The provincial government needs to stop offloading mental health and addictions support services to municipalities, said delegates from Saskatchewan’s 459 urban municipalities gathered in Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) President Randy Goulden says municipalities are under increasing pressure to put resources into mental health and addictions support, and it’s not their responsibility.
“That is not a responsibility of municipalities,” said Goulden. “That’s a responsibility of provincial and federal governments, yet we’re finding more and more that we have to provide this to our residents. So that’s one of the resolutions.
SUMA’s meeting kicked off Sunday with excursions and education sessions, Monday featured an address from Premier Scott Moe.
In his address, Moe highlighted the urgent care centres being built in Regina and Saskatoon that will have dedicated intake for mental health and addictions.
“We need an intake where we have folks that will take them, will most certainly place them in front of the health care professional that they need at that particular time, and that’s what those urgent care centres are going to provide, that initial intake,” Moe told reporters on Monday.
While Saskatoon mayor Charlie Clark says investment into those urgent care centres are a step in the right direction, more needs to be done to find supportive housing for vulnerable residents.
“You need to have supportive housing options for people to go to,” Clark said. “If somebody goes to get stabilized, in order to get into the treatment beds, when they’re released from treatment they need supportive housing to go to. We are calling for 100 complex needs housing beds in Saskatoon alone.”
While Moe admits more investment is needed in this space in the future, it’s a problem faced by every province in Canada.
He says his government’s focus is on rehabilitation and access to services.
The 2023 SUMA convention wraps up Wednesday afternoon following a bear pit with cabinet and closing remarks.
