A Crisis Response and Harm Reduction Outreach Team is coming to Sioux Lookout.
A number of organizations are involved in the project with funding coming from Health Canada.
Gillian Lunny is with the Northwestern Health Unit and says one of the key partners is the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“They are going to be hiring a couple of crisis response nurses that will be working very closely with the OPP to attend crisis calls related to mental health and addictions within Sioux Lookout to provide that support and on-going care after the crisis call.”
Lunny says another part of the initiative is the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority’s Nodin Mental Health Services will be hiring mental health and addictions counsellors.
“There job will be really important to follow up with individuals post-crisis to help get them connected to the supports they need and also hopefully work with individuals in the community before a crisis happens.”
Another plan is securing a physician at a few hours a week to provide some primary care and treatment options for those struggling with mental health and addictions.
Funding has also been allocated for the Nahnahda-Wee-ee-Waywin after-hours call-in/text line that provides 24/7 crisis intervention services to individuals in local and remote communities.
Lunny notes COVID-19 has delayed the start but they are now working on hiring staff and hope to have the program up and running by the end of the year.
She stresses it’s important to have health care and supportive services right at home.
The program aims to build off the Joint Mobile Crisis Response Program, which was a short-term collaboration between the Meno Ya Win Health Centre and Sioux Lookout OPP.
The pilot project ran from February 2019 to February 2020, and the Response Team was able to connect with roughly 150 people experiencing crisis.
To hear more from Gillian Lunny, visit the Audio link below.
