of than other drugs and that programs need to change as a result.     

“Some of the programming, traditional programming that was developed here, was by in large developed around alcohol,” he said.

Despite the name of the organization, Lazarowich stressed that their services are available to anyone who finds themselves in need of addictions treatment.

“In terms of clients we’re publically funded and we’re open to everybody,” he said.

According to their 2017-18 annual report, 12 per cent of people who came through MACSI facilities across the province identified as being Métis, while 64 per cent identified as First Nations and 24 per cent were non aboriginal. During this period 435 men went through programming, while 377 women received services.  

In the last four years in Prince Albert specifically, 1,227 different services were provided to people, ranging from in-patient services to their day program.

People who are looking to get a good look at MACSI’s facilities in P.A. can do so in March, when the organization will be hosting an open house.   

 

Editors’ note: this story was amended Jan.18 to include service numbers for Prince Albert 

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn